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Post subject: Mystery Strat
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 11:32 am
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Hello, folks! There was something I wanted to put past all the die-hard and not-so-die-hard Fender owners out there.

My grandfather recently purchased a guitar at a pawn shop with a handful of other items for around $40. This is the guitar:

Image

The headstock has"Alembic California Special" stamped on it with a pressed-on black sticker. I know for a fact this is NOT an Alembic guitar because of the numerous inconsistencies. The body shape and electronics lead me to believe it is a Stratocaster. Someone told me it is possibly quite vintage but I do not know for sure. It looks almost exactly like my father's own Fender Strat, serial CN316545. The only difference is the body color of the "Alembic" is more gold and has a metallic sheen to it and the electronics and knobs are more yellowed. Dad's Fender is Vintage White.

Trouble is, I don't have any way (that I know of) to determine if this "Alembic" is 1.) A Fender and 2.) How old it is. The headstock doesn't look like a Strat's and the serial number that was once on it isn't there anymore. Is there any other way to determine if this is a genuine Fender and, if it is, how old it might be?

I figured you lot would be the best place to ask. Dad's guitar collection is pretty impressive and he was hoping to get a little more info on this instrument.

Cheers!


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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 4:13 pm
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If the bridge hasn't been diddled with, you can probably check the saddles and if they have the Fender logo on them, then that'll likely tell you its a Fender body. Or I could be wrong, I don't know much about the older Strats.

EDIT: I take that back...the horns on the double cut style seem a bit more blunt and short than an actual Strat, now that I've compared the two...


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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 4:18 pm
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Off the point, but isn't that Fender's 50s Surf Green on the door and other woodwork in that photo? Very "vintage chic"...

:wink: - C


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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 4:23 pm
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The pickguard does not look like a Fender pickguard.

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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 4:23 pm
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I'd have to take it apart, piece by piece, to see if there is a single item of Fender origin on it. From that picture, I would bet not. Sorry.

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My other guitar is a Strat.

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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 4:37 pm
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CAFeathers wrote:
The pickguard does not look like a Fender pickguard.


Good eye, Chet. I count 10 mounting screws on the pickgaurd. To my knowledge, Fender has only used 8 screw and 11 screw pickgaurds on their Strats.


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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 4:38 pm
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strato wrote:
CAFeathers wrote:
The pickguard does not look like a Fender pickguard.


Good eye, Chet. I count 10 mounting screws on the pickgaurd. To my knowledge, Fender has only used 8 screw and 11 screw pickgaurds on their Strats.


That isn't what caught my eye.

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Post subject: Re: Mystery Strat
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 5:23 pm
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silverfox1985 wrote:
Image

Trouble is, I don't have any way (that I know of) to determine if this "Alembic" is 1.) A Fender and 2.) How old it is. The headstock doesn't look like a Strat's and the serial number that was once on it isn't there anymore. Is there any other way to determine if this is a genuine Fender and, if it is, how old it might be?

I figured you lot would be the best place to ask. Dad's guitar collection is pretty impressive and he was hoping to get a little more info on this instrument.

Cheers!


Looks to me like a knock-off...

The horns are short, the pickgaurd is smaller, and like another dude pointed out, 10 pickgaurd screws instead of 8 or 11. Did Fender (or someone) ever manufacture yellow pickup covers and knobs? The bridge looks Fender made and the headstock is a bit different than the Fender usual. Try checking the serial number with their records and see what you get, the neck might be of foreign manufacture, their should be a serial number under the neck(please be careful when you remove it!).


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 5:23 pm
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i agree chet... the pickguard is cut strange... and ( this might be just me) the body looks like it is shaped different


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Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 6:49 am
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I'm sure hofner used to produce that shaped headstock.

The body being wrong could just be down to the angle the photo was taken at, although the horns do look short.
The pickup covers could of aged to that colour over 10 years if the guitar was kept in a very smokey enviroment. They do age differently to pickguards and knobs.

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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 8:36 am
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I took some better pictures that might help.

The body
Image

The body again.
Image

Body detail. Note there are indeed 10 pickguard screws.
Image

Back of the body
Image

Peering down the bathtub
Image

Headstock detail. The "Alembic" logo here is actually painted on, not a sticker. That number under it reads SN927180
Image

Back of the headstock
Image

Neck joint. The number 180 is penciled in the lower left corner
Image

Neck cavity where neck meets the body
Image

Detail of electronics
Image

Our family friends and local vintage guitar expert believes that this guitar was made in the late 50's to early 60s.


Last edited by silverfox1985 on Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 8:57 am
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silverfox1985 wrote:
Body detail. Note there are indeed 11 pickguard screws.
Image


I still only count 10 pickgaurd screws (not including pup mounting or switch mounting screws). 4 to the left of the strings and 6 to the right of the strings.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:06 am
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Yeah, I noticed I keyed in a 1 in place of a 0 there.

There are only 10.


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:28 am
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NOT A FENDER.

Looks to be home made. Check out the neck pocket, the neck plate, and the neck. The mounting holes are way out of line. The neck up at the truss rod adjuster looks funky.

I could go on.

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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:34 am
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I believe you are absolutely correct Chet. Can you do anything with that serial #? :?:


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