Howdy,
I've been searching far and low for an appropriate strat on a tight budget and today I went on a search around some shops.
I came across a strat olympic white, pickguard was either mint green or aged white. The tags said 62 ReIssue on them.
I was just about to ask for some info on the strat when my phone rang and I had to leave the store in a hurry.
Once I left I kicked myself for not checking up, but I remember it was in the used section, and was going for a good bit cheaper than an American Standard. The condition was also very good.
Not knowing a good deal about the 62 RI, I came home and did my research, only to see that the current one listen on the Fender site has a bridge cover. The one in the store definitely didn't.
Anyway, what I want to know is, if I drive back tomorrow, what should I look for to identify it properly. I didn't even get chance to check if it was US made, have there ever been 62 RI made outside of US? What should the serial number roughly be like? Are there any sorts of give away factors that will help me identify this strat? Is a preowned great condition version of this guitar worth, say the price of a Road Worn?
Obviously I have to play it first and see if I like it, but I'd like to clear all this up before I go play it and impulsively put down a deposit.

My memory tells me that this guitar looked alottt like the one in this picture;


Sorry if all that was a bit random and ranty, but I'm in a bit of a hurry to type this out

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Turn the drums up in the umm, ear goggles

Good place to start on a reissue is to look at the back plate on the neck joint. It should have a v###### serial number there if it is as USA reissue. Crafted or Made in Japan usually has this indicated on the neck right above the heel joint, and the Mexican Strats have a serial number and origin mark on the back of the headstock.

Never hurts to ask to see the inside, since you are purchasing used. Cloth wiring a date stamp on the heel of the neck, and other such info will clue you in as well.
Ruf

Nice strat. Looks like the real deal. Rufustelestrats is correct. The chrome backplate on the back of the neck will have a serial number beginning with the letter "V". You can call this number. 480-596-9690 and give them the serial number and the guy who answers the phone will tell you everything about the guitar. It's Fender Consumer Relations. They are very helpful.

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"

If it is a 62 RI and under 1000 dollars its a good deal. They are outstanding guitars. I miss mine that I sold to buy a custome shop guitar.

Good place to start on a reissue is to look at the back plate on the neck joint. It should have a v###### serial number there if it is as USA reissue. Crafted or Made in Japan usually has this indicated on the neck right above the heel joint, and the Mexican Strats have a serial number and origin mark on the back of the headstock.

Never hurts to ask to see the inside, since you are purchasing used. Cloth wiring a date stamp on the heel of the neck, and other such info will clue you in as well.
Ruf

Detailed pics from all angles of a AVRI '62 can be found here: http://elderly.com/fmic/items/F62S-OWT.htm
Compare this Strat to the one you're looking at. Sounds like you found a good bargain if it's the real deal! Does it come with the original case too?

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

thanks for the replies guys this has really helped me.
I think I remember reading that the store only deal in used US strats and no Mexi's, so hopefully this is a US, and the guys in the store are pretty cool so I will ask them to help me out as much as possible (perhaps show me the guts) so I can get an exact feel for the guitar.
I'm not sure if it comes with the case but they do state they always try to provide an original case, if not they give you a new one.
My main worry has been that because the price seems too nice for what looked to be mint condition, that its not going to be what I hope it is.
I can only find out tomorrow, and I'll post up the result in this topic.
I'll be using all your tips to help me out thanks again

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Turn the drums up in the umm, ear goggles

Most people don't put the bridge cover on; it should be in the case with the other "case candy" - which should include a vintage-style strap, a vintage-style grey cable, and a switch. AVs ship with the 3-way installed and a 5-way replacement part in the case; if the 5-way has been installed I would hope that you would have the old 3-way in the case but sometimes those get lost along the way.

In terms of cases, the AV '62 used a tweed case going back to the CBS days (1982) up until late 2001/early 2002 when Fender switched to a period-correct tan tolex case.

I'll ask about all this, thing is I get the feeling that if it is a AV62RI, the reason for the low price is partly because of the lack of all these extras and probably the original case. Glad you mentioned that the bridge cover is optional though, because I was planning on identifying them in the future via that.
Thanks for the reply man gonna take this all into consideration

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Turn the drums up in the umm, ear goggles

As long as the guitar is in good shape. All the case candy and such is just extras. The cable isn,t that good nor is the strap. The case should be a G&G case so make sure they give give a good one. The guitar deserves it.

Yeah I feel the same, before I even knew about the case candy I was extremely interested in purchasing the guitar.
I suppose the price its going for is even good for an American Standard really.
I'm in the UK and my local chain store sells Am Stds starting at £889.99, this guitar was around the £700 mark so as long as it doesnt turn out to be JP or MX, it still seems a fair price for an American (as i said it looked to be in mint condition).
Can't settle until I find out the truth behind this now! Itching to go and play it!

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Turn the drums up in the umm, ear goggles

Not necessarily - they are G&G now, and they were G&G in most of the 1980s and 1990s.

I've owned 2 AV '62 Strats over the years - a 1999 and a 2002.

The 1999 came in a tweed case that was not a G&G; it was very cheaply made in Mexico for Fender, and it had a tiny piece of velcro (just on the bottom of the lid, not a velcro strap) to hold down the accessory compartment lid instead of the usual leather or vinyl strap with a snap on it. I also had a 1998 American Deluxe Strat that came in a black tolex version of this same case. Both cases warped easily and neither one would stay open and would often guillotine your arms when you were getting the guitar in or out of the case. Fender responded to complaints by eventually returning to G&G cases on the American Vintage series and using the standard molded case for the American Deluxes. I got the factory case with both guitars - they came from two different mom & pop stores and in both cases I was there when the guitar was unboxed from Fender, and both had the small Fender logo like is used on the current vintage cases right by the handle.

Of course the 2002 AV '62 came in a nice G&G brown tolex case. Of the two, frankly, I wish I had the 1999 back - it was in that deep Sherwood Green that they only put on these from 1998-2000 and is now used on the Hot Rod '62s. It was a much nicer player, but I let it go when I just had to have a Les Paul - figured it was easier to find a nice AV '62 than a nice LP. I was wrong.

well that was a disappointment, the guy sold it a few hours after I went in, I only never went back the same day because he made out to me like the store was closing early.
Guess it was the real deal. Should have came to realize by now that I never have any luck in this type of thing

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Turn the drums up in the umm, ear goggles

That Stinks. Keep your eye out for another.

Disappointing to hear. Keep looking, the right one will turn up!