Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition Ariel Posen Stratocaster Electric Guitar, Faded Lake Placid Blue

Following years of influential playing from one of modern guitar's oldest souls, it was only a matter of time before we'd see something like the Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition Ariel Posen Stratocaster. Among the select few if-you-know-you-know virtuoso guitarists of our day, Posen has steps up to the plate today with this limited, team-built, highly-customized Strat from the Fender Custom Shop. This Stratocaster comes together with evident love for guitars and guitar playing and is certain to imbue any player who picks it up with Posen's classic bluesy worldview.

Deeply personalized, the Ariel Posen Stratocaster is a model clearly thought through, play-tested, and certified by Posen. This Fender Custom Shop models assembles with iconic Fender features, as inherited from Posen's direction, with definitively distinct twists to make the guitar its own. Posen, a self-proclaimed "Strat guy," sought out his most authentic representation of what he looks for in a guitar. If there are any other self-proclaimed "Strat guys" out there, this is your sign to take notice.

The Limited Edition Ariel Posen Stratocaster begins simply with a lacquer-finished two-piece select roasted alder body. Each particular body in this series, selected for a lighter weight, is an effortless base from which the rest of the musical experience can blossom. This roasted alder is decked in a Fender Custom Shop Relic finish treatment with a deep Faded Lake Placid Blue color. Imparting some welcomed age to the look and feel of the guitar, the Fender Custom Shop struts their stuff on a classic Relic finish.

A quartersawn AA flame maple neck connects as the next part of this custom Strat journey. An unfinished 1969 "U" profile fills the fretting hand with a solid grip while a round-laminated AAA rosewood fingerboard lays it all out easily. Twenty-one Vintage Upgrade (45085) frets line the rosewood alongside Mother of Pearl dot inlays for a classically rich aesthetic and a seamless feel on the fingers. Perfect for inspiring Posen's distinct brand of groovy, bluesy, slide-driven soloing, this neck and board delivers everything one could need for a playing experience equal parts retro and modern.

One thing that simply cannot go without mentioning, however, is this Fender Custom's electronics setup. Driven by Posen's love for vintage tones, the Ariel Posen Stratocaster features a custom electronics setup designed in collaboration with legendary Fender pickup designer, Tim Shaw. Two custom AP-90 pickups feature simplified controls and cupcake knobs with custom Caballo Ferreo wiring. Streamlining the entire experience, these two AP-90s play with an incredibly distinct tone, reminiscent of vintage Jazzmaster neck clarity and midrange P-90 bite. Seeking to capture the essence of what Posen looks for in a guitar, this electronics setup is primed to fire Posen's imagination – surely as well as anybody else's.

This Fender Custom Shop piece sticks the landing with a six-saddle strings-through-body Strat hardtail bridge. Removing the synchronized tremolo element from the classic Strat equation, this bridge is rock solid and ready for anything. A bone nut, an American Vintage '59-'64 string tree, and vintage-style Fender tuning machines align at the scale's opposite end for a similarly sturdy playing and stringing experience. This Ariel Posen special travels with a number of accessories including a Fender Deluxe hardshell case, a Moody Leather Ariel Posen Signature guitar strap, Dunlop Ariel Posen picks, a certificate of authenticity, and – what else but – a Rock Slide Ariel Posen Signature brass slide. The Ariel Posen Stratocaster is limited to one hundred pieces worldwide.

As one of modern guitar's virtuosos, it was truly only a matter of time before a guitar like this came to be. Take up this customized Ariel Posen Stratocaster and slide away.