I find it real frustrating when I have a search for a certain strat or other fender like Lead II and get parts. I can sort of understand some of the older parts like the lead II's but looking for a newer Ash Deluxe, and getting more parts than guitars is starting to frustrate me. seems to me eBay is getting seedy in a way. I will probably go to guitar center for new fender maybe Musicians friend. I have bought and sold from Ebay since 98.
These joker's at ebay now want as much for an ash Strat Deluxe as Guitar center and Musicians Freind. Once in a great while something slips through. Used to love ebay and buying all types of guitars there, but that is slowing very fast. Dont need em and think they will be a good short for the stock market as there aren't many deals to be had anymore. People use it like a store . It was nice when folks would bid only so much. There were literally thousands of strats in there a few years ago Now ya gotta put em together to find any large amount. I wish it was better but all good things last only so long. JMO. Maybe i am overlooking something. If so I'd like to know. Later

I feel that it's pretty much what the market will bear. Everyone talks about a free market, but sometimes we don't want it to be as free as someone else, or in a certain fashion as someone else - i.e. parting out Strats or other gear. Look back at articles in the various guitar magazines about what EVH did to various guitboxes.

I also think its a shame and I couldn't bare to sell my 70's strat if I knew it would be chopped up. But that being said, I also know that the more of these that do get parted out can only make my original go up in value!

Whatever your opinion, you have to say these guys are on the ball. Road Worn necks and parts anyone?! I kid you not, check it out yourself!

E

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'I'd rather have a full bottle in front of me, than a full frontal lobotomy'

2007 Custom Shop Clapton, Mercedes Blue
2006 USA 62 re-issue, 3-tone Sunburst - CS 54s
1988 USA Deluxe
2007 Yamaha SA2200
2005 Pro Reverb
Tube Screamer, Vox Wah

the reason i have bought from this store is that althouh i mostly love fender stock guitars i honestly think the fender pickups are not the greatest, so if i buy a fender stock guitar, let say an american deluxe i will ended up changing the pickups so why instead not buying the stock fender american deluxe without the fender pickups? because it's not possible. why spending your money in something that will ended up laying around in a basement. instead i buy the components with the pickups i like (for me is the emg dg20 and the steve lukather emg set). also, for the same price you pay for a stock strat that comes with the plastic hardshell case you will end up with the same guitar with a tweed hardshell case if you know how to bid.

i personally dont love all the pickguard/body color combination that stock fenders (let say american deluxe) came in. this way i have the opportunity to color combine the guitar of my dreams. another issue is the fender stock shielding it definitely can be improve.

i have built maybe 5 guitars this way and i end up with mostly stock guitars but the usgrades i always made to my american standard are that i change the stock tunners with fender/schaller locking f logo tuners, lsr roller nuts, schaller strap locks, emg dg20 set, the tweed guitar case, and the right color combination i desire. i still be buiding more guitars with original parts (let say a natural ash, maple neck with clear pickguard showing the beautiful wood grain and a very neat wiring). that way i will be accomplishing two targets at once 1) getting the axe of my wet dreams and 2) being the luthier i always dreamed i became, thats the beauty of fender guitars they gave us great guitars and guitar parts but let us enought space to built up from that. after all not all we are as good or famous as Jeff Beck (by the way my Jeff Beck model is completely stock) nor have all the needed model to have fender built you the guitar of your dreams so this is a great great option if you are NOT a Purist. i am not and as long i get the original fender parts i need i will keep buying from the stratosphere (reliablefender). Thanks. After all a guitar is a musical INSTRUMENT and as an instrument it has to serve to some purpose.

78's fender, 98' american standard, 98' jeff beck model, japanese heavyly modified strat, japanese heavyly modified tele, 08 american deluxe amber emgdg20 strat, 08 fender american deluxe 3 color sunburst with emg t set, 08 american standard 3 color sunburst strat with emg dg20, 08 olympic white strat project, 08 fender american deluxe aged cherry sunburst project, 08 american deluxe telecaster aged cherry sunburst project, 98 ibanez jem 777 vbk, esp mirage deluxe, gibson chet atkins classical, gibson sg probably 70's, parker p36, original steinberger 80's bass, and some more o can remember. for amps roland jc 120, peavy vtm120, hughes and kettner attax 100, gallien krueger 250 ml.

I'm in the process of building my first Tele parts guitar. I have bought several parts from stratosphere. I have found them fast friendly and honest. The only problems I have had is that I didn't know enough about what I bid on and have had to duplicate some items. I bought a modern Am Dlx Bridge but had a vintage route body. (I said it was my 1st) and a few other items were the same issue, not all were through reliablefender.
I can't say about destroying good guitars for parts. I don't know where they get the guitars.(Fender factory 2nds?) I do know that people have been destroying vintage cars for parts for years and the guys that love vintage cars hate them for it. But the guys restoring vintage cars love them for it.
Guess it will always be like that

Well see I JUST discovered this reliablefender guy and i came here to ask about how "authentic" his parts were. I have just repaired a 91 American Strat Plus neck and I would like to slap together an authentic fender and did not feel like buying some expensive custom body or go through the hassle of making a new one (which will end up costing me the same) and then end up with a guitar that's NOT a Fender.

Now my question is, is this reliablefender guy 100% AUTHENTIC? How do I know (with my very limited Fender experience) that these are real Fender parts? Or is he a trusted source?

There's a guy who has a site and he parted out the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary strats. You can buy the special molded 50th Custom Shop case separate from the guitar from him as well.

It's a free country!

Who is doing this? Are you talking about Reliable Fender? He sells genuine Fender necks and bodies and other parts. He must be a licensed Fender dealer otherwise he couldn't get his hands on that stuff.

This is what I posted in another thread in the the custom shop forum- the guys had a CS COA and a neckplate he was selling on EBAY:


I see where you guys are coming from, but in all honesty- I cant see what all the fuss is about.

People buys used cars and sell off the parts all the time- all be it badges, mechanical parts aswell as electrical.

So whats the difference? its not in anyway form copyright- unless they piece it with the rest of a guitar and sell it as a CS. The cost of a legal team looking into this, is it going to justify the cost of the guitar? I think not.

People WILL do this- there is a market for it. Im not promoting it, nor am I condoning it. I think we all just have to accept that its going to happen and just get on with it.

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You forgot to put one more box to check in your polling and that would be "Who Cares".

I think it's an awesome idea, I bought a Clapton neck from reliable fender 3+ years ago for about $600AUS inc shipping, the same thing now would cost me $900 with freight, thats kind of a steep price increase, but what am I gonna do, doesnt seem to be any competition for genuine parts, but you want it you pay for it, dont seem to be many bargains on ebay like there was a very few short years ago..

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Regards

bluesdog88

Hey if you can buy a 400.00 fender MIM or a 1000.00 MIA and turn around and part it out and get more money for why not? It just a guitar theres nothing spiritual about it.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Absolutely correct. A famous builder i know says 'its just wood and metal, you make the sound on it'.

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No no and no

I dont see any thing wrong with it .I wish people wouldnt part out a 100 percent whole vintage strat, but its a free country.Besides, where else are all the MIM owners gonna find parts to improve their guitars and make them more like MIAs? j/k