Fender Nile Rodgers Hitmaker Stratocaster Guitar, Maple Fretboard, Olympic White

Player's Perspective

Although he should need no introduction, it's always worth a reminder that Mr. Nile Rodgers is an absolute legend and the godfather of modern funk guitar. And just like the countless number of iconic records he's played on, his signature Fender Strat is an absolute banger. Fender has been on fire the past couple of years when it comes to bringing awesome Artist Signature guitars to the table, and the "Hitmaker" is no exception.

The boundless uniqueness and coolness of this guitar starts with the hardtail construction. A hardtail Stratocaster is a true rarity in the Fender production line, and right off the bat it grants the Hitmaker a unique musical voice with added sustain and a woody type of resonance along with supreme tuning stability. We love how easy and no-brainer re-strings are on this guitar! The body is also slightly smaller as well, making it extremely comfortable, even more than the average Strat, allowing you to bang out those chunky funk rhythms and R&B chord progressions like nobody's business. 

The pickups on this one are just incredible. They've got the typical vintage Strat sound, which is awesome to begin with, but have a tighter bottom-end to keep your chucks and strums extremely tight. Try them with some light compression into a clean amp! We also love the chrome-covered brass pickguard - we're no scientists, but to our ears, it imparts a sort of warmness to the sound and seems to help keep the single-coils quiet with basically an extra layer shielding. Not only are Nile's custom modifications cool, but they're amazingly functional as well!

Item Specifics

Nile Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on recordings that have sold more than 500-million albums globally. Every hit record he’s produced has shared one essential element: the used 1960 Fender hardtail Stratocaster® Nile bought in a Miami music shop. Rarely is a single guitar so inseparably identified with its owner as The Hitmaker.

The Hitmaker features a 1960 alder body that is uniquely smaller and more contoured than a typical vintage Strat. The beautiful Olympic White lacquer matches the finish Nile sprayed on the guitar himself just after he acquired it in the early days of Chic. The custom ’59-profile one-piece maple neck has a 9.5” radius fingerboard, medium jumbo frets and a satin finish. A “Nile Rodgers & Chic” logo adorns the back of the headstock and a custom Hitmaker logo is stamped into the neck plate.

The Nile Rodgers Hitmaker single-coil Strat pickups are voiced to accurately replicate the quack, chime and bell-like clarity of the original Hitmaker. Other features include a hard-tail string-through bridge with period-correct bent-steel saddles, an eye-catching mirrored chrome-plated brass pickguard, locking Sperzel® tuners and a set of white speed knobs. The guitar also comes with a vintage-style case with Hitmaker-embroidered interior and a custom certificate of authenticity.