Ok then lets add this up and do some math and see if it computes (assuming it is a fine player but a Fender copy)...

The body, if Warmoth, configures out to $445 in that Transparent Green on
The neck in that wood and finished is near $250 not adding for the Graphite nut.
The Bridge lists for around $100.

We still got the electronics and such as that... so lets say another $150?

The Grosh tuners?

I will assume if its a Warmoth body it is routed out for the third knob and it is just covered by the Pick Guard. The pick guard does look like something Warmoth puts on their Strat bodys.

True... it might turn out to be a better guitar but not carry the name. I would, if I keep it, simply put a proper custom plate on it and be done with it. If its a custom build it appears a nice one. And for $650 I certainly could not have built it for that. I imagine I would have close to or more than $900 in that guitar building it. These are close to what is shown on the guitar.

Some links to parts used and pricing used for comparison

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/Showcas ... &Path=Neck

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/Showcas ... &Path=Body

http://www.stewmac.com/shopby/Brand/Got ... emolo.html

Sweet partsocaster.

Hi cphilip: I'm with those saying the neckplate is the only Fender thing about it. And it's an American Standard neckplate, not a Deluxe - it's not shaped for the Deluxe palm contour.

I tend to think words like "fraud" are over used round here, but if that one was sold to you as having anything whatsoever to do with a Fender American Deluxe then you were lied to, pure and simple.

On the other hand, your costing out of the parts is reasonable - assuming the body and neck come from Warmoth, which as yet we've seen no evidence for. I take it you haven't lifted the pickguard yet? So we don't know what the electrics consist of.



Out of sheer curiosity I'd be interested to see the front and back of that headstock. I wonder what the tuners are?

Bottom line, if it plays and sounds good then it's good, whatever it really is. But I'd be crossing that seller off my Christmas card list...

Cheers - C

No, I haven't been able to examine any of it yet. So I cannot confirm any parts other than those that are obvious.

Sure, I will put them up for you.

As to the fraud... well... here is how he describes it... you be the judge. I believe it is clearly misrepresented but... I kind of knew it hardly had any Fender left in it anyway. I ran across this about 40 minutes before it ended. I sent it to a buddy of mine who would know and then spent some time running down parts costs so I could make an evaluation of if the parts alone would be worth the money. He built his Strat from parts and its a good one. I painted it for him as a matter of fact. A Pearl three stage job. But I digress. Anyway he did not get back to me so I had to decide to bid or not and bid safe. I could tell the high bidder had hunted the bid spot and his high bid was likely no more than $600. It was at $545 at that point. I decided the parts were likely worth at least $600-700 even if some of them needed to be replaced. So I did a safe snipe bid at $615 and got it at $605. Taking a chance I was. No time for good input. Safer thing would have been to pass but I have been looking for a Body that color and don't mind building it up to some extent. I certianly appeared well appointed and a good start if not a good Mixmaster already.

Now, the Seller has not sold a Guitar before at least in his history. So it appears he is not an instrument hawker. Those are more likely to be defrauding.

Here is his title and description.


Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster with UPGRADES
Warmoth Fatback, Grosh vintage tuners, Wilkinson Bridge

This is a really special guitar!! It is an American Fender Deluxe Stratocaster with upgraded light ash body in transparent emerald green. I also put on a Warmoth True Vintage neck with a chunky "fatback" profile ala the 56 Custom Shop guitars and heavy birdseye figuring on a brazilian rosewood board. The tuners are high end Grosh Vintage Tuners and the nut is graphite. In total, the neck is over 450 and the Wilkinson GOTOH bridge is another $100. The guitar was assembled for me by a master luthier and outplays any custom shop in my collection. I am only selling it because I have grown very accustomed to my 1 3/4 nut width necks and the vintage nut just seems too small for my old arthritic fingers. This guitar is a screaming steal and will not disappoint you in any way. It will ship in a Levy's HEAVY gig bag (in the picture) or a molded fender squier case - your choice.

I offer a money back return policy if the guitar is not as described to USA buyers. (You must pay shipping both directions.)

If its not a Fender body then it is surely misrepresented. If it turns out to be a Warmoth body I will be just fine with that. Perhaps even pleased!

Hi again, cphilip. Thank you for the extra good quality pics.

Well, we can't tell who made that neck, but it certainly looks a nice piece of birdseye maple. I don't see a maker's mark on the tuners, so they could be anyone's. Not pricy. I don't like the look of the crooked fit on the top e string tuner. That's sloppy.

I own examples of that Wilkinson VS 100 bridge and I like it a lot. That is the real deal, at any rate.

Perhaps I misunderstood: I was under the impression you'd bought this guitar already. If not and without knowledge about the maker of the neck, body or electrics then I feel $600 is iffy for a bunch of no-name parts with a nice bridge. They could easily be very cheap items worth less than that total, birdseye maple not withstanding.

Perhaps they are all good quality parts and it's a worthwhile deal. We can't tell from the pictures.

But I'm mistrustful of anyone who puts a Fender neckplate on a guitar that has nothing to do with Fender. Especially a neckplate that has an inappropriate microtilt adjuster hole.

Treat with extreme caution...

Good luck - C

EDIT: posted before seeing your last post, directly above. It is most definitely neither a Fender American Deluxe or American Standard body: no neck heel contour and no microtilt...

I doubt its possible to identify the neck without taking the plate off the back. IT appears good quality and good Rosewood as well. The out of alignment tuner is likely an easy fix I would think.

Status is that I have sent payment but I have several safe options of getting my money back if need be. No real way around knowing for certain about some of these things without getting it shipped and seeing it in person. The identifiable parts are few and the ones in question will take a close examination because the makers marks would not be obvious without taking it apart. You could ask but could you trust the answers?

But I do feel he has misrepresented the body for certain so it makes you wonder about the rest. At this point I am inclined to take delivery and then decide if its a Keeper or not.

Hi cphilip: if you are up for it then that's a manly option. Good for you.

Frankly, the outstanding questions about this guitar can't be answered without seeing it. For example, the neck heel, as you mentioned: and the electricals.

If it wasn't pretending to be a Fender nobody would have any issues with this guitar - because the neck and lacquer look very pretty. As has already been mentioned, it looks a nice partsocaster.

Best of luck with it.

Cheers - C

The body looks very nice too.

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I am asking him, in a very nice way, to explain the descrepancies before he ships. Lets see if he replies or not.

yea... it certainly does and its what caught my eye and made me take a risk on the thing I guess.

Interesting sleuthing on his eBay history reveals he has bought two Guitars and a Warmoth neck.

One guitar he purchased had a transparent Emerald Green body represented as a Fender American Deluxe body and it appears he used that body to build this guitar later on. He paid about $800 for that guitar that had no other Fender stuff on it. Then he bought a Warmoth Neck (and it is the exact same neck as the exact patterns of the grain match and everything else matches including the tuners with the one slightly askew) for $250 (not including shipping). Then he bought another Warmoth Strat which had a single tone knob set up in a white pearloid pickguard set up. Although the knob it had for tone was different than the one now, it is described as a "Texas Special pickups with a custom made Varitone switch". He paid $700 plus for that guitar.

Interesting... eh?

Other than some more guitar equipment he seems to buy a lot of Victorian women's night gowns. LOL....

And no... you can't make this sheet up!

Sorry, I wasn't going to butt in again on this thread - but that's a great post.

Nice detective work, man! Shame there wasn't time to do it before the sale ended, but it absolutely confirms for you most of what you need to know, doesn't it?

Whether the seller knows enough to have realised that it's not an American Fender body or not - well, we can't tell. We could be charitable... Still: at worst you'll only need to switch out the pickups to have a decently playing guitar, hopefully.

Anyhow: Strats and 19th century ladies' nighties. It's an obvious combination to me...

Cheers - C

Its not a butt in at all! All input welcome!

yea... it is a shame I didnt' go that route checking him out first off. I spent what little time I had to decide just trying to establish a value based on parts and ran out of time for input or other clever thoughts. I did look at his feedback and spot checked a couple things, but realizing he wasn't "A seller" at all before this I thought that route a dead end. But, in the end, if I had run them all I would have figured this out then. But even still.... I still might have bid on it. Because I knew it was a good bit of a Mutt. And I would still perhaps had figured it might be a Fender body.

I really am inclined to believe he simply is passing along what he thought about the body. I will, for the time being... Like I said, if its a Good solid body then I would be happy. And if it needs a little change here and there to make me a player and I don't have to put a lot more into it then fine. I am prepared to change the internals either way.

The women's clothing... well... to each his own.