Fender Ed O'Brien Signature Stratocaster

Perhaps because the Fender Stratocaster is such a near-perfect design, it's a killer platform for tweaking and tinkering. No surprise then, that Radiohead guitarist (and serial experimentalist) Ed O'Brien used the Strat as the basis for his signature edition. The big tweak is the inclusion of a Fernandes Sustainer pickup in the neck position, which opens up a wrath of E-Bow-, organ-, and synth-style possibilities. The substantial 10/56 soft V neck is substantial and crazy comfortable and a great match for the narrow jumbo frets. The sustainer pickup also performs as a normal neck pickup but you can also vary the intensity and switch in or blend fundamentals and harmonics. It's a lot of guitar—and expressive possibility—for just $1,099.