How often do you think people come on this website to find out if the guitar they are faking will pass the test? Alot of people give great advice and would definitley help out a person who is about to purchase or has unfortunaltely purchased a fake guitar, but I see new members all the time on their first or second post trying to find out if their guitar is legit. It seems this happens all too often for so many people to be buying fake guitars.

Just a thought.

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You can rest assure that it happens from time to time. Some of them never post again.

Best bet is what I did, not familiar with all the ins and outs of Fenders, go to a dealer.

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Hi. I have a red Fedner Stratoblaster that I got from a shady character in a dark alley. I was told it is a one of a kind Custom Shop guitar that Erik Clappten and Stevey Ray Vohn built together. I don't know how to post pictures. The serial number starts with what looks like a Chinese character. It's got some knobby doodads and six long shiny things. You've got to stop what you're doing right now and tell me ASAP if it's real and the exact minute it was manufacutered (knowing just the year isn't good enough for me). Thanks.

p.s. This is my first and last post. So whatever sound advice you give, I won't see anyway. Discuss amongst yourselves.

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

PFFFFFT!

Everybody knows, it's "Erick Clappner"!

You got burned, pilgrim.



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I'm all for helping others out to identify their Fender, but most times they just make it impossible to even guess what it is.

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

I've suspected as much for the last 18months. Particularly a year or so ago when there was a spate of bad and good fake guitars.
What can you do though? You'd need to be telepathic to suss out another poster's intentions.

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No no and no

Indeed. And few of us possess the requisite telepathy abilities.

Most of my Strats are "fakes" in that I've assembled them and/or modded them far beyond what options the factory generally offers.

But then again, I never try to pass them off as "gee, it came from Fender's Custom Shop just as you see it".

(I'm too honest, I guess)



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

The people who come on the forum to check the validity of a guitar only to find that it's fake is only the tip of the iceberg.I imagine that a very large number of people buy fakes in good faith not knowing it's a fake until they bring it to a luthier to be adjusted etc. or go to trade or sell it to a dealer. Contrary to popular belief the old saying "ignorance is bliss" is a universal misquote,the original quote was "where ignorance is bliss,tis folly to be wise" so ignorance really isn't bliss-it can be quite maddening and costly.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I agree with guitslinger. A lot of people are getting ripped off by the fakes because they don't check on the guitars they are tempted to buy.



I don't think it happens often, if ever, because the rip-off artists aren't smart enough to think of such a test. And besides, they don't have to try to fool the guys who "know their Fenders." They only have to fool the guys who don't know ...

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Yes some of those posts are far too cryptic to help them.

But I would like to point out that Fender itself has to share some of the blame for this.
I mean first they make s very similar product in many different countries at many different price and quality levels, and them they license shops to made "License Fender replacement parts" bodies and necks and are they Fender or not? If there Fender replacement parts it can be argued that they are in fact Fender product because Fender does not sell bodies or necks, making these manufactures there official replacements.

So is it no longer a Fender guitar if you have say a 1980 Strat that the neck breaks on and you buy a "Official replacement" neck and put the correct stickers and correct paint and tuners, Is it still a real Fender?
If it was a car, and you replaced the front end on it with
Official replacement parts it is still The same car.
What if you have a 1969 Camaro and you restore it with reproduction parts, is it no longer a 1969 Camaro?
Sure is, and no you will not loose points at a car show either.

I do not know what needs to happen to fix this, but there should be some guidelines made to make exceptions and what is and what is not.

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Marriage is like playing cards...

At first all you want are Hearts and Diamonds.

But in the end, all you really want is a Club and a Spade.

Retro

I think some of the best developments in the electric guitar industry have happened because of legitimate copies. Notably Charvel/Jackson making replacement Fender parts in the 70's. Look at all the good stuff that came out of that. You or I may not like all modern developments. Their validity stands though. All because some bloke in a workshop somewhere had enough backbone to believe in his product.
Infact theres good evidence for Leo Fender having copied some of Paul Bigsby's designs and improving on them.
I wouldn't be hard on myself for being honest about my product. You're in good company.

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No no and no

classic!


-Nutter

+1

As the old adage goes, Success may have a thousand parents but failure is an orphan.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY