hey all, i am mainly new to this whole world.....bought a washburn accoustic a little over a year ago for my 30th bday and have been playing since.....i seem to have a pretty good handle on this accoustic thing but i want to buy an electric. i have been checking into fender strats but with the economy the way it is, i just don't have the cash for one......until recently i was checking out ebay,(I don't really like the thought of buying a guitar off of ebay) and i found a fender strat, which is refurbished......dealer claims if they find any minor chips or scratches while they are making them they stamp them used and sell them as 2nds. asking a pretty good price significantly lower than any other one i have seen. he is also offering free shipping and a 30 day warranty no questions asked.......I'm not looking to be a guitar collector cause quite frankly i can't afford to be, i just want something that is gonna sound awesome and is reliable. so i am not worried about resale value and what not. so what do you think? good idea or not?

Post pictures. Sadly, it could be a fake. Wouldn't be the first time...

Welcome to the forum. It should have a serial number, find out what it is and have it checked out.

cxs 07084 crafted in china.....please forgive me if this is a stupid question but like i said i am completely a newbie and little knowledge but where and how do i check this out........i will post pics as soon as i figure out how...LOL...computer illiterate as well..not like facebook i don't see a upload pic application. thanx again for your patience

That sounds like a Starcaster, not a Stratocaster.

Be careful!

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Hi f_milliron, welcome to the Forum.

I wouldn't swear to it but I have the strongest sensation that I've read on this very Forum that Fender don't do seconds, unlike some other manufacturers.

In any case, if it is made in China it can only be a Squier Strat so should be very affordable without further discount. Legit Squiers are made in China, but not Fenders. Sadly, the very word "China" rings alarm bells. If your seller is claiming this is a Chinese Fender (as opposed to a Squier) then it is definitely a scam. Walk away.

How much do you want to spend? Folks round here will be only too happy to give you legit recommendations at any price point.

Cheers - C

thanks for your response, seems i'm a little inexperienced with this i don't want to buy a piece of junk for sure...any suggestions on a site i can do some research to find exactly what i want for my money???? the research i have done (and i hope i'm not breaking any rules by saying this) seems a squire is a bad choice. btw...this guitar was labeled as a starcaster strat. i'm guessing that is wrong. thanx again for all of your patience. maybe i'm in the wrong place for info. but i figured what better place then a bunch of people who have what i'm lookin for. LOL

alright let me ask this is there a place here i can search through old posts so i am not reposting the same question someone already asked??? that would be of benefit........i am looking to spend under 300 hundred....i know that narrows the window. also, am i getting the wrong impression about squires??? i read the code of conduct and i hope i am not commenting on "nuances" of fender products. if i am someone let me know.

sorry about all the questions but i have few more...is the starcaster a good guitar? obviously not a strat the price reflects that. how much would a new one go for?

Well, for about $330 you can get a new Squier Classic Vibe Strat. That has been universally well received since it came out and is excellent build quality for the price. Some people think it is excellent build quality at a significantly higher price.

Or for $300 you could easily get yourself a very nice Mexican built Fender Strat second hand on Ebay. Go looking for MIM (Made In Mexico) Strats on Ebay: when you find one you like the look of post a link on this thread and guys will happily look it over for you and give you advice about buying it.

Howzat?

Cheers - C

alright found the search option and found a good post about beginners buying guitars......thanks again all for the advice, i get back to you all when i find one i am interested in buying and maybe get some opinions.....or maybe post some pics (once i figure out how) of the one i bought....

Actually the CVs are 350-379 new, atleast for the strats and teles.

also Squiers aren't bad gutars, its just bad if you get one represented as a Fender. What you may have is a StarCaster, which in a way are "Fenders" but really are more on the quality build level of mid-level squiers. It can get tricky out there. If you only have 300 or so I'd recommend a Squier Classic Vibe or a used MIM or a used '80s Japanese/ Korean Squier if you can find one that cheaply.

Hi Yogi: to be sure, I'm on a different continent. But I did a quick Google and found this one for $330:

http://www.massstreetmusic.com/store/show_item/2963

Is that a legit price? Anyhow, of course you're right: most of the others I'm finding are $350 up...

Cheers - C

You will find quite a few individuals on this forum who LOVE both their Squires and MIM's. I personally love my MIM Strat Standard.

If you're looking at MIM's on ebay, the newer the better. The MIM line got a great quality boost in 2006. But I'm not saying that the pre-2006 aren't good guitars. I would also try your local Craigslist. Some Guitar Center Stores carry used gear, as well you could check out pawn shops in your area.

As for the forum. You would be blown away at the knowledge of some of it's members. You'll find specialists in all areas. So ask away, that's how you learn.

As Ceri mentioned, if you post a picture and a serial number there will be somebody to help on here.

Happy Hunting

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"Who says I can't get stoned..." - John Mayer

- "Honey" 09 HWY 1 Tele (Honey Blonde w/Maple)
- 08 MIM Standard Strat (Burst w/Rosewood,SCN,DeltaTone)
- Super Champ XD
- Marshall Class 5 Head
- Norman Acoustic (MICan)

Ceri that looks legit, you never know I just got a CV tele at my local shop for the old rice of 299