Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster Lexus LC by Ron Thorn

Fender Lexus LC Stratocaster®

The all-new master designed Fender Lexus LC Stratocaster guitar is the newest custom-built piece designed by Fender Custom Shop Principal Master Builder Ron Thorn. The guitar features an omnidirectional Structural Blue finish — a spectral range that produces a light-metallic to deep midnight-blue color inspired by the Morpho butterfly, whose uncommonly large iridescent-blue wings create the illusion that the beautiful insect disappears and reappears in mid-flight. Until now, the only other use of Structural Blue has been on the Lexus LC 500 Inspiration Series coupe and convertible. The fasteners on the guitar’s pickguard are black-button machine head screws that create a clean automotive appearance, and the latest version of Fender’s Noiseless pickups are used here by the Custom Shop for the first time.

The fingerboard is a polished deep blue made from Richlite, a material new to the Fender Custom Shop and selected exclusively for this build given its similarity to components in Lexus vehicles. To match the Lexus sound system configuration, Thorn included custom machined-brushed aluminum knobs to match the auto’s Mark Levinson knobs while reducing the typical number of Stratocaster control knobs from three to two — Master Volume and Master Tone.

A twill carbon-fiber pickguard is used for the first time in any Fender custom run; a pattern chosen to perfectly match the vehicle’s rear spoiler and other details.

The guitar’s control knobs are custom machined-brushed aluminum to match the auto’s Mark Levinson knobs, with the number typically found on a Stratocaster reduced from three to two — Master Volume and Master Tone — to match the sound system configuration. The brushed-aluminum neck plate features the Lexus logo, and each guitar has its own “VIN” serial number.

The neck is fashioned from beautiful 3A flame maple and finished in high-gloss urethane, imparting a hint of Fender woodworking tradition in contrast with the instrument’s other advanced visual elements. The headstock face is finished in Structural Blue with a chrome Fender logo.

For details on the development of the Lexus LC:                      Lexus LC Structural Blue explained :