Inside the 2019 Fender Custom Shop Mid-Year Collection

Every year at the Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, the Fender Custom Shop seems to one-up themselves with a slew of new offerings that highlight the exquisite craftmanship continually coming out of the "Dream Factory."

2019 is no different, as the Custom Shop is not only unveiling the Mid-Year Collection, which not only includes the limited-edition '55 Dual-Mag Strat Journeyman Relic and '50s Vibra Tele Heavy Relic, but also a Phil Lynott Precision Bass and a Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature Stratocaster Relic.

"The Mid-Year Collection is an opportunity to surprise and delight our customers, showing off new developments and capabilities born in the Fender custom Shop - from finish options to new pickups and electronics," said Vice President of Fender Custom Shop Product Development Mike Lewis. "Every model in these collections pushes the limits of guitar building and serves inspiration for future custom guitars."

True, the Mid-Year Collection is sure to inspire further creativity, not only from the expert builders that created them, but also from those who will play them.

Learn more about these eye-popping guitars below.

Roasted Ancho Poblano Strat Relic

An evolution of the original Ancho Poblano recipe — a trio of spicy hand-wound Ancho Poblano single — coil Strat pickups, fat neck and Vintage Modified #2 wiring— the Limited Edition Roasted Ancho Poblano Strat Relic turns up the heat.

This Custom Shop gem boasts an alder body with a Relic lacquer finish, a fat "'59 C"-shaped profile on the roasted riftsawn maple neck, a 9.5"-radius rosewood fingerboard with 21 jumbo frets and a RWRP middle pickup.

'55 Dual-Mag Strat Journeyman Relic

Combining original-era Fender style with modern refinements and hand-wound Custom Shop Dual Mag pickups, the Limited Edition ’55 Dual-Mag Strat Journeyman Relic offers a unique design and stellar tone.

The two-piece '55 select ash body features a Journeyman Relic lacquer finish, a tinted, a one-piece, rift-sawn maple neck sporting a “’54 Soft V”-shaped profile, and Strat ½ Blender wiring along with a Greasebucket tone circuit that preserves your gain when rolling back the tone. The pickups could also only have come from the Custom Shop, as they are based around a proprietary blend of alnico 2 magnets that temper the treble strings and alnico 5 magnets give a piano-like punch to the bass strings.

'50s Vibra Tele Heavy Relic

The '50s Vibra Tele Heavy Relic starts with a '50/'50 Blackguard single-coil pickup and two popular Tele mods: a Bigsby B5 vibrato tailpiece and a Seymour Duncan Seth Lover humbucking neck pickup.

Meanwhile, the two-piece select ash body wears a thin Heavy Relic lacquer finish and is joined by a one-piece tinted quartersawn maple neck with a "'57 Soft V" profile that has 21 #6105 frets for a contemporary playing feel.

Paisley Jazzmaster Journeyman Relic

The artisans at the Dream Factory put their imaginations to work with a pair of Paisley Jazzmaster models - one in classic Pink Paisley, and one in Black, both with a matching nitro-finished Paisley pickguard.

A two-piece alder body (with Journeyman Relic nitro lacquer finish) has a comfortable "'62 Jazzmaster C"-shaped neck profile and a rich set of hand-wound Jazzmaster pickups connected with vintage-style wiring. An RSD Jazzmaster bridge gives these guitars an upgraded feel.

Phil Lynott Precision Bass

Built for true fans and bass aficionados, the Phil Lynott Precision Bass celebrates the 50th anniversary of Thin Lizzy’s formation and what would have been Lynott’s 70th birthday on Aug. 20, 2019.

Created by Senior Master Builder John Cruz, this precision bass replicates all the details of Lynott's trusty instrument, including all of his subtle modifications, such as the mirrored pickguard and bridge. Fans will also notice the bass doesn’t appear overly beat up, because Lynott took good care of the instruments that inspired him to make music. Cruz also took special interest in adding unique touches that true fans will appreciate – like the custom-made leather strap, custom leather wristband and Lynott’s signature mirrored aviator sunglasses that he often wore in concert.

Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature Stratocaster Relic

The Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature Stratocaster Relic is an all-new aged version of the NOS SRV currently in the Artist Signature Series. Almost single-handedly responsible for the electric blues revival of the '80s and '90s, Vaughan used his beloved Strat to blaze his way to the top of the charts.

This model features a trio of hot-high-output Custom Shop Texas Special pickups for fiery tone and a left-handed vintage-style synchronized tremolo bridge — one of SRV's trademark modifications. In addition, the tinted riftsawn maple neck has an “Oval C” profile that’s slightly thinner on the treble side, making it easier to bend those strings into the stratosphere — a precise recreation of his favorite guitar’s neck profile.

For more on the Fender Custom Shop, click here to see all their world-class instruments.