Hi there,

I have a guy that is selling a Fender American Deluxe HSS Strat. He has given me the serial number but how do I verify the authenticity of the guitar? I will personally check the guitar but beyond that, is there a proper serial number guide or something?

Appreciate any feedback guys.

Rich

DZ serial number, look for a contoured heel, and also an LSR nut.

the serial will be DZ****** D= Deluxe, Z= built between 2000-2010, followed by the first number then the serial. so for example DZ3****** means that the American Deluxe would have been manufactured in 2003.

Also, if you give us all details, perhaps a link to an auction or photos if any, we are happy to look at it for you and try to assist

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Thanks mate. Here's what he lists.

Fender American Special Mahogany HSS Stratocaster Features:
* Mahogany body
* Modern C-shape maple neck
* 9.5" radius rosewood fingerboard
* 22 medium-jumbo frets
* Rolled-edge fretboard
* 2 custom-staggered Tex-Mex single-coil pickups (neck and middle)
* Diamondback humbucker (bridge)
* 5-way pickup switching
* American 2-point synchronized tremolo with stainless steel saddles
* Fender Deluxe staggered cast/sealed tuners
* Chrome hardware
* 25.5" scale
* 1.6875" nut width
* Standard molded case
* S1 Switch
* Strap
* Straplocks
* Crimson red transparent finish looks killer and highlights the mahogany wood grain.

The Serial Number is DZ6289942.

How do I insert an image???

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Sounds like a good strat, Mahogany Strat Deluxe Hss are not too easy to come by. Id buy it

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Fantastic mate. Much appreciated.

Do you know what kind of tones/sounds/genre of music this guitar would be particularly suited to? Forgive my ignorance. I play simple rhythm guitar on classic rock tracks from the 60's an 70's.

HSS guitars are very versatile. Anywhich way you want it to really- thats the beauty of a strat. Especially a deluxe HSS with the S1.

My advice would be to crank the volume up and let it rip Really, you can play whatever with almost anything if you have the know-how. That strat im sure will not disapoint you, and will be bound to compliment your playing styles.

It's not what you have, it's what you can do with it that really counts.

Be sure to grace us with photos when you get it

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Once again. Thanks mate.

Yeah the S1 seems to be an interesting set-up. Just gonna take my experienced guitarist along with me an see how the guitar sounds, feels, handles etc.

I'm not a great guitarist by any stretch but I'm hopin to be inspired to practise even harder with a better guitar. The good thing is I gig every week on 2 nites. So yeah.

Btw. What are the pros/cons of the Mahogany setup? Any key things that I should keep an eye out for when I check the guitar out?

Cheers

Fret wear (low frets or small dents in the fret wire).
See how high the action (string height) is this might be masking another problem.
Dents on the back of the neck (can be annoying).
Broken neck (pay close attention to the grain up and down the neck).
Examine the logo closely (check for fakes).
Examine the pickups do they look like the originals?
Has the pick guard ever been replaced? Be weary of modifications as it lessens the value.
Examine for cracks and chips in the body near the neck pocket.
Examine the seating of the neck in the pocket to see if its flush (if its raised there could be a problem with the neck).
Check the tuners.

Check for neck warping, look down from the headstock either side of the neck. Line up the bottoms of the frets as a reference point. See if the neck is straight or has a bow (relief). If it does have a bow this is ok as long as it matches both sides equally. A bow problem down the bottom end of the neck are much harder to fix. Practice this before you go so you know what to look for.

Ask if the truss rod has been adjusted and if it is working.
You guitar should have a case if not why?
If the guitar is not stringed ask for it to be prior to examining it.

If you cannot perform a guitar setup buying one that has been recently setup can save you $50 or more.

Ask the owner why they are selling it and if they are the original owner. If they aren't and they have owned it for a short time be more suspicious.

Lastly you can test the guitar on an amp but believe it or not the electronics don't effect how well the guitar plays or cost the most money to fix.

Awesome man. Thanks a mill for all the responses and detailed feedback. Will let y'all know how this turns out.

There should be a sticky at the top of the forum for serial number questions because of the countless requests for info.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!