hi to all,

i just got myself a fender stratocaster from a friend,, serial no Z30xxxxxx n im new to fender since ive been using iba..z for ages!! i really like my fender .but i have some questions here regarding its originality.. i would appriciate if anyone can clarify on this..

below describes my fender:

1) my fender comes with "noiseless"pickup

2) vintage bridge (6 screw) type..hmm.. more like a squire bridge to me

3) there the " original contour body" at the end of headstock next to the fender stratocaster "made in usa" decal..

4) decal colour is gold with black outline

5) serial no is at the back of headstock (end side)

,, i done some reading but stil need confirmation from "expert'....

p/s: wish i know how to post pic...

thanx you all

hmm,,
i wonder if i were to perform "operation" to check on the electronic inside,,,what should i look for??

Pictures please.

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How do I attach pic?? Teach me please...

most likely its origonal

i added a set of noiseless pickups to mu 93 strat last year. best thing i ever did. specially around the house. used to pickup all kinds of noise now its nice and quiet.

Fake. String trees are wrong too flat and wide, tuners look like Chinese copies, no walnut insert in trussrod hole.... Bummer dude.

thx guys,,anyone else can give opinion or share on this? im ok if it's original or fake,, im loving it!!! just need to know...

Yes the neck without walnut plug is a fake.

Remove pickgard and send photo of pots and switch , is very easy to see cheap parts

I don't know, if that's a fake it's a really good one. The serial number indicates that it's from 2003 or 2004, placement is correct I believe, although the font it is written in looks weird to me. It has the correct decal from that era, but I have no clue about the walnut truss rod plug. It might have one of the bi-flex rods allowing access at the top of the guitar <_< Anyways, a few more questions:
1. Is that an offical Fender case? Normally Am. Standards always come with the hardshell case.
2. Does it have the official manual or any tags left in the case?
3. Was your friend the original buyer?

Edit: Yeah, that lack of walnut plug gives it away <_< Coffee hasn't kicked in yet, kinda slow this morning >_>

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I'll agree with those who say "fake"; it's definitely a parts guitar. The pickups (or at least the covers) are Fender, and those tuners were used on MIJ models in the 1980s. The neck is definitely a replacement with counterfit decals front and back.

IMO, that has all the earmarks of a camouflaged Squier. YMMV.

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You dig?

well if it means anything that serial number indicates the guitar was made in the corona factory in 2003-2004- period and the web site specificly stated there serial numbers do not support squire guitars.

i checked on two other sites and the serial number comes up the same. i have to admit the decal looks a bit funny but heres the thing if you like it what does it matter i bought a new one in 93 and over the years ive changed everything but the neck and body wood. does it mean its not real because the origonal fender junk is on it. not to me.

if you buy a telecaster with the old threaded rod cheapo saddles on it and change them out does it mean its not real? no. just enjoy your guitar i mean really who cares about this stuff. its the sound and what you can do with it that counts. ask eric clapton about blackie the origonal.

+1 fake

The Chinese have been faking the Noiseless pickups. It's real easy to print that word on the covers, ya know.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

That's what it looks like to me also.

It is NOT a US or Mex neck, (Walnut and Black plug), which means decal was put on. Plus, serial number decal just doesn't look right. The correct twelfth fret dot spacing tells me it may be one of the better Squier necks, or a decent replacement.

Pick guard screw locations are Squier.

Saddles are Squier.

Tuners are not US or Mex, maybe Japanese, but they are very good tuners that have been used on many of the more decent foreign Strats.

That's enough to know that the guitar is definitely NOT a US Strat, and it seems likely a disguised Squier. The pickups may be real Fender, the covers are glued on I believe.

All of that aside, it looks killer, and may very well be a decent guitar. I wouldn't mind having it if it works and the price is right.

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