I offered to give him a hundred back and he took it so all is good. He is happy cause it is a nice playing and sounding guitar and yes it does have authentic American standard pups.

Jim, Whats the point in putting the fender logo on the the squier?? Does it make you play better. LOL

When you buy a guitar off craigslist there is a small window of opportunity to make the purchase. You can't go try it out and then mull it over and go back a couple of days later to buy it, cause it will be gone.

I'm sure this happens all the time. Heck i'd give jim $400 for his rig if played nice and sounded good.
Lesson learned.
cheers

For me, it's mainly about aesthetics. While many people will choose a specific guitar because of the way it plays and the way it sounds (myself certainly included), looks are important. People like the "look" of a certain color, a certain style, etc., etc.. When you think of your perfect guitar in your own head, in addition to a certain sound, that guitar has a certain color or a certain look to it doesn't it? Think of it this way...if you're walking thru the mall and you stop to ogle a "hot looking chick", are you really standing there thinking "Gee she looks smart...I'd really like to suck on her intelligence!"? Of course not...we humans are often motivated by the way something (or someone) looks. When you see a "cool car" going down the street, are you first attracted because you think it's fast or because you think it looks cool?

In my case with this instrument I wanted to create something that has a fairly vintage look to it (without it necessarily being "beat up", "relic" or "road worn") and the logo on the headstock is simply part of that aesthetic. The funny thing about this is that if I had of put "Walczak Guitars" on there or "Jesus Saves" or virtually anything else, no one would have an issue...people wouldn't care less. But because I chose to duplicate a vintage looking "Fender" logo simply for my own satisfaction, people get a stick up their butts about it.

As I've said before, I have no intentions of ever selling this neck or instrument...I'm not the kind of person who buys something, gets bored with it after a year or so then sells it to buy something else. That's why I have 22 guitars! LOL! This is something that I did for my own pleasure and nothing more. I also left the original serial number in tact along with the "Made in Indonesia" on the back of the headstock so that it can be easily identified as a "fake" should anyone really care that much. -If- I were trying to dupe someone or make a profit on it, I certainly wouldn't be advertising it. I would have done a much better job and very quietly sold it for a massive profit....probably to someone like yourself who doesn't have the good sense to look before they leap...which leads us to the next point...




Ahhh.....I see. So what you're saying is that the very moment you see something on Craigslist you have to mystically teleport right to the sellers house and buy that "what ever it is" that very moment so that no one else buys it out from under you, right? Apparently there's no room at all for an email or a phone call to obtain something like...oh...I dunno...a serial number? Just no way to ask for a few pictures huh? Wow...I guess Craigslist has gotten a lot more brutal since the last time I used it...

When you purchased that instrument yourself, you could have asked for this minimal amount of information (information that the people on this forum were able to use to easily identify this instrument as a fake) and then, at the very least checked some hot sheets to make sure the instrument wasn't stolen. Think of it this way...you thought dealing with a bogus/fake Strat was a problem? Picture this...you're standing there playing at a gig when the original owner of an instrument spots you playing his/her guitar...they call the police who then come out, drag you off stage in the middle of a show and arrest you for possession of stolen property. You're not only out -all- of the money you payed for that instrument but you've lost the instrument as well and now your going to have to fork out lawyers fees too so you can try and stand in front of a judge and say "gee your Honor...I was a dumb $@! and didn't check to see if it was stolen before I bought it so I didn't know".

As I said earlier on, it's very easy to fake a Strat these days and you can't rely on things like a head stock logo or a serial number, but if you had of at least taken the time to look at these things, in your case at least it would have saved you a world of headaches but that's not what happened is it? I hate to be rude but here's what happened to both you and the person who bought the same guitar from you...you saw it, you wanted it, you bought it. I seriously doubt that anyone twisted your arm, let alone held a gun to your head to make you buy this guitar and I doubt you did the same to your buyer. You can't blame -anyone- else including Craigslist or a "window of opportunity" for that my friend. Your own greed and your own lack of knowledge did you in...nothing more.



BTW, here's another little tid bit to consider. Now that both you and the person who bought this guitar from you know it's a fake...don't you wonder if that buyer is going to remove the fake logo? Now that you've given him that $100, it's quite possible that person could turn around in another year or so and sell it for $450 or even $500 or more to another greedy, unsuspecting dolt who "has to have it now" and -if- they get caught, they could claim they didn't know either...that's the way they bought it. Fun cycle huh? Who knows...maybe another buyer down the road can come after you again for this. Of course you got something in writing from the person you sold this guitar to that states this matter is now settled right? Something signed with both of your names?

Have a nice day .

that still would not have helped him as he owned it for a year and only realized it was fake when someone pointed it out to him.

Jim, you've demonstrated how you can make a knock-off strat on the fender forum??? I must say it looks great! I am glad it gives you the aesthetic well being you desire.

I didn't start this thread to be mocked or patronised, just to get some answers. Thanks to all who contributed.
Steve

I fully believe tiki16 was an innocent victim here just as much as the guy he sold the guitar to. For those who often say, "where's the harm in fake decals?" - this thread is the answer.

Cheers - C

But for some reason, those fakes always have something wrong. I've seen quite a few of those Chinese fakes. With their manufacturing power, you'd think they'd be able to take that final step and make them virtually indistinquishable from the real things. Maybe the investment to do that would take away the big profit margins. I don't know.

And then we'd all be in a world of hurt, since it's usually impossible to take a guitar apart for examination before you buy it.

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Theres only one answer to this worldwide dilema. Fake decals need to be completely stamped out. Fmic recently expressed a lot of interest in a uk fake decal'er. Alas that was neckplates coa's and cs logo's. I firmly believe and have no cause to doubt that Tiki bought that guitar in good faith as is and sold it being non the wiser about it. I also believe Lomitus decal'd his guitar for completely honest intentions. The one thing everyone seems to miss is that no one knows what tomorrow will bring. God forbid Lomitus could end up dead and in a year or 2 his family need the money and sell his gear. A horrible situation i know. I certainly dont wish it on him, but it could happen to any one of us. Then a honest fake gets sold as a legit item albeit through ignorance.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions, is the old saying that is applicable to these situations.

_________________
No no and no

i put a decal on my strat because i got a licensed maple neck for my classic 60's strat and it didnt come with one

Dimefan although your intentions were honourable there is still opportunity for abuse in the future. Liscensed or not, its not a fender. Blatant or not theres always someone who will fall for a con. I'm not saying you will con anyone. Just that there is opportunity there when you may not be in control of circumstances.

_________________
No no and no

the two dots at the 12th fret look too far apart too.

The middle screws on the back plate are aligned but should be staggared, At least they are on both my strats..

I stuck a Farrai badge on my Civic but it was only to make it look better now if I can think what to put on the Accord's and the Ram I had to say it.
I just dont see why anyone needs to put a fender label on something thats not. I have made labels saying Cville with simmular script and the wonkey C. You can order the waterslide kits off the net and make just as cool looking script logo of your own and put it in the same place.

_________________
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

Heck, the waterslide paper should be available at your local office supply store.

But don't you need a pretty decent printer for them to turn out well?

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Your right My wife buy her refill sheets and stuff at the craft store. she makes them for window transfers.

_________________
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

i still have the original neck, i just wanted a maple fb