Hey everyone,

Been lurking a while. Great forum!

2 weeks ago I took ownership of my new baby, a 2008 American standard Stratocaster in Sienna Sunburst, Rosewood Fretboard. She' a beauty. I played over 20 strats at different dealers and she picked me. She plays and sounds fantastic. The grain is very unique (I have looked at alot of pictures on the web, and some have poor grain in comparison)

Although it wasnt instantly apparent, after seeing her in the sunlight there appears to be an issue with the wood finish under the transparent coat. Not the coat itself, but the wood underneath.

It appears on the top half front of the 2 that make up the body, as a big continuous WWWWW running the length of the upper half (looks to me like a heel of a sander that has skidded up the body). This has filled with laquer during the finishing process. If you look top down or in poor light you cannot see it, but look at any angle well lit and its quite apparent.

My dealer has been utterly fantastic as he has with every guitar I have had from him.

He says we can certainly send it back to Fender (It will be gone a week).

BUT they might send a replacement which wont be the guitar I spent hours picking. He stands to lose or gain nothing but wants me to be aware. He also says, the grain on the next one may not be so unique. Above all he's a really honest guy, his staff are never in any rush with the customer and I have utter faith in him! They set her up beautifully.

Trouble with me is the mark is giving me bad mojo when I pick the guitar up (I'm sorry I want pristine) and it's a once in a lifetime purchase from the money my grandmother left me.

What is your opinion on the risk of enourmous tonality and feel differences should Fender decide to relace it?

Thanks for your time and opinions

Well if the marks were actually made by a sander or some sort of tool that dug into it the lacquer is probably laid on very thick. Some people will argue that this won't let the wood breathe and resonate. IMO I don't think it's the ability of the wood to breathe through the finish but the weight of the finish that affects tone. If it is really bothering you and is giving you bad "mojo" then send it back to Fender. Personally, if it sounds great and plays great then I would just keep it.

Welcome to the Forum.

I have been told that:
Mojo = Good
Juju = Bad


If this is bothering you so bad then you should just return it. If you go for a replacement maybe it will speak to you as well. If not, keep looking.

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

Will the mark come out in a photo that you can post here?

Image
http://i722.photobucket.com/albums/ww22 ... C00056.jpg

Not so good

http://i722.photobucket.com/albums/ww22 ... C00057.jpg

That's pretty visible and it would catch my eye each time I looked at the it. However, if the instrument plays well and has a good grain finish (I'm always a sucker for wood grain), you don't want to lose it.

If it was me, I'd be talking to the dealer but I wouldn't hand over my instrument until I found a good replacement.

Hmm, except I have to hand it over for it to go back to Fender.

It is very visible isn't it (now! doh!), and yep I see it every time I pick it up....

Im beginning to think it needs to go back....

My wife can't understand how the hell it got though QA. Why go to all the trouble of laquering the thing when thats there....???? Did they not see it or try to hide it? I have the name of the lady and the line she was working who passed it

Thanks for your opinion. Appreciated.

Anyone else??

I think there would be several issues. I myself would keep the gutiar if I really liked playing it. But the issue is you bought the gutiar in the condition it is in. Go to you dealer and get money off because it is a Blem. I always when I find a gutiar that I like at a store and find marks or blemishs on the get money off. Never pay full price for a blemised instrument.

Thinking about it further, yes you would have to hand it over to claim the warranty (Dunno what I was thinking...!) If you have a good relationship with the dealer, I'd be discussing it with him to ensure you get what you want. Let us know how it goes.

I would not be happy with it, and if I got it back and was not happy, I would return and keep searching for the right one. Like the old saying " good things come to those who wait " Take your time and don't just settle for what will not make you happy.

Just for an alternate view: my first impression on seeing the first image is that those marks are not from tools - they struck me as grain oddities much like spalting that occurs in maple. The W shaped area could be tool marks but the other area just doesn't look like that. Take a very close look at it or get an opinion from someone who knows hardwoods.

The fact that this got through Fender QA indicates to me that they didn't consider this a flaw either. It may actually be unusual figure in the alder - doesn't the Sienna Sunburst come with an upcharge for select wood due to the clear finish?

_________________
Custom Shop '59 Stratocaster
AV Hot Rod '52 Telecaster
AV '56 Stratocaster
'65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

DP

Personally, I do not think there is any defect. What you are seeing seems to be small articulations in the wood that get greatly enhanced by the guitar's finish. When the wood takes on the finish it is common to see stuff appear. Also -- if that is the case -- that would have been a hugely gouged up body going in for its finish, which I severely doubt would occur. That being said even if it is just simple wood colorations that you don't like and being brand new, you can talk to your dealer about replacing it. But remember what you said ... this was the one that chose you.

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

If you only had it two weeks you should just spend hours at you dealer and find another he has that speaks to you and let him just return the other to fender to replace for his inventory.

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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

In perspective......


http://i722.photobucket.com/albums/ww22 ... G_6582.jpg