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Post subject: Real or fake Fender USA
Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 7:16 pm
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I'm asking you to help me identify whether it's an original Fender Stratocaster USA (if yes, than what's the body wood) or fake.
Info based on the serial number (which of course could've been faked):
guitar made in Corona Plant (Fender), USA in 2009 - 2010

The seller says he got the guitar. He lives too far for me to come and play on this Strat

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The seller claims this is some kind of a bridge mod performed by the guy he got this guitar from.
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Post subject: Re: Real or fake Fender USA
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2016 9:04 pm
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Fake! The top appears to be a laminent of flamed maple and I think could be a chinese squire (as well as the neck, which looks to be an affinity). The spacing is much to wide on the 12th fret dots, the fret radius is much to flat, truss rod adjustment at the headstock has no insert, and of course the saddles are not of the type used by Fender. None of the headstock lables are correct all are faked. The tuners are Fender Gotoh made and probably the highest quality part on this guitar. Just so much faked on this guitar it is laughable.

T2

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Post subject: Re: Real or fake Fender USA
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2016 9:51 pm
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I agree, totally fake.


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Post subject: Re: Real or fake Fender USA
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2016 11:34 pm
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Blue Notes wrote:
I agree, totally fake.


+3

As phony as the "snipper" fire that Hillary Rodham says she dodged at the airport in Bosnia.

:lol:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Real or fake Fender USA
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:36 am
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T2Stratman wrote:
Fake! ... Just so much faked on this guitar it is laughable.

T2


Absolutely! The scum bar stools that create these abominations don't even have the courtesy to do it well.

The body is a thin veneer top over a mahogany of some sort. It might be West African Mahogany (WAM) or even Philippine Mahogany (Meranti/Lauan). The latter is most likely considering the guitars probable Asian roots. This being the case the guitars only good point is it might be light in weight though it will have the sustain of a bowl of sugar.

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Post subject: Re: Real or fake Fender USA
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2016 4:36 am
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It's not even a good fake.
Some tell-tale signs often seen in fakes:

The two dots on the 12th fret are too far apart.
The truss rod hole lacks a walnut colored insert.
The truss rod hole is too high up on the headstock - on real Fenders, it is always partially on the sl0pe (sorry, Fender won't let me use this word).
The tuners are badly aligned. While this can be seen on real older Fenders, for newer models, they are well aligned, and you can hold a straight edge to the back of the headstock and all the tuners will touch it (or be very close).
The skunk stripe starts too close to the headstock.
The nut has sharp corners - Fender rounds them.
The pickguard has a sharp point - Fender rounds it.
The pickguard doesn't even follow the contour of the guitar.
The middle holes for the trem cavity cover align - on real Fenders, they are offset.
The lacquer stops before the edge of the trem cavity.
The serial number is aligned and all the same font/thickness. Fender stamps the first letter and digit first, and then add the rest later on, so it's seldom perfectly aligned.
Google the serial number and you'll see a large number of guitar like objects with the same exact number.
On the other side of the headstock, Fender uses a single decal for "STRATOCASTER" and not STRATOCAS and TER being two misaligned decals.
The fretboard lip, below the 22nd fret, is too big.
On veneered models (like the Select), the veneer is thick and goes all the way to the edge and doesn't stop before it.
Example of a real Fender with a flamed maple top:

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Other flaws often seen on fakes (but not present on this one, as far as I can tell from the pictures):
The upper bout strap lock often points straight, while on real Fenders it points towards the headstock.
The decals have misspellings (like MADA IN USA - yes, really).
Flathead screws.
Matte lacquer on "rosewood" fretboards.
Sharp angles on the headstock. Fender always rounds and smooths them.
Lack of skunk stripe on models that should have them, or the other way around.

Some here doesn't like "how to spot fakes" posts, believing it will make the counterfeiters do a better job. I disagree. It's not like the counterfeiters can't look at a real Fender to get the details right. There are so many fakes out there that are bought and sold every day, because people don't know how to spot them. I see reducing that number as beneficial.


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Post subject: Re: Real or fake Fender USA
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2016 8:07 am
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Will the seller take payment in 3 dollar bills? :mrgreen:


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Post subject: Re: Real or fake Fender USA
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2016 8:27 am
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Minnesotaman wrote:
Will the seller take payment in 3 dollar bills? :mrgreen:

I was thinking Monopoly money, but board games are wicked expensive these days...

Given that a new genuine Squier can be had for under $100 with a warranty, asking for more than $50 for the above would be a swindle and not just counterfeiting.


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