INTRODUCING THE CORY WONG STRATOCASTER®
INTRODUCING THE CORY WONG STRATOCASTER®
CORY WONG STRATOCASTER®
Recognized for incredible funk chops throughout an acclaimed solo career and countless collaborations, Cory Wong’s sense of rhythm is unparalleled. Wong’s namesake Stratocaster is a tribute to his favorite Fender, with signature pickups to achieve his unique tones, a stunning Sapphire Blue Transparent satin lacquer finish to stand out on stage, and an extremely comfortable Modern “D” neck profile.
FEATURES
SAPPHIRE BLUE TRANSPARENT SATIN LACQUER FINISH
Recreating Cory’s beloved original Strat, the Sapphire Blue Transparent satin lacquer finish allows the wood to breathe and age beautifully.
MODIFIED STRAT® BODY AND HEADSTOCK
Built to Cory’s specifications, the slightly smaller body and larger headstock creates a subtle but unique profile that makes this Strat unmistakable.
SEYMOUR DUNCAN® CORY WONG CLEAN MACHINE™ PICKUPS
This signature Seymour Duncan set – featuring two single-coils and a stack bridge pickup – delivers classic Strat chime and singing lead sounds.
FINDING HIS OWN VOICE
For a player like Cory Wong, creating a signature guitar requires more than just slapping his name on the headstock.
Known around the world for his inventive style as a solo artist, contributor to modern funk-masters Vulfpeck, member of The Fearless Flyers or through his numerous collaborations, the GRAMMY® Award-nominated Wong conjures sounds that simply demand more from an instrument. But, just as Wong is truly a unique artist, so too is his new signature Stratocaster.
Growing up in Minnesota, Wong began his musical journey by picking up the bass when he was 12 years old, initially drawn to punk rock. When a friend in his childhood band also wanted to play bass, Wong conceded and saved up enough money shoveling snow off neighbors’ driveways to purchase a guitar.
As his skills progressed, Wong had to make another concession … or perhaps more of a realization. Nevertheless, the light bulb that went off greatly shaped the rest of his career.
“There were a lot of years where I just wanted to be a ripping lead player,” said Wong. “Then I realized, that’s not what people love about me. What people loved about me was the rhythm, and as soon as I recognized that was the most magnetic thing about me and my voice on the instrument, all these things fell into place.
“I had to confront my own ego as a guitar player.”
LEANING INTO THE RHYTHM
In the many years since then, Wong has revolutionized the way people think about the rhythm guitar, pushing this key part of any group to the forefront. His mastery of timing and texture keeps people dancing, with a full understanding of funk and how those infectious riffs can fit into rock, pop and other genres.
For Wong, the smiles he regularly sees in the audience and the responses on social media to the grooves emanating from his Strat are affirmations that he’s on the right path.
“There’s something about music that can spark an emotional feeling, whether it be joy, whether it be comfort, or sometimes just a feeling of angst, which some of us needed to express as teenagers in a way that's healthy,” he said. “For me, that was music.
“A lot of my music expresses joy, and I’ve thought that it's just a wonderful tool to help shape someone’s mood in a different way for that day, week, month. The more that I do it, it sparks that in me, as well.”
Now, Wong has his own signature Strat that will ensure he can keep spreading that joy, and he hopes it inspires others to do the same.
“No matter what instrument you play, you’re going to sound like yourself if you have a strong enough voice in what you do,” said Wong. “But there are certain instruments that just draw that thing out of you — certain instruments that feel like home, and for me, that’s a Stratocaster.”
