I wouldn't hesitate. Take it back immediately! I wouldn't accept that kind of workmanship in a kitchen cupboard let alone a fine musical instrument! Quality Control should NEVER have let that slip by. It almost looks like that screw touches the trem spring - in which case it will affect the instrument. No one - not the music store - not Fender - should have any problem with taking it back.

Good luck and let us know how it works out.

Gridlok

@gridlok :: FYI the poster has already made the exchange before you posted....read a few post back.

Hey Jack glad it turns out everyone is happy......the Am Std looks awesome couldn't have picked up a better one than that....good choice dude!

_________________
My Guitars :: My Rig

Yeah, sorry. I missed that somehow.

Gridlok

I posted a response too and didn't realize until later that it was after the fact. Thought it was me but now kinda thinking that the latest posts weren't available to all of us. Must have been a glitch...Craig

I love that gutiar If you need someone to break it in for you I,ll send you my address. Good move you won,t be disapointed.

Where is the crack? If you are talking about the paint chips in the cavity, it si not big deal. It is rough finished there and of no consequence. If you are referring to the crack where the screw that is touching the ground wire that is minor and of no consequence.
Fret buzz is probably due to a needed truss rod adjustment. SIght doun the neck and see if it is bowed up. If it is, loosen the rod, if it is bowed down away from the strings tighten it a little.
I would bring it to a guitar tech and have him set it up. Costs about 40 bucks.
those paint chips and small crack are nothing, unless it is on the body surface.
What's in the cavity you won't see.
JMHO

I just found out that he exchanged it too. So he paid another 430 bucks to get a guitar that is perfect. For 430 bucks he could have gotten a used MIM strat or something else. But he is happy now so that's all that matters.

When I got my strat in 1974 I was the same way. Only in my case, the godamn neck was twisted and it really pissed me off.. 30 years later, I got a luthier to refret it and fix it.

If you arent happy, it will ruin your playing experience so he did the riight thing in getting it the way he was comfortable with.

After he buys about 20 more guitars, he won't worry so much about one of them that isnt perfect.

This is a good excuse for him to plan and buy more. A man can never have enough guitars.

~chuckles~ well I did buy a used telecaster deluxe blackout that's MIM. the routing is nice and sexy and the lipstick pickups are kinda cool

I do have to say the MIA compared to the MIM is like comparing a rolls royce silver shadow to a standard mercedes... both are damned good but they aren't in the same league.

my wife made me go to bed at about 2 am, I was spaced out on the couch just playing scales and simple blues riffs, the MIA is perfect and the neck has a smooth buttery feel and even unplugged the MIA has a sweet and rich voice. well worth the extra $450, hell the skb base that it came with normally costs $150 and the case candy is just bonus.

after the first hour with the strat I gave my schecter hellraiser to my wife, its a 2006 in black cherry so it was before schecter got kinda sucky. she's been wanting that guitar for about 2 years...so she's happy and I didn't get yelled at for spending $909 on the stratocaster (thats total with the exchange +$430) for some reason she wont touch a guitar unless the neck is finished to match the body ~sigh~ I have to admit I was that way when I first started but now it would have to be a bloody amazing instrument to get me to give up the maple necks. the painted necks just seem to stick to my hand.

even the frets on the MIA are in a whole other class, the fret dressing is smooth and even

to quote a famous character "my Precioussssss"

I love this one!!! It bears quite a resemblance to my '80.

well I got a reply from Fender CS today, they forwarded the photo's I attached to their tech department, the rep said if the store wouldn't make it right then to take it to one of their service centers and they would.

It's nice to see a company that stands behind their product, although its unfortunate that the other 2 upgraded MIM strats that I looked at had the same manufacturing defects.

but all things aside, I love the feel and sound of the Am Standard.