Legendary Heritage: Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition Gary Moore Stratocaster

An unparalleled milestone for elite collectors and tone purists worldwide: this is one of a mere 60 instruments ever created on earth. This extraordinary 2016 Fender Stratocaster Limited Gary Moore Masterbuilt electric guitar, meticulously handcrafted by the legendary Master Builder John Cruz, stands as one of the rarest, most coveted achievements in the entire history of the Fender Custom Shop. It accurately mirrors every single physical and sonic attribute of the historic original instrument.



From the modified, flattened fingerboard profile and custom-calibrated electronics to the exceptionally dark, premium rosewood fretboard and the unique dual-layered red lacquer finish — a finish that keeps gear historians endlessly debating whether to call it Fiesta Red, Dakota Red, or Salmon Pink — no stone was left unturned. Furthermore, the sheer volume of period-correct historical accessories and paperwork included with this package is simply mind-blowing.

Renowned globally for his fierce, explosive, and uncompromising virtuosic playing style, the iconic Irish guitarist Gary Moore set the entire music world on fire every single time he stepped under stage lights or entered a tracking room. His incredibly diverse career spanned multiple genres, masterfully covering everything from complex jazz-fusion and progressive rock to heavy metal and deep, soulful blues. His rich musical history featured prominent roles in legendary bands like Skid Row, Thin Lizzy, high-profile collaborations with Greg Lake, as well as experimental work with Colosseum II. This was complemented by his historic solo catalog, which includes definitive, genre-shaping albums like Corridors Of Power and Victims Of The Future.

Having been completely captivated by the raw onstage stamina and immense technical command displayed by the guitarist during an early performance of the Gary Moore Band, Fender Master Builder John Cruz immediately chose him as his absolute favorite guitar hero. Ever since 1987, the year he first joined the production ranks at the Fender facility, John Cruz harbored a deep professional dream of producing an exact, flawless recreation of the iconic 1961 Fiesta Red Stratocaster that Gary Moore favored heavily throughout his high-flying 1980s era.

For the builder, this project was envisioned as the ultimate historic tribute to the man himself and his global fan base. Therefore, when he was finally granted official access to examine the original vintage guitar firsthand to develop this masterwork, he accepted the challenge with immense passion. The builder engaged in exhaustive research with the infamously unpredictable Fiesta Red color formulas to perfectly replicate the exact, faded shade of the original guitar, while carefully mapping out every single hard-won battle scar, ding, and finish check across the body.

Structurally, the original instrument used by Gary Moore remained surprisingly close to factory stock specifications. It retained its original low-output pickup configuration and the traditional vintage 3-way pickup selector switch. The only functional player modifications performed on the guitar were the installation of heavy-duty copper shielding inside the control cavities to eliminate hum, and a swap to larger jumbo fret wire. The masterful replica built by John Cruz perfectly mirrors these exact performance tweaks. The master builder even went so far as to integrate a custom 10-inch radius on the rosewood fingerboard, precisely replicating the unique shape the original neck acquired after decades of intense live play and multiple professional refrets. For the electronics, the guitar is loaded with the builder's proprietary "Bonetone" single-coil designs, wound by hand by the renowned pickup artisan Josefina Campos, ensuring the instrument is packed with authentic, deeply expressive vintage Fender tone.

The Custom Shop's boundless dedication to absolute precision naturally extends to the incredible array of included case candy and road accessories. The guitar comes securely housed in a custom Anvil road case designed directly by John Cruz, featuring the distinct Gary Moore logo stenciled clearly on the exterior, offering heavy-duty tour-grade protection for this museum-quality instrument while holding all the historical documentation. Additionally, the case includes faithful reproductions of the two individual guitar straps favored by the artist over the years. Collectors will find the distinct studded leather strap he paired with the guitar during the early days of its career, alongside the durable DiMarzio strap equipped with white ClipLock fast-release fasteners that became a permanent fixture during the guitar's later legendary world tours. This ultra-exclusive masterbuilt run is strictly limited to just 60 pieces globally.