Looks like a Squier that someone has put either a decal on, or swapped the neck.

I'd go with a decal job 100% if it wasn't for the light coloured plug at the headstock end of the trussrod.

Sorry to say mate.

Definately a partscaster of unknown origin, not Fender or Squier neck and body. Telltale sign is the trem cover plate in the back has square corners and the middle screws are perpendicular to each other and not offset. Fender and Squiers do not do this. And the neck (with obvious faked decals) has a very strange sharp contour behind the headstock where it meets the back of the neck.

The bridge is the typical found on cheap Asian imported Strat style guitars.

And no serial number is another red flag.

If you got if for cheap and it plays good, then so what I guess. I hope you didn't pay a real Fender price.

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

I'm curious to what the tags say. A manual and tags can be had easily. Guitar Center throws them away

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

Those are just the generic tags that come with every Fender guitar and can be picked out of a guitar shop's trash bin or just swithed from a new Fender to any other guitar on the shop floor (which might be the case with yours). However, one very important tag is missing and that is the little manila tag with the model number and final inspector's initials. Some guitar shops throw that one away also. If the shop had that inspection tag hanging on this guitar and sold it for the price of a legit Fender than that would truly be false advertising.

You aren't obliged to do anything with the original shop since you didn't buy it from them, you bought it from your friend who bought it from the shop. I don't know the legalities of such a situation. Maybe let the shop know they are jerks?

edit: For future reference, here is an example of the inspection tag I was talking about. See the one with a barcode and stamps.

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

Willie

As 'Tropolis says, those tags are bang on correct for a American Fender. The guitar has been misrepresented to you. You have a good legal case should the seller become unreasonable about refunding your dough.
Now whether the guitar looks like a 60's Squier or not is a bit unimportant. And yes it us pretty close to one. All I'm saying is that the saddles look like Squier saddles. Not necessarily Squier 60's saddles. But generic far eastern saddles that Squier have used on a lot of guitars.

Now if you paid a bargain price for the guitar, and you want a guitar to learn on. Then keep it. No one here can tell if it's a good guitar or bad one simply by looking at photo's. If you choose to take action against the seller, thats your right and we'll be happy to offer any advice we can.

I would say that guitar is worth about $70- $80 max. The only reason I'm saying that is, if you paid more than that, maybe you can work a deal with the person you bought it from for a partial reimbursement to that amount.

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I have a $99.00 Squier with that same bridge on it. I've never seen one on a MIM. I just got the Squier. I put a Mighty Mite neck on it and it's a great playing guitar. Pickup's sound good too. If it plays good, keep it.

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"

Could be a combination of factors: the way you strung it, the number of wraps around the tuner posts, strings binding in the nut slots, bridge plate hung up on the mounting screws... It probably needs to be set up. Any guitar with a good set up should stay in tune.

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

Looking at this



I don't see anything too wrong with the way you've strung the guitar. Ok it's scrappy, but from the picture it looks like you've not got too many winds on the tuners. Which leaves the question of whether the strings are 'tied on' (thats a nick'ism, not a proper term) to the tuners ok.
What I'd do next time you get chance is get a set of strings and restring the guitar. With your prefrence for downtuning I'd look at a set of Ernie Ball 10-52 hybrid set of strings. Or if your going lower Rotosound used to do a Zak Mild set that was .011-.076", really good for dropping down to B.

Once you've done that, the method for stringing vintage tuners can be found in your user manual. I stick to that pretty much religeously (it's a bit of a ritual round here) and suffer no real tuning problems.
Also being as though you probably don't use the trem, get it sitting flush to the body. Take a look round the back of the guitar, theres a plastic plate. Take that off and you'll see a thin zinc block with some springs coming off it. The other end of those springs is attatched to a claw with 2 screws attatching it to the body of the guitar. Tighten those springs up until your trem sits flush. It's worth checking that against the guitar tuned to your prefered tuning, then slacken the strings off a bit before you tighten the claw. Keep repeating that till you get the desired result.

I say that because I don't think the guitar is fake as much as it's a Squier with a Fender decal put on it. Infact it could even be a Fender Squier Series that someone has altered the logo on.
Both Squier and Fender Squier Series guitars are excellent at holding tune when set properly. It's one of their better points.