Hi all, could somebody help me determine whether my strat is a fake because there is some missing details in my so called Fender"made in USA" Stratocaster.


Shot with SGH-F330 at 2010-03-29


Shot with SGH-F330 at 2010-03-29


Shot with SGH-F330 at 2010-03-29


Shot with SGH-F330 at 2010-03-29


Shot with SGH-F330 at 2010-03-29


Shot with SGH-F330 at 2010-03-29

If it is, whoever made it payed A LOT of attention to detail. THere are a lot of small things that check out.

Yeah looks a little funny to me too. The trem plate and neck plate don't look right, but those could of been switched.

The truss rod area looks black, the USA strats are lighter in color, the MIM strats are black, but kind of looks like a replacement neck to me, MIm necks have different inlays, but are 21 frets.

The switch doesn't look right either, fender switches usually stick out a little more, and the knobs look like generic replacement knobs.

But I'm no expert. Could be a model I'm not familiar with.

Also the string tree would not be the kind on a newer american strat, but might see it on a reissue.

Also I can't tell from the pic, but the middle trem plate screws look like they line up with each other, they should be offset a little

Also, the front is sunburst and the back is all black. my sunburst, and most I've seen is sunburst on the back as well.

Here is the pictures for the serial number and the back. Hope it helps. If it really is a fake then I don't know what to do. I also notice that my strat although it says its made in the USA it has only 21 frets instead of 22 frets, correct me if I am wrong.


Shot with SGH-F330 at 2010-03-29


Shot with SGH-F330 at 2010-03-29

I bought this guitar about a year ago. It cost me RM3300, I not really sure hw much it cost in America. It is really cheap at that time considering other shop selling at RM 5000 and above. I heard that if you feel the Fender decal at the headstock , it means its fake? I was wondering whether is my guitar a reissued of a old guitar. Hmm, I think I got con. =.="

RM3300 as in Malaysian ringgit?
If it was bought in malaysia, the quality of any rip offs would be veryyyy high. 3300 works out very roughly to about USD$1000

Neck plate font is out
No microtilt
No made in Corona California on neck plate
Neck skunk stripe seems far too dark
Wrong backplate and backplate screw position

Original contour body font is totally wrong
Maple or whatever wood looks nothing like the whats been used in US Strats
No divit on the tuner ferrules
Tuners look set deeper
Wrong string tree
Wrong string tree position
Hard to tell but Fender logo looks the wrong color
Truss-rod slot is wrong color wrong position

Wrong serial number and font and positioning, would indicate it to be a 2001 model?

Anyway that is enough the rest is all wrong.
You have been ripped off if you paid $1K USD.

Yea, it's in Malaysian ringgit. I was hoping someone could verify for me so that i can confront the seller. Is there any chance it's a reissue of an older guitar?

Shockwarrior, could you give me some pictures of your strat so that I could compare yours to mine because I want to confront the shop owner and I need some proof. Another thing the logo original corona body is there. Thanks in advanced.

Hey emolypse, sorry to hear about your purchase of a fake. Grrrr!! Those fakers make me mad. They didn't even do their homework, there is nothing right about this guitar. It looks like the fakers were trying to pull off a circa 2001 American Series, judging by the fake Z1... serial number. I hope you can get your money back from the shop where you got this.

To help show what a current real American Standard Strat looks like, go to Elderly Guitars website since they show detailed pictures of their guitars for sale. Here is a link to a sunburst Strat: http://elderly.com/fmic/items/FNASS-3SB-RSWD.htm

Good luck!

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

It really doesn't look right...

No. Sorry, but there is absolutely nothing on this guitar that looks from the Fender factory. For proof, check your guitar against a real '62 Reissue Strat (this one is white, but you get the idea) http://elderly.com/fmic/items/F62S-OWT.htm

Wrong pickguard, backplate, neckplate, truss rod hole location, decal, bridge, etc etc etc....

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

Yup, quite fake.

The screw pattern on the spring cavity cover did it for me.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Somebody already listed everything I spotted. also only 21 frets. I hope you are about to rip the shop owner a new one. Good luck with that.

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Live guitars: 2009 LTD Truckster, 1989 Strat Plus, 2001 Am Standard Strat, 1996 MIJ Jaguar, 2007 Gibson Explorer 76 reissue, 1999 Ibanez RG7621, LTD MH-301, LTD FM400, 1999 Jackson Kelly, Mystery Les Paul, Hamer Chaparel, Fender FM 62SCE A/E Mandolin