Description
The Fender Custom Shop Rory Gallagher Signature Stratocaster Relic is far more than a vintage-inspired Strat replica; it is one of the most faithfully recreated artist tribute instruments Fender has ever produced. Based directly on Rory Gallagher's battle-worn 1961 Stratocaster, this model captures every ounce of personality, wear, modification, and road-earned character from the original guitar that powered decades of fiery blues-rock performances.
Few instruments in rock history are as instantly recognizable as Rory's famously stripped and battered Strat. Acquired secondhand in the early 1960s, the guitar became his constant companion through relentless touring and countless performances, eventually wearing down to bare wood from years of sweat, smoke, and nonstop playing. Fender's Custom Shop painstakingly recreated every detail of that instrument after working directly with Rory's brother, Donal Gallagher, including the heavily worn 3-Color Sunburst finish, mismatched hardware, altered plastics, and even the famously incorrect white 12th-fret marker dot.
The select alder body resonates with the lively snap and balance that made early-'60s Stratocasters legendary in the first place, while the extreme relic treatment gives the instrument an unmistakably authentic feel the moment you pick it up. This is not a subtle aging job; it looks and feels like a guitar that survived decades of clubs, pubs, and festival stages because that is exactly the spirit Fender intended to capture.
The maple neck features an Early '60s C profile paired with a rosewood fingerboard and medium jumbo frets, striking a comfortable balance between vintage feel and modern playability. The 9.5-inch radius allows for smoother bending and easier action than a traditional vintage Strat while still preserving the familiar feel of a classic Fender neck.
Tonally, the trio of Custom '60s single-coil pickups delivers everything players associate with Rory Gallagher's explosive Strat tone; glassy cleans, cutting midrange bite, dynamic touch sensitivity, and raw overdriven aggression when pushed through a cranked amp. The pickups remain articulate and expressive under gain, perfectly suited for blues, rock, and roots-driven playing styles where nuance and picking dynamics matter just as much as power.
One of the coolest details remains the intentionally mismatched tuners; five Sperzel locking tuners alongside one Gotoh tuner, just like Rory's original guitar after years of practical repairs and modifications. Fender even recreated the mismatched 12th-fret inlay dot, a tiny detail most companies would overlook but one that perfectly demonstrates the level of dedication behind this tribute model.
At Cream City Music, we love artist models that genuinely capture the soul of the player they honor, and the Rory Gallagher Signature Stratocaster absolutely nails that feeling. It is raw, expressive, road-worn, and unapologetically alive; exactly the kind of instrument Rory himself would have appreciated.
Specifications:
- Body: Select Alder
- Body Shape: Stratocaster
- Body Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer Relic
- Color: 3-Color Sunburst
- Neck Material: Maple
- Neck Shape: Early '60s "C"
- Neck Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
- Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
- Fingerboard Radius: 9.5"
- Scale Length: 25.5"
- Number of Frets: 21
- Fret Size: Medium Jumbo
- Inlays: Clay Dots with One Mis-Matched White Plastic Dot at 12th Fret
- Nut Material: Synthetic Bone
- Nut Width: 1.650"
- Bridge: 6-Saddle American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo
- Tremolo Arm: Vintage-Style Tremolo Arm
- Tuning Machines: 5 Sperzel Die-Cast Tuners with 1 Mis-Matched Gotoh Tuner
- Hardware Finish: Nickel/Chrome
- Pickguard: 3-Ply Mint Green
- Control Knobs: Parchment Plastic
- Switch Tip: Aged White
- Neck Plate: 4-Bolt Serialized
- Neck Pickup: Custom '60s Single-Coil Strat
- Middle Pickup: Custom '60s Single-Coil Strat
- Bridge Pickup: Custom '60s Single-Coil Strat
- Pickup Configuration: SSS
- Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1 (Neck Pickup), Tone 2 (Middle Pickup)
- Switching: 3-Position Blade
- Strings: Fender USA 250R Nickel Plated Steel (.010-.046)
- Case: Deluxe Brown Hardshell Case with Gold Interior
Sku: 9235001128
