hey people. i dont have enough money to buy a proper fender from a shop so ive been looking on ebay and doing reasearch on how to spot fakes to see if i can get a good bargain for a legit fender..
i spotted a nice MIJ strat with serial number T033810 however this was not on the headstock but at the back of the neck near the bolts.
is this legit???

MIJ/CIJ Fender guitars commonly have their serials printed above the neck heel......



Likely the instrument you're interested in is perfectly legit.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

thanks very much. also should mexican serial numbers be at the front of the headstock or the back. or does that depend on the make or year...?

It depends on the model and the year. I believe it was only the MIM Standards that had the serial number on the front of the headstock and the other MIM series had it on the back of the headstock but I could be wrong (I know the MIM Classics and Artists have always had the number on the back but I'm not sure about the MIM Deluxe series). The MIM Standards moved the serial number to the back of the headstock with their latest update a couple of years ago.