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Post subject: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 1:10 pm
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Hi Guys!

In about 2 days I will be purchasing my first USA Strat after owning several Mexican and Japanese models.

Would like some insight as to whether this USA Strat is real or fake?

The owner doesn't know very much about it. He's had it for awhile. It has the original case and several documents. From what I've read on Xhefri Guitars website, it seems to be a Deluxe Plus.

Bridge pickup has been changed to a Seymour Duncan Hot Rail (wiring needs to be sorted out). The original was a Lace Sensor. The pickguard has an ALL PARTS sticker which may indicate it was changed at some point. I have dated this with GuitarDaterProject to 1990.

Please excuse the poor quality pics, they're all I have received.

Image

Image

Image

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Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 4:23 pm
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The 2 volume pots look cheap parts not American made for Fender, tone pot look American made.

Switch, I don't know for sure because I need a close-up. But it look a cheap one, not a Fender one.


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 4:34 pm
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I'm not convinced.

Obviously a lot of parts have been swapped.

It might be the pictures but the headstock looks an odd shape to me. I would have thought there should be a number after the letter in the Serial Number. Also the neck plate looks fake - mine is nowhere near as coarse and uneven.

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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 5:01 pm
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Some of the tuners are badly out of alignment.
With all the other things pointed out already my suggestion is don't touch it with a ten foot pole.

If you want an American Strat go and buy one from an authorised dealer.
The second hand market is one full of shysters and con merchants, and it you don't know what you're looking at stay out of it.

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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 5:21 pm
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SAGuitarist, I won't buy this guitar.


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 7:48 pm
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I'll be the contrarian - I think that at least the body, neck and some of the hardware is from a Strat Plus Deluxe, but this one is modded and fairly beat up (not sure what's going on with the high e bridge saddle) so unless you can get it dirt cheap ($500/$600 or so - a price where you could recoup your money by parting it out) I would walk away.


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2016 9:10 pm
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John Sims wrote:
I would have thought there should be a number after the letter in the Serial Number.

In 1990, Fender by mistake used N 9xxxxx as a serial number for much of the year before they realized that those were for 1999. That's when they started putting the year on the same stamp as the letter. So this is consistent with a Plus from 1990.
However, it's far from all original.
The heel plate also looks brand new, and not 26 years old, which is a bit worrisome. Why? Body or neck change?


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 1:43 am
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I agree it looks like there's something not quite right about the shape of the headstock.
I guess it could be the angle of the shot combined with the focal length of the lens used.
Here are my concerns, for whatever you think they're worth:

1) There looks to me to be too much of a straight section before the curve begins. The radius of the curve seems large, like it should terminate in a direction more "curved". The whole curve seems too long overall.

2) The radius here seems to be too large as well only this time the curve is too short overall. I think it should reach higher up to the round section at the top.

3) The round section seems too large all the way around. It makes the #2 radius shorter and at the same time makes the whole headstock too long.

Image

.

Again, I might be wrong since I don't have the guitar in front of me and trusting the proportions of a shape based on a pic you don't know the exposure of can sometimes be iffy.
I also wanted to think that the headstock is too narrow overall at the intersection between curves 2 & 3 but it might be an optical illusion.
If #3 is too large, making the headstock too long, it could give the impression of being too narrow there.

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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 2:33 am
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Sorry error , where is Delete button ?

Test to check photbucket privacy

This is not my guitar
Image


Last edited by stratele52 on Tue Dec 20, 2016 2:47 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 2:42 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
I agree it looks like there's something not quite right about the shape of the headstock.
I guess it could be the angle of the shot combined with the focal length of the lens used.
Here are my concerns, for whatever you think they're worth:

1) There looks to me to be too much of a straight section before the curve begins. The radius of the curve seems large, like it should terminate in a direction more "curved". The whole curve seems too long overall.

2) The radius here seems to be too large as well only this time the curve is too short overall. I think it should reach higher up to the round section at the top.

3) The round section seems too large all the way around. It makes the #2 radius shorter and at the same time makes the whole headstock too long.

Image

.

Again, I might be wrong since I don't have the guitar in front of me a .


IMO you are wrong if I look my guitars


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 2:47 am
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While it's possible that some of the parts may be of Fender-US origin, the entire mess reminds me of the "gifts" my cats leave in their litter box.

Walk away.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 2:50 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
While it's possible that some of the parts may be of Fender-US origin, the entire mess reminds me of the "gifts" my cats leave in their litter box.

Walk away.

Arjay


+1


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 8:43 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
I agree it looks like there's something not quite right about the shape of the headstock.
I guess it could be the angle of the shot combined with the focal length of the lens used.
Here are my concerns, for whatever you think they're worth:

1) There looks to me to be too much of a straight section before the curve begins. The radius of the curve seems large, like it should terminate in a direction more "curved". The whole curve seems too long overall.

2) The radius here seems to be too large as well only this time the curve is too short overall. I think it should reach higher up to the round section at the top.

3) The round section seems too large all the way around. It makes the #2 radius shorter and at the same time makes the whole headstock too long.

Image

.

Again, I might be wrong since I don't have the guitar in front of me and trusting the proportions of a shape based on a pic you don't know the exposure of can sometimes be iffy.
I also wanted to think that the headstock is too narrow overall at the intersection between curves 2 & 3 but it might be an optical illusion.
If #3 is too large, making the headstock too long, it could give the impression of being too narrow there.


My thoughts entirely. I was comparing my guitars along side the screen and the images looked strange but it could be down to the camera lens/focal length etc causing distortion.

I don't have a rosewood board of that time to compare the neck interface and none of mine have (nasty) roller nuts.

The wiring wants stripping out straight away and I'm not convinced quality PUPs would have such weedy wires.

The trem saddles look legit though.

Unless it is very cheap, as in cheap enough that you could bin it without tears, I would walk away from this one. There are a great many more guitars out there.

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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:11 am
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stratele52 wrote:
IMO you are wrong if I look my guitars
Like I said, it could be the natural distortion in the picture due to focal length and angle of approach.
It could well be legit.
Without holding it in my hands I'll never know for sure.

It did jump out at me though.
Enough that my immediate thought was, "the fakers are getting better but it's still a fake."

With all the BS that goes on in the new & used market I have made a couple of decisions about buying gear.
1) I won't buy from a private individual unless the deal is made face to face so I can examine before paying.
2) I won't buy from an online store that has no physical store or unless I've already had successful deals with them in the past.
It seems like the number of online-only eStores has jumped dramatically and it's creating havoc with my spidey senses.
You're placing a lot of trust in the hands of someone who is potentially untraceable.
The rate at which I'm getting the heebie jeebies from online ads has been increasing exponentially lately.
It's entirely possible that the phenomenon is due to a sluggish economy.
It's a proven fact that when common people are faced with poverty they are much more likely to turn to illicit means of gathering money.
This one definitely makes me want to walk away.

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Post subject: Re: Is this a Genuine USA Fender Strat Deluxe Plus?
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 5:40 pm
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And where are the string tree holes?

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