The Fender Custom Shop Black1 Stratocaster (John Mayer) is a Fender electric guitar. Close alternatives include the Gibson Les Paul 1959 and the Eric Clapton's Custom-Painted Gibson SG "The Fool". It pairs well with the Blackstar St. James 100 and the Orange Rockerverb 50 MkIII 2-Channel 50W Head.
Fender Custom Shop Black1 Stratocaster (John Mayer)
Fender · electric guitar
Black1 is John Mayer's main road Stratocaster, built at the Fender Custom Shop by master builder John Cruz in October 2004 as a deliberately heavy-relic guitar modeled on the kind of beaten-up road-worn Strat Stevie Ray Vaughan would have played. Fender later produced a limited commercial run based on it starting in 2010, an 83-unit masterbuilt tier with pickups matched to Mayer's own guitar and a larger 500-unit factory-relic tier at a lower price point, marking one of the first times the Custom Shop replicated a working artist's personal instrument rather than a vintage original. On stage it has carried much of Mayer's biggest material, valued for a blues-rock voice indebted to Vaughan's tone. Mayer has also spoken about extreme methods, including freezing the guitar, in his ongoing search for a specific relic'd feel and sound.
- blues
- blues rock
- pure tone
- release
- stage
- vocal
- rhythm
- midrange
Genres the Fender Custom Shop Black1 Stratocaster (John Mayer) is commonly used in
- Blues
- Blues Rock
- Rock
- Soul
Amps that pair well with the Fender Custom Shop Black1 Stratocaster (John Mayer)
Blackstar St. James 100
Blackstar
18% matchRun Blackstar St. James 100 into that transparent platform and it finally gets some high gain
Orange Rockerverb 50 MkIII 2-Channel 50W Head
Orange
18% matchOrange Rockerverb 50 MkIII 2-Channel 50W Head's own full character is the real reason this is worth trying
Synergy SL2 Module
Synergy
tonal matchThe transparent tone has headroom to spare — Synergy SL2 Module gives it high gain to fill it with
Friedman BE-Mini Head
Friedman
tonal matchInto a transparent tone, Friedman BE-Mini Head brings the high gain it's missing
Mesa Boogie Rectifier Badlander EL34/100 Head
Mesa Boogie
tonal matchVoiced for Fender-style amps
1970s Mesa/Boogie Mark I 'Snake King'
Mesa Boogie
tonal matchVoiced for Fender-style amps
Hughes & Kettner Warp 7
Hughes & Kettner
tonal matchThe transparent tone has headroom to spare — Hughes & Kettner Warp 7 gives it high gain to fill it with
Ceriatone 2202H
Ceriatone
tonal matchThe transparent tone has headroom to spare — Ceriatone 2202H gives it high gain to fill it with
Pedals that stack with the Fender Custom Shop Black1 Stratocaster (John Mayer)
Greer Black Mountain
Greer
19% matchInto a transparent tone, Greer Black Mountain brings the fuzzy it's missing
ThorpyFX The Dane
ThorpyFX
18% matchThe transparent tone has headroom to spare — ThorpyFX The Dane gives it fuzzy to fill it with
Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler V2
Dr Scientist
tonal matchInto a transparent tone, Dr. Scientist Frazz Dazzler V2 brings the fuzzy it's missing
Beetronics Nectar
Beetronics
tonal matchVoiced for Fender-style amps
Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz
Black Arts Toneworks
tonal matchInto Fender Custom Shop Black1 Stratocaster (John Mayer), Black Arts Toneworks LSTR Fuzz is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end
Electro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes
Electro-Harmonix
tonal matchElectro-Harmonix EH-1335/EH-3075 Hot Tubes is voiced for a clean amp's front end — Fender Custom Shop Black1 Stratocaster (John Mayer) gives it exactly that
Warm Audio Jet Phaser
Warm Audio
tonal matchRun Warm Audio Jet Phaser into that transparent platform and it finally gets some high gain
Catalinbread MontaVillian
Catalinbread
tonal matchInto Fender Custom Shop Black1 Stratocaster (John Mayer), Catalinbread MontaVillian is right at home: it's built around a clean amp's front end — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Gibson Les Paul 1959
Gibson
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Eric Clapton's Custom-Painted Gibson SG "The Fool"
Gibson
94% similaritysimilar tone character
Fender Artist Series Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster
Fender
93% similaritysimilar tone character
Magneto Sonnet RawDawg III
Magneto
93% similaritysimilar tone character
Washburn N4
Washburn
92% similaritysimilar tone character
Ampeg Dan Armstrong Plexi Electric Guitar
Ampeg
92% similaritysimilar tone character
Gibson '58 Les Paul Standard Reissue
electric guitar
92% similaritysimilar tone character
PRS McCarty Model Electric Guitar
electric guitar
92% similaritysimilar tone character
Univox Hi-Flier
Univox
92% similaritysimilar tone character
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Fender Custom Shop Black1 Stratocaster (John Mayer)?+
The closest matches in character are the Gibson Les Paul 1959, the Eric Clapton's Custom-Painted Gibson SG "The Fool", the Fender Artist Series Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster.
What pairs well with the Fender Custom Shop Black1 Stratocaster (John Mayer)?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Blackstar St. James 100, Orange Rockerverb 50 MkIII 2-Channel 50W Head, Synergy SL2 Module — Run Blackstar St. James 100 into that transparent platform and it finally gets some high gain.
Compare
- vs Gibson Les Paul 1959
- vs Eric Clapton's Custom-Painted Gibson SG "The Fool"
- vs Fender Artist Series Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster