"Is this not the collector's exquisite pleasure, that his desire should know no bounds, should reach out into the infinite, should never know full possession which disappoints by its very completeness. O what joy to be able to postpone the fulfillment of desire to infinity!"
― Georges Rodenbach
We got a foot of snow overnight ― let's not talk about that.
It's New Guitar Day!
When the silver version of Gabriella Wilson's signature Stratocaster was released I was intrigued, but it didn't speak to me like the new limited edition Blue Marlin. If I'm honest, I'm not familiar with her music, but she's a rock'n good guitar player. Made at Fender's Ensenada facility in Mexico, it required thorough setup compared to my US Strats. There's still one minor change I would like to make with the position of the high E string being too close to the treble edge of of the neck. I've never replaced the nut on a guitar before, so I may have a professional do it. For now I can adapt, but I'd like to move the high E string back just a couple of millimeters.
Here are pertinent features:
- Alder body with Blue Marlin finish.
- Anodized aluminum pickguard.
- One-piece Maple neck with mid-‘60s “C” shape, 9.5” Radius, 21 vintage-tall frets.
- Matching painted Blue Marlin headcap.
- Fender Vintage Noiseless™ Stratocaster single-coil pickups.
- Vintage-style synchronized tremolo and tuning machines.
The Blue Marlin finish is mostly blue, but depending on the angle of light it can take on purple hues and and accents. Sometimes the iridescence renders both colors giving the guitar a very psychedelic look. Though the guitar has some vintage qualities, the anodized aluminum pickguard gives it a more contemporary and modern look.
Sound-wise, it's a snarly snappy Stratocaster. It recalls my MOD Shop Inca Silver, but that guitar lacks Fender's Noiseless pickups. Play-wise it's smooth as glass.
I changed the strings to D'Addario XLs in .09 for easier bending.
A couple of macro close-ups ...
The pickup selector switch ...
And the shiny headstock ...
Not all that common for Fender is to match the headcap color to the body ― it's the only Stratocaster in my collection like it. Part of me thought about replacing with a regular neck/headstock, but it's growing on me just the way that it is.
All images © 2023 Mike McDowell