Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt Paul Waller 1961 Stratocaster Heavy Weathered Natural

Masterbuilt Paul Waller Heavy Weathered '61 Strat

Truetone Music is proud to have a long and close relationship with Fender, especially with the Custom Shop.  Every so often, we make a pilgrimage there to sit down with Masterbuilders to cook up a batch of amazing guitars.  Sometimes we go for vintage-styled recreations, sometimes we go for modernized tweaks.  Sometimes it's a classic color, sometimes it's a totally new color or even reclaimed wood.  No matter what, they always knock it out of the park!

This very unique 1961 Stratocaster is a result of this partnership.  In 2019, we met with Masterbuilder Paul Waller and came up with the idea for this guitar.  We specifically asked him what he had not done before, or in a long time, that he would want to do.  That was the genesis of this Heavy Weathered '61 Strat.  Now, it has turned into a whole run of guitars - but this one is the original concept.

 
Paul Waller is a Southern California native with woodworking in his blood. He built his first guitar at age 14 in his high school woodshop, and after graduating from the acclaimed Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in 2000, joined Fender in 2003. He spent two years working closely with master arch-top craftsman Bob Benedetto, and became steeped in the many facets of building techniques from all the Custom Shop’s Master Builders. After an extensive seven-year apprenticeship, Waller became a Master Builder in 2010.  Since then, his work has become known all of over the world, and is responsible for some of the most prestigious and recognizable guitars to come from Fender.  We've been fortunate enough to receive a few of them, including the famed 9-Neck guitar in 2018.  Not only are Waller's talents amazing, he is also a pleasure to work with, and we're always happy to partner with him on designing unique guitars like this Heavy Weather '61 Strat.