Hi guys, it's me again asking for help to the best fender detectives I've known so far

I was considering buying an American Deluxe and needed help to verify the veracity of the instrument. Nikininja, Shimmilou and John C provided me some very helpful information based on the pictures I provided in another topic. Eventually I got to play that guitar and it didn't feel the way I was expecting it to feel. It was kinda like meeting the Facebook girl you liked the pictures and getting disappointed, and I wasn't in the mood to ask for a double Jack to make the things work.

Anyway, I came across an add that claims that the pictures shown below are from an unmodified new 2008 American Stratocaster.

Any comments are very welcomed, and I basically have two questions:

1. Is it really an unmodified new 2008 American Stratocaster ? (I know that the term new should imply that the instrument is unmodified, but I want to avoid ambiguities like "it's new cause I only used it twice. The bridge was not so fine so I replace it for a new one, so the guitar is completely new"). (And I know that no one in the world can be sure whether that kind of stuff happened or not. I'm just explaining why I used the terms "new" and "unmodified").


2. Isn't it weird that a person, and not a store, has a new 2008 model instrument for sale ?


Thanks in advance and greetings from the land where the instruments' price are sky rocketed.

Just in case those pictures refuse to load...


http://img534.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard1.jpg/

http://img227.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard2.jpg/

http://img26.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard3.jpg/


http://img259.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard4.jpg/

http://img202.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard5.jpg/

http://img18.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard6.jpg/


http://img233.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard7.jpg/

http://img214.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard8.jpg/

http://img10.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard9.jpg/

http://img191.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard10.jpg/


http://img26.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard11.jpg/


http://img834.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard12.jpg/


http://img521.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard12.jpg/

It's a parts guitar. The tuners are wrong - there is no close-up of the back of the neck but they are split post and appear to be "F" tuners (like used on the 70s reissues). American Standards have sealed tuners with staggered-height posts.

The bridge is a vintage-style 6-screw bridge; American Standards have a 2-post bridge.

The back plate should say have the "Fender" script logo and "Corona CA" under the "Fender" script.

I would run from this one.

I agree,the microtilt hole on the neckplate isnt there either.Someone is trying to pull a fast one.

Thanks a lot. You guys really rock!

I thought the guitar was genuine, but remembered a post I read here telling that it's a good idea to check the veracity before buying it, instead of buying it and then checking it out

Well, when reading your replies, the easiest thing for me to notice was the wrong tuners. The lack of the microtilt hole took me a while to understand due to my english limitations. What was intriguing me was the bridge problem, since I'm a bit dumb relating to stuff like "seven errors games". Since I could see the difference, I have found it huge difference. I’ve learned a lot with it. THANK YOU!


There is one more thing that is intriguing me. Doesn't the truss rod hole look ok for an American Standard? If so, isn't it possible that the neck is genuine?

Looks like a Highway1 body atleast, Probably neck too, to me. Definitely not Mexican (note the colour change on the belly contour).

Didn't look at all the pictures.

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No no and no

I'm not sure, but I think the Highway1 has a nitrocellulose body finish, which makes it look opaque and the headstock is bigger than those on American Standards. Besides, the Fender stratocaster logo is quite different and looks more vintage. I don't see how those things could be disguised.

Like you said: Definitely not Mexican (note the colour change on the belly contour). That's why I'm intrigued.

Older highways had urethane finish and smaller headstocks, didn't they?

Whats the serial no' of the guitar?

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No no and no

I really don't know. Like I said, I'm learning with you guys. I guess I made a wrong assumption. When occurred the change?

The S.N. is Z8147917


http://img338.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard13.jpg/
http://img717.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard14.jpg/

Highway 1s changed over to the large headstock in 2006. However, Highway 1s also have always had sealed tuners, not these "F" tuners. Right now the only guitars with "F" tuners are the AV '70s Strat and the MIM Classic series 70s models (the Strat plus the various Tele thinline/Custom/Deluxe models).

I'm not sure if the "F" tuners would cover any holes left over from the sealed tuners or not, but I'm not sure if there have ever been any other tuners on that guitar.

Those tuners looked like a mix and match of two different tuners to me. As I'll openly admit, my experience with the Highway guitars is limited and non existent with the smaller headstock variety. But they look like vintage posts with modern heads.

Z8 would indicate a 2008-2009 guitar. So I'd avoid it unless I could see inside the neck and pickup cavities. And have a good gawk at the heel of the neck too. The burst looks accurate but what American Standard has a vintage synchronized trem? Why would you put a American Standard neck on the guitar (though the neck does look very correct)? What's the deal with those tuners? Surely conversion bushes must have been used to fit that width post into an American Standard headstock. The tuner holes on the Standard are too big for vintage type posts.

If you can get to see under the scratchplate pay attention to the switch first and foremost. Also pay close attention to any barcoded stickers with a serial no' on them starting with M (I've only ever seen them on Mexican guitars). And look for body stamps begining ST-, indicating Japanese manufacture.

I really don't think it's a complete fake at all. More an amalgamation of parts.

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No no and no

I agree nik,doesnt look like a fake,just a partscaster.Definately not a 08 American Standard.

I really liked the term "partscaster". It made me laugh a lot. I'm still studding the technical information of the last posts. Like I said before, I'm learning a lot with you guys. Thank you very much.

Nikininja: I found a few photos of older Highway-1s and understood what you were talking about. Now I'm doing my "homework" and trying to get familiar with the information of your great last post.

John C: Thank you for the information about the headstock change date and all amazing extra information you provided.

Here's the funny part: The guy was asking U$ 2.000,00 for that guitar. Among many other things, he was claiming that the neck was perfect and the action was set very low without buzzing on any note. I told him yesterday that although his guitar was mounted with discrepant parts and far from looking original, as long as it played and sounded good, with all the setting specs he was bragging about, I would pay U$ 800,00 for it. The guy pulled the add and disappeared!

Tells you all you need to know. If the guys intentions were anywhere near good, he would have kept the ad' listed. He got called out and decided to pull it before any governing authorities from the site got involved.

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No no and no

If you look closely around the tuners in this photo, you can see that they,ve been changed. you can see the indention in the wood around the pegs.
http://img202.imageshack.us/i/americanstandard5.jpg/

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"