I found a super sweet 1983 American Strat here locally that I am looking to buy. The price seems good based on the age of the guitar and it's condition (which is near flawless based on age). It is a sweet honey blonde color that I haven't seen in a while.

E331818 is the serial number. Does this serial number match up with the claim that it is a 1938 American made Strat?

I'm still a bit of a newbie so any help you can provide willbe greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

The serial number matches up to that era, give or take a year.

yeah i just checked gbase and saw the other 83's there had the similar serial number.

So is there anything else you can tell me that I should be looking for on this one? I mean i am new to Strats so I don't really know whatt o check other than the serial number and to actually play it to see how it sounds. What else should I check for?

What would you estimate to be a solid price for this Strat?

You could pull the neck and check the markings at the base of the neck and the neck pocket. Pull the pick guard and take pics, then post here if possible . I'm sure the informed posters here can identify!

I won't even try to give you an estimate. If determined real then check ebay and see what they have been selling for lately.

im not sure if i will be able to do that or not as i am getting it off craigslist and the seller may not go for that. Is that a normal request when buying an older guitar like this? I just want to make sure i dont waste time and miss out on a good deal WHILE making sure I know what i am buying. thanks again.

i checked gbase and the price for 1983 strats is from 999 and up and this one would be going for cheaper than that if I was able to get it. been wanting to find an older/vintage strat and relly like this one, especially the asking price.

thanks for helping a newbie

I would not buy it if he would not let me do a complete inspection. I think it's normal if he has nothing to hide, like putting a different neck on another body. A original receipt is nice to have too. There has been a lot of good fakes going around lately so he should understand your request. If not keep looking because in these hard financial times there are a lot of good deals worth waiting for. Just MHO!

thanks for the advice, I will see if he will let medo a complete inspection for sure. If I can get pics I'll post them in this topic and see what you guys think. he wants $850 for it after failed attempts to get 1100-900.

Thanks fhopkins!

No problem. I've seen MIA Deluxes sell for his asking price. Remember it's a buyers market now so I think it's worth it to look around and be in no hurry. No telling what kind of great deal you'll run across. Good luck!

"As for taking it apart... I can pull the pickguard if you'd like. I'd rather not take the neck off unless you insist."

he says this in a reply to take it apart so now i am wondering...what would I look for when he takes it apart in order to verify if it is real or a copy?

Try going to this site and you should be able to find answers to all your questions. Hope it helps.
http://www.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html

so it looks like i'll want him to take the pickguard off at the very least, to see if there is a date there?

Sorry to keep bugging you fhopkins so if anyone else ahs any input on the 5 things i could check for I'd appreciate it, as i am going today to take a look at it.

just talked to the guy and he said if i take off the pickguard i can tell that the pickups and everything all all original, how would i know that what would i look for.

again, sorry to be a spaz and bug you guys, just figured you would know better than me.

Well, the pick guard isn't original, from pics I've seen of 83's, it looks like they had 12 screws. Bridge looks original, the way the jack is is correct. Don't know about the pickups.

jason thanks for the info, good eye for detail, i am going to go check it out this afternoon and will report back