I can't see the images in the original post. What gives?

The original post of the topic is from 2010 (and the previous post before yours was from 2013). Pics don't necessarily stay available for that long a time in the information highway.

If you need those exact pics, try to PM to the original poster.

Actually...a PM probably wouldn't have helped as I don't usually check that often at all.

As to where the original pics went...rather hard to say...as jmarttis said, this is a really old thread. I hadn't touched many of my old photo accounts for a while and a few, such as the Photobucket and Bytephoto accounts, starting deleting images for one reason or another. Some of the images may have even been re-posted from other forum users, so goodness only know what happened to those accounts. To be honest, I'm not even sure I still have the originals....the pics of the knock off I built are probably still on my computer somewhere, but even for me, 6 years is a LONG time (although as promised, I do still have the guitar!).

That said, after having re-read my post, I think most of the info is still quite valid...even without the pics. What's more is that with the exception of the pics specific to the instrument I built, I suspect that a quick Google search should likely turn up equally informative images. For example, just type in "Fender vintage bridge saddles" and you should see a ton of pics that will reflect what I was trying to illustrate.

Last but not least, as I said towards the beginning of my rather lengthy tut there, when in doubt, post pics on the forum here and ask (preferably BEFORE you buy!). There are lots of well educated eyes here on the forums at Fender.com who can usually spot a fake pretty quickly.

Sorry for the missing pics, but hope this helps!

yeah, for a sticky that is supposed to help it does the opposite of help, what's the word for that? Pleh?
this sticky is pleh!

hey, also a real question. Did the early model strats use the same paint as the GM car makers of that time; for instance: if GM didn't offer a Lake Placid Blue in '58 either did Fender? A luthier friend of mine was asked to authenticate a late 50's strat for a seller and he balked after spotting a specific paint job was not possible at the time.

also,also, fix the damn pictures, excellent post that face plants due to the inability to view the descriptions with examples. Remember pictures, with 1,000 words, I had to suffer that song through on many tabs of, lets call it haunted kool-aide, maybe it was a face could launch 1,000 ships then I'm dating the homeliest girl in Iowa.

_________________
'79 Fender Strat 3 bolt
'95 Takamini Sante-Fe New Yorker Parlor
'96 Fender American Standard LH
'98 Gibson SG LH
'03 G&L ASAT LH
Marshall JCM 900, BOSS, EH, Dunlop effects

Using automotive paint colors by Dupont was as much driven by convenience as to appeal to a customer base... Marketing wise it was clever to offer a ( at the time ) revolutionary guitar design in a popular color that GM and Ford used...

Custom colors were available, there were a few custom colored 57 Chevies, I actually looked at an original custom color 56 Chevy with the original portable radio at a car show last year. I would describe the blue as placid blue... But everything on this was original, from the dealership sales paperwork to the entire car.. But the owner was also the original owner....
Its too bad he didn't have a matching Stratocaster to go with it..

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

I think magnatone pretty much nailed it there. While it's basically true that Fender used the same paints as various car manufacturers did, most of it...cars or guitars...typically came from a 3rd party either way (Dupont if I'm not mistaken). So to say that a Lake Placid Blue wasn't possible because GM didn't offer it that year...not really true at all. What's more is that as magnatone said, "custom colors" have been around for a while...just because a particular vintage axe has an unheard of color doesn't necessarily mean it's a fake (as it pertains to this thread). I seem to remember a story from the early days of Strats about George Fullerton and Dakota Red...although you'd have to look up the specific details. What's more is that wow...yea...sometimes people do have guitars refinished as well. From a collector's point of view this is (usually) a bad thing, but from a guitar player's point of view...hey...it happens. I've got 3 guitars and one bass that I've refinished for various reasons...in the case of the Yamaha "Motion B" bass, the instrument had been thru a fire and most of the original paint (along with at least -3- refinishes) had pretty much bubbled up/melted off....the original paint (once I scrapped thru the mess) looked to be a hot pink, so I can't really say I'm surprised someone painted over it. Either way, even as something of a collector's item, there just wasn't any point in trying to save that finish. The Strat that was originally posted in this thread...the finish on that body was toast when I got it and I had wanted it specifically to experiment with different finishing ideas. Even if the body had of turned out to be genuine Fender (again, it wasn't), I would have refinished it anyways as that was why I had bought it to begin with. In fact, at some point or other I'll probably refinish my '95 MIM...when I bought it, it looked like someone's dog had chewed on the body in 3 different places (from the teeth marks, I'd guess either a Rotty or Pittbull pup, LOL). I sanded the sharp edges down because they bothered me while I was playing and that will do for now...but at some point I'll probably strip her and do something "artistic", LOL! In fact, if you take a peek thru the forums here, it's not totally unheard of for someone to even take a rattle can to their axe...I've actually seen a couple of very decent rattle can refinishes. Again...it happens.

While this is true of contemporary, new, used, vintage, etc., when it comes to "a guitar", one must remember that essentially such an instrument is an assemblage of parts. When determining the validity of such an instrument (vintage or contemporary), one must scrutinize those parts in order the understand the instrument as a whole. In the case of the luthier who was asked to "authenticate a late 50's Strat", there are a number of things other than the paint job to consider. The paint job can be a tell-tale sign of fakery, but should NOT be used exclusively to make such a determination. While a repaint (even a good professional job) can certainly harm the collector's value of such an instrument, a repaint in and of itself doesn't mean the guitar wasn't genuine...just means it was repainted.



As far as the pictures go...after today I'm gonna be tied up for the next several weeks as my family is relocating, but I'll see what I can do about re-posting a few of images once the dust settles and I've had a chance to dig thru my harddrives.


.....not quite sure what to do with the haunted cool aid or the homeliest girl in Iowa. Guess you're on your own there

a '57 chevy with a matching '57 strat would definatly be an incentive to buy.

_________________
'79 Fender Strat 3 bolt
'95 Takamini Sante-Fe New Yorker Parlor
'96 Fender American Standard LH
'98 Gibson SG LH
'03 G&L ASAT LH
Marshall JCM 900, BOSS, EH, Dunlop effects

to be clear the color in question was not Lake Placid, it was an example.
For clarity the guitar was being sold as OEM, with the original papers. I actually think what was spotted was the paint material and/or the color itself did not match anything Fender offered that year or GM or DuPont. The buyer was asking for the cost of a new BMW for this. This was a con job that made it's way to a luthier who could spot the inconsistencies and told the guy to take a hike, and even if it was a real 50's fender a "touch up" or repaint on what he claimed this guitar was this would drop the price like an Osmium Zeppelin, but this was not the case.

good luck with the move and getting settled in!

_________________
'79 Fender Strat 3 bolt
'95 Takamini Sante-Fe New Yorker Parlor
'96 Fender American Standard LH
'98 Gibson SG LH
'03 G&L ASAT LH
Marshall JCM 900, BOSS, EH, Dunlop effects

Can't see any of the pictures. Can you post the pictures again, please?
Thank you

Hi I'm new to this Forum. I'm buying a Strat for the first time. By the serial it's a 2007 mim, Fender Stratocaster.
Serial is MZ7263444.
Most of the guitar looks fine. I don't have a photo of the rear of the body.
I'm going to do a final once over on pick up in 18hours.
Do all mim 2007 Stratocasters Straights have a skunk stripe?
I haven't seen any close up rear photos, but the guy is selling the guitar with a fender hard case, and a fender amp.
I have got fairly good close ups of the front of the guitar.
My main concern is the serial number seems to have a stamp that indicates a fixed MZ7, with the rest of the serial very slightly out of phase in alignment. Something I could understand, happening on a production line.
I know about the tremolo back plate having asymmetrical middle screws, what else should i look for?
The fender logo looks clean and sharp, the made in Mexico looks good, both appear on the front. Which I believe is accurate for a 2007 mim.
Any advise, would be appreciated, I'm new to guitars so, please don't refer to esoteric things a newbie wouldn't know. I'm not able to pull the neck off obviously.
How do I upload photos? Please don't tell me I have to host them, as I don't have a 3rd party host set up.
AzzyAzzy

What do you think about this one?



Info based on a serial number, which could've been faked of course:
Corona Plant (Fender), USA
in 2009 - 2010
Production Number: 554019





The seller claims he got this guitar.
And the previous owner performed some modification on a bridge spring.

Can you spot whether it's fake or real?

Hey I need some help regarding a fender?

As phony as a seven-dollar bill!

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

This bill is real, while the strat like object isn't.

Try handing that to the zit-popper behind the counter at Circle K the next time you fill up your car with gas.



Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY