In 2020, LEGO Ideas, the offshoot website run by Lego, hosted a 'Music To Our Ears' contest which called for fans to submit custom builds under the theme. The call-out spawned mind-bending builds, from live sets of famed performance venues to uncanny replicas of hall-of-famed instruments - almost fittingly, a Daft Punk performance mobile with dedicated rotating show lights bagged top honours, coming in close proximity with the timing of the French duo's split.

While it didn't bag pole position, Tomáš Letanay’s Legendary Fender Stratocaster Build impressed voters and builders alike, which despite placing 7th overall, pushed the brick overlords to commission its mass production. And we can see why.

LEGO Ideas Set (21329) Fender Stratocaster pays homage to the legendary instrument birthed in the 1950s. Beyond its unmistakable colours and all the gritty details, the set's attention to replication, from its tuning pegs to whammy bar, and the obssessively detailed 65 Princeton Reverb Amplifier, eludes a delight that compels a non-frequent builder like myself to see what else is out there for my mitts to build. 

Twelve numbered bags greet you as you unbox the set, with a neat instruction booklet that doubles as a history lesson for builder's that might not quite be familiar with the likes of George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix's trusty electric pal. Concept wizard Tomáš Letenay of course gets a profilng too, the Slovakian architect and interior designer moonlighting as a guitar player on top of Lego building. 

With 1074 pieces and either loud red or muted black versions to contend with, the building experience never once felt too jarring or daunting for a non-hobbeyist. The archetypal red was the build that stood out, which means brickers won't have to open both sets to display its final glory (although the completionists in us would surely love to merge a half-and-half). 

Its minute details were the standout of the entire experience. For starters, the set comes with a nifty parts-made stand that although seemingly light handles the Stratocaster in good snug. For those that have tuned a guitar prior, the 'tuning' of the set's strings to achieve a perfectly parallel fretboard was an excellent go to mimic what felt like actually tuning its life-sized counterpart. 

Then, the Princeton lego amp employed differently coloured knick-knacks and pieces throughout its "electric" housing, from the luminescent red jewel on its exterior to the intricate, back-board circuitry housed within. 

Since this part of the build would eventually be covered, easily the trickiest and mistifying part of this segment was pieceing the tiny parts together, and then wondering who else but its builders would be able to contend with how many differently hued pieces existed within. 

The show-and-tell element is rife and part of the ruse, alongside its classy touch of rubber tubing which connected it to its cute footswitch that's no longer than the average pinky. The Strat is, of course, accompanied by its own strap, and the set comes with branded stickers that do well for a feel-good factor. When finished, you almost get the sense that showing the Strat off to someone would entail moving its entirety altogether, if not for a spatial view, then to pry open its crevices for exploration.

Either way, you could visualise it doing well in almost any room.

The LEGO Group has long been a driver for fuelling passions and creative endeavours via its jaunty releases, and the Fender Stratocaster build is but another excellent addition to its sprawling library. With year-end gifting festivities approaching it seems a befitting option for those looking to gift out of the ordinary, rockers or music lovers alike. 

The LEGO Ideas Fender Stratocaster Set is now available for purchase via LEGO.