DeTemple Spirit Series '56 Standard Natural

Attention collectors! If you've heard the name, you know exactly what you're looking at. This DeTemple '56 Strat is a rare specimen in mint condition with only the lightest swirl marks in the finish and no other discernible play wear. We would equate this masterful piece of work to the most iconic 50s and 60s Stratocasters, but with the attention to detail and build quality the the big-box brands can only dream of! Straight from the outset, you can clearly see the level of detail and meticulous craftsmanship that goes into building these "dream" guitars. Complete with carefully chosen upgrades (normally a $1,000+ upcharge!) - a quarter-sawn Flame Maple neck, the sought-after DeTemple Sweet Spot pickups and the Titanium Package, this stunning axe is plays even better than it looks.

This build had an original price tag of over $8,000! You can skip the standard wait time of 9 months to a year and snag this beauty at a steal. Comes with everything pictured. The case has one broken latch.

"Michael DeTemple built the first DeTemple '56™ for himself back in 1995. As a master luthier he had been making, servicing and repairing guitars for over 40 years, but this variant was the first specifically created to mirror the nature and feel of his own favorite old Strats® (a '56 and a couple '58s).

The downside of this creation is that it is not manufacturable -- especially in an assembly line, mass production sense.

When each component is mated and matched, one-to-one, the variable organic nature of the woods and finishes used gives each instrument its own voicing and feel. These instruments have a personality of their own, requiring an uncommonly high level of experience and hand craftsmanship that distances them from their manufactured counterparts.

When Michael builds a DeTemple '56™ for you, the guitar is shaped and crafted specifically and only for you. Timber selection, neck shape and radius, pickups, wiring, color and finish are only part of this process. One of the most important considerations is in the setup; to achieve this Michael endeavors to build the instrument around each player's style, attack and preferences.

Among the favorite features of a DeTemple guitar is that "played in" feel players often spend their lifetime searching for. Michael achieves this lush feel by applying proprietary techniques he has discovered over his many years at the trade.

Consequently, no two DeTemple '56™ models are exactly the same yet each is an uncommonly playable instrument.

For these reasons Michael is resigned to the fact that there will never be more than 5 or 6 (often less) made a month. Even then the California sun plays a key roll in how each guitar's finish is applied, so production can slow down considerably in the rainy season.

The DeTemple '56™ is a particularly excellent choice for players who do not want to place their vintage instruments at risk."