This Strat showed up on eBay this week and has already sold, using Buy It Now, for just 299.

Go here: http://tinyurl.com/33ezqwm

What IS it?

The owner didn't know the date, and said it had no serial number anywhere. Not on the headstock, back plate, or anywhere on the neck.

It doesn't say made in Mexico, or USA, or even Japan anywhere. The truss-rod hole in the headstock looks like a modern MIM Strat, but the tuners are old-style. And the pressed-in tuner inserts don't look like what they're doing now on "classic" reissues.

But what's really perplexing is the headstock decal. Fender hasn't put patent numbers on headstocks in a while, right? And all the truly vintage guitars have the words "Synchronized Tremolo" and patent numbers on TWO separate lines, not one long line like this.

So, what is it???
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Stratocasters: 1989 American, 1994 40th Anniversary American, 1997 American Sunburst, 2005 American Standard Olympic White, 2010 American Standard FSR Vintage White, 2010 Limited Edition American Standard - Ivory. Plus lots of Gibsons.

Not only is the headstock decal wrong, the headstock shape is wrong! The decal is fake not only because of what you mentioned but because the font style for "STRATOCASTER" is not right.

I gotta say I don't see anything wrong with either the headstock shape or the font of the word 'stratocaster'. The 'original contour body' looks to be a little skew wiff but that could just be camera angle.

Now what really has me confused is the 22fret neck with the black truss surround. Thats a puzzler.

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No no and no

Hi trapdoorspider (eeessssh - it's all spiders on the Forum all of a sudden ). I'd have said "fakocaster" and left it that - on account of the vintage tuners on a 22 fret neck with an 11 screw pickguard. And the shape of the top of the headstock. And the placement of the middle screws on the spring cavity cover. And the decal. And the absence of the serial number. Etc.

Except. I'm trying to recall an outright fake (as opposed to a cheap Fender modded into a better one) that has the black plastic tube on the trussrod entry. Maybe they're out there - but I don't remember seeing one.

So then I'm thinking: what MIM guitars past or present had 22 frets on a maple fingerboard? ...Can't think of one.

Then again, some Korean Fenders, recent Special Editions for example, have that black plastic rod hole, and they also do off-beat things with decals and serial numbers. My Lite Ash Special Edition (a Tele, but...) has 22 frets and the serial number is in completely different script on the back of the headstock, just for example.

But again, over the last few years at least I can't find a MIK guitar anything like what you have here.

So I'm puzzled. More questions than answers. It's probably a counterfeit - but that trussrod hole is bothering me...

Cheers - C

PS: replicating some of Nick's points, which we were typing at the same time...

Looking at the headstock again.

Didn't one of the early 80's strats have a slightly different headstock? Perhaps it was the Series 1,2 or 3. It may have been the Dan Smith or the one with the FreeFlyte trem. It was one of them.
Cant say any of them had a black truss surround, just not sure.

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No no and no

I'd be ready to think about that. But the black plastic rod entry is a stumbling block - to almost any hypothesis, isn't? Did that exist before MIMs?

I wouldn't be surprised if there has been a MIM with a maple 'board and 22 frets - but then the tuners are an odd feature, combined with the 11 screw 'guard. And howsabout that backplate?

- C

Ceri the black truss rod surround was the 'signature' of Mighty Mite necks, even before Fender Ensenada existed.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Arctic white. It's probably a Squier.

Here is a good buying tip. If the seller doesn't know the full history of the guitar and is a guitar player its probably a fake.

Other warning signs are things like knobs and pickup covers that have been replaced on a relativity new guitar why would someone do that?

No serial is bad even it was real it might be stolen.

Remember the ibanez strat copies of the seventies what is their story were they legit authorised copies or outlaws ? blaaaaaa and twaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I have one main rule that I adhere to religiously and that is : no serial number....no sale.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Ah-ha. Do you think that's what it is then?

I was also wondering about the Squier possibility and had a good look through old Frontline catalogs for one that fitted the bill but couldn't find anything. Doesn't mean that isn't what's at the beginning of this story - just that I haven't seen all the Squiers ever made.

But a parsocaster using a MightyMite neck is much easier...

Cheers - C

EDIT: dumb typos

Partso is definitely my best guess in light of the MightyMite revelation. I haven't seen a lot of their necks or bodies.

That body does look quite squier, it wouldn't suprise me if it was.

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No no and no

I'm not that familiar with every detail on the imported Strat models but I am a little OCD when it comes to Fender headstock decals. I spent a lot of time looking at Fender guitars and I can honestly say that I have never seen "STRATOCASTER" written in that font type before. Like I said though, I'm not that familiar with all of the unique details and variations on models outside of the US so I guess it could be an import decal, but it's definitely not an American model.

Compare the font in question (top) to the two versions used on the current "modern" US Stratocaster models (bottom):



Obviously there are more than just those two headstock variations for all of the current US models but as far as I know those are the only two font styles Fender uses for "Stratocaster." The top Stratocaster font is completely different than any one I have ever seen. If it is an import which model is it?

The top text is Arial or Helvetica, the bottom 2 is Futura or Ikea Sans. Futura (as it's known today) is the typical text used for the word "Stratocaster" on all the authentic decals I've seen, with the exception of the 70's RI. Arial or Helvetica on a Fender decal would be an indicator of a potential forgery, IMO. The same does not necessarily hold true for Squier decals...

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'78 Fender Stratocaster
Epi USA Texan '64 RI signed by Paul McCartney
'73 Fender Mustang
Gibson LP Deluxe RI '69
Fender Active Jazz Bass
Guild GADm20e Acoustic Guitar
Epi Casino RI
Gretsch Pro Jet w/Bigsby
And My Frankenstein-O-Caster

I bought a pair of stratocaster decals on line to put on my truck. You can get them from multiple years with the subsequent logo design changes. Very authentic looking. Fakesisfakes, buyer beware! Know yer strat stuff.