I have seen several MIM Strats with this.

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Custom Shop '59 Strat with John Cruz Master Design Pickups
Vibro King
Fulltone Clyde>Deja-Vibe>TS-808>TS-9>Boss Tuner

Run don't walk get that thing back!!!!!
That said now I must admit that I have seen others like that.

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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

Take it back, Jack. Like others have said, this never should have gotten through QA inspectors.
Yes, MIM have limited lifetime warranty.

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2007 MIM Sunburst Standard Tele
2000 MIM Sunburst Standard Strat
1978 Fender SF Twin Reverb
1978 Ibanez PT-909 phaser
2011 Digitech DigiDelay
2011 Digitech Screamin' Blues OD

Hi jack that definitely look horrendous.....the QC did a bad job and overlooked which imo the guitar shouldn't left the plant.
Take it back to the store as the others have mentioned....put your worries aside.Trust me you'll sleep better....

Do tell us what you decide and if you decide to change tell us what happened...Good luck.

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My Guitars :: My Rig

I'd return it for a new one, while you still can. I think that would mentally bother me for the rest of the time I owned that guitar. I'd be thinking...."I wonder what else is wrong, that I can't see.". When I buy a new guitar, I expect to be paying for a new guitar in perfect condition.

You paid good money for it. So get one without that type of damage.

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

This is the best reason to take it back. FMIC charges top whack prices and owes it to their customers to give great instruments. If no one ever returned faulty stuff how would manufacturers know there were problems.

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No no and no

well I spent about 2hrs at the GC, they took the trem cover off the other white MIM and it was damaged as well, it wasn't nearly as bad as the one I took in. it had 3 bridge screws going through the cavity ~sigh~

I looked around for awhile and my wife got sick of me staring at the guitars and told me to just exchange it so... I brought home the american standard, it set me back another $430 on top of the exchange but it's pristine

it has the rosewood fretboard instead of the maple but it felt better than the same american with the maple fretboard, the maple was raised way to high above the body and the pocket wasn't as nice as the rosewood...so rosewood it is. the tech that i trust was there so he set it up for me and checked everything out, I cant wait to plug it in and give it a go. just letting it sit for an hour or three in the case until it warms up.

thanks to everyone for the advice, I'm still pretty much a newbie so its greatly appreciated

I like the looks of that one!!!! Congrats!!

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Chet Feathers

Authorized TonePros Dealer
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F/A Official Southpaw Compliance Certification Tester http://faamps.com/

http://www.facebook.com/cafeathers


I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

Ah, nice, you upgraded.

I bet you'll be happier in the long run.

Enjoy!

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

it has a very rich and sweet voice, after spending about an hour with it I gave my Schecter 2006 Hellraiser to my wife, she's been lusting after it for about 2 years and bugging me to give it to her. I always told her when I found one i liked better it was hers.


and yes i mean the guitar....after playing my LTD & AM Strat I just cant handle a painted neck..they feel sticky in comparison.

she let me spend 950$ on the strat so i cant complain to much ~chuckles~ she's always compared every guitar she looks at to that schecter...so we're both happy.

Very nice looking guitar. It seems it was your destiny to get that thing.

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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

Thats an awesome new strat man! after i get a tele, thats the next strat i want, the olympic white with the rosewood fretboard look awesome. i played one exactly like this a few weeks ago and if i hadnt melted my credit card with a deluxe just before xmas i would have bought it in a heart beat. you really were destined to get that axe.

with regards to fender's quality control, i believe its on the way down. ive seen quite a few posts here in recent times dealing with awful stuff that passed through QC, such as this, or the guy whose truss rod hole was no where near centered, to cracked necks etc.

it means were getting back to the old days where you have to see, play and inspect a guitar, inside and out before buying. no standards. it makes me hesitant to go for another fender, much as i would like to.

Nice guitar, man! You were destined for that one. I'd swap out the pickguard to a tortoise shell one, but that's my preference. I just checked the trem cavity on mine, luckily nothing of the sort.

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2007 MIM Sunburst Standard Tele
2000 MIM Sunburst Standard Strat
1978 Fender SF Twin Reverb
1978 Ibanez PT-909 phaser
2011 Digitech DigiDelay
2011 Digitech Screamin' Blues OD

if you want to try for a better one go for it , but i dont think you will find a better one .

If you can return it, why wouldn't you?...Craig