Fender Custom Shop Unveils California Streetwoods Collection Basses

The Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilders are tasked with creating a special set of instruments each year that focus on a central theme. This year, they’ve unveiled the California Streetwood Collection, which utilizes wood acquired by Street Tree Revival, an urban wood recycling program.

“Each masterbuilder hand-selected their lumber with insight from Street Tree Revival’s John Mahoney, who oversees the recycling program,” Fender writes. “As with all wood supplied by Street Tree Revival, these trees were safely removed from urban forestry throughout the state of California, salvaging trees lost during storms, disease or natural deterioration. Urban wood, salvaged from the streets, results in beautiful and inspiring ranges of one-of-a-kind guitars and basses, carefully crafted to highlight the distinctive qualities of these incredible woods.”

The unique lineup includes two basses: the California Streetwoods Roasted Ash & Elm P-Bass – NOS built by Jason Smith, and the California Streetwoods Himalayan Cedar P-Bass® – Journeyman Relic built by Vincent Van Trigt.

The Roasted Ash and Elm P-Bass takes its cues from the earliest slab body Precision Bass with modern updates for enhanced playability. Smith kept the overall specs simple to help showcase the bass’s beautiful one-piece 2A flamed pearwood neck and fretboard, roasted ash body, and one-piece elm top and back. He gave the neck a ’75 style “U” back-shape with a 9.5” fingerboard radius and 20 medium jumbo frets. Other features include a Custom Shop Josefina hand-wound ’62 P-bass pickup, vintage wiring, a RSD hi-mass bridge, and Hipshot Ultralite tuners.

Similarly, Van Trigt drew inspiration for the Himalayan Cedar P-bass from the wood he chose, but not just for its knots and figuring.

“…Amidst the exceptional playability and fantastic sound, there is one incredible aspect: the scent. The Himalayan cedar used in this build emits a mesmerizing fragrance known for its calming effects,” the company shares. “The thin finish applied allows the natural aroma to permeate through the knots of the wood. It’s worth noting that this particular tree was sourced from Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena, CA, where it has grown since 1883 from seeds brought all the way from Italy. Illuminated annually for Christmas since the 1920s, it carries a rich history and adds another layer of significance to this remarkable bass.”

Van Trigt envisioned creating a bound 50’s P-bass with an amber stain, complete with custom inlays and a matching pickup ring. Other woods he sued include a piece of rift-sawn maple for its neck and a flat-lam rosewood fingerboard. It is fitted with a Custom Shop Josefina hand-wound ’51 P-Bass pickup with vintage wiring. Finally, Van Trigt utilized a Babicz z-series FCH-4 bridge and Gotoh GB640 tuners to bring the bass to life.

The California Streetwoods Roasted Ash & Elm P-Bass and the California Streetwoods Himalayan Cedar P-Bass are each one-of-a-kind creations. They have prices of $9,200 and $11,900, respectively.

Fender Custom Shop California Streetwoods Roasted Ash & Elm P-Bass Specs:

Fender Custom Shop California Streetwoods Himalayan Cedar P-Bass Specs: