What happens when Eric Clapton’s favourite electric-guitar model meets a Faberge egg? The folks at Fender Custom Shop took that whimsical association and ran with it.

Out came the Pine Cone Stratocaster, whose design is inspired by the egg of the same name made in 1900 for a Russian nobleman.

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“The guitar’s curves and flowing shape perfectly fit the rounded profile of the Faberge masterpiece,” shares Fender master builder Yuriy Shishkov. “The goal was to make a very clean and vibrant tribute to old-world craftsmanship.”

Through a projected 3-D image, he traced and carved the pine cone pattern found on the Faberge egg onto the body of the guitar.

He then embedded a total of 550 diamonds in the scales, fingerboard inlays, custom knobs, side dots and engraved sides of the headstock. Next, he gilded each scale with silver and 18K gold. The gold treatment continues on the engraved bridge and pickups. The fingerboard alone had 3m of gold wire trellis.

Finally, he coated the body three times in his own special finish to give the guitar the same gloss as its namesake egg.

The wood is carved to imitate the scales of a pine cone and embellished with diamonds.
The wood is carved to imitate the scales of a pine cone and embellished with diamonds.

Along with an authentic Faberge Pine Cone Easter egg , the customer will get a matching blue leather strap – important because all the added ice isn’t going to make the already-heavy Stratocaster any easier to carry.

After all, this Stratocaster is more like a piece of art that happens to be in the shape of one of music’s most famous guitars.

But, if you actually wish to play it, remember it’ll probably be good for tone, but not for the back.