I owned a great MIM Strat in the past loved it. Then (and I don't really know why), I stopped playing for a couple of years. Fast forward to last week-- found this American Strat locally on CL :

http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/msg/2057317872.html

Thing is the guy said its midnight wine. From my (brief) research, isn't midnight wine only a mim color ?(except on the highway one guitars and thats satin finish). This ones glossy... I'm just afraid its a mim (or worse, chinese) body on a us neck. The serial number checks out and says it was made in 2007 or 2008 in Corona: Z7154352. I know its kinda hard to tell too much from the pictures but any and all advice would be deeply appreciated!

Cheers! John.

I cant find anything to insure that it's genuine. You can call Fender consumer relations and give them the serial number. Probably have to wait till monday. But the guy who answers will tell you when it was made, color, everything about it. He will even e-mail you the spec sheet from it. I would not buy it until I checked out that serial number. Here's the number. 480-596-9690. He is very helpful and glad to help. If he says the serial matches the color and the pup configuration then its probably ok.

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"

When you say the serial checks out what do you mean? What did you find out about it and where did you get the info?

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"

Right on man, thanks!

Just so you know. I've called that number several times and an actual person answers the phone too. It's not any kind of automated bullshit. Fender has great customer service.

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"

I just ran it through a "decoder" and that said it was made in 2007/2008 in Corona, CA... I guess I'll have to wait till Monday... I just don't someone else to swoop it before I do... One other thing, do the pick guard and black knobs make it suspect at all?? I guess the owner could've put 'em on... BTW, the current owner knows nothing at all about Stratocasters or so he says...

Looks legit to me, and very nice too! Maybe it's a Highway One? The Bill Lawrence PU is probably not original, but everything else looks right. A shot of the neck plate would be nice, maybe send an email asking for a shot of it, it should be a stamped US plate. It is possible that it is an American neck on a Mex body, but definitely NOT a Chinese or Squier body, you can tell by the forearm relief angle that it is an Am or at least a Mex body.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Awesome man, thanks. The neck plate is clear chrome-- no writing on it. I was thinking the Highway One too except that those have satin finishes... The Highway Ones do have the larger headstocks and black knobs though... I think for $500, worst case scenario its a MIM body thats still not a terrible deal... After all I'm in Hawaii, the most expensive state in this great union.

I think so too, not a bad deal either way, but I'm thinking that it is a US body. My first thought was that it looked like a satin finish when I first saw it, but I really can't tell from the small pics.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

I'm gonna play it tomorrow, see how she sounds...

The first-run Highway 1's could be polished up to a fairly glossy finish; not sure about the current Highway 1s but is wouldn't surprise me.

Fender Consumer Relations should be able to tell from the serial number the body color and probably what store it was shipped to.

Go and Play it !!

If It fits Buy it,

Really for any one to ask $550 for a strat that has been modified to look genuine does not add up.

It looks fine, just go and check it out.

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

well, I waited to call Fender with the serial number yesterday and what do you know, it's supposed to be a Daphne blue guitar, not Midnight Winish... I think I'll let someone else pick that puppy up. Thanks for all the advice and help guys!

Besides that, you can get a NEW INSTOCK Highway One for 699! I own a Sunburst/Maple 2009 its an excellent Axe. For sure its a bargain for 699!

I would pass on it.Thats not a great price for HWY1,just an ok price.So it looks like a HWY1 neck ,MIM body with BL pickups.Your run of the mill partscaster.