Hey Guys, just buying my first ever Fender Strat, just took some photos as I've got it for a good price and am weary that it is maybe a fake, can you let me know what you think??

This are the link to the photos:

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/ ... G_1648.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/ ... G_1647.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/ ... G_1646.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/ ... G_1645.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g195/ ... G_1644.jpg

Thanks in advance!

Looks like it to me, I have never seen a genine Fender with a sunburst front and an all black back. Second, the string saddles aren't Fender, the "Original Contour Body" logo is too big. Also, the pickups might not be actual noiseless, I know a site where they sell just the covers and anyone can slap on the noiseless covers on any strat style pickups. Thats about it, maybe a Frankenstrat, but the paintjob and enlarged contour sticker say otherwise. Did the previous owner say if he repainted the guitar?

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1965 Fender Precision Bass, 1994 Fender '54 Reissue Precision Bass, 2007 Applause Celebrity, 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass, 2012 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, 2013 Fender American Special Stratocaster, 2013 Gibson LPJ

No he didn't say...... The serial number matches up to a 2005 USA made Strat and he seemed very genuine, he has about 8 other guitars himself, is it definitely a fake then??

Should I maybe take it to the local guitar shop?

Further investigation, it has a 22 fret neck, but ALL real Fender necks have some truss rod adjustment shim, whether it be a black plastic on a MIM or real walnut wood on the MIA's, yours has none. Something else is that you have a maple cap on your neck, these two factors to me make it seem like a Squier neck that someone slapped a Fender decal onto.

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1965 Fender Precision Bass, 1994 Fender '54 Reissue Precision Bass, 2007 Applause Celebrity, 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass, 2012 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, 2013 Fender American Special Stratocaster, 2013 Gibson LPJ

You can see it on the 4th pic?

Sorry last one; your serial number numbers are too big, a genuine Fender will have the year lets say AM10, in bold letters, then the serial number in smaller, finer letters. Yours is bold across the line.

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1965 Fender Precision Bass, 1994 Fender '54 Reissue Precision Bass, 2007 Applause Celebrity, 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass, 2012 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, 2013 Fender American Special Stratocaster, 2013 Gibson LPJ

Ok thanks, so all in all definitely a fake then! Is it even worth me taking into the local guitar shop?

Umm, what did you have in mind when you took it to the shop?

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1965 Fender Precision Bass, 1994 Fender '54 Reissue Precision Bass, 2007 Applause Celebrity, 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass, 2012 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, 2013 Fender American Special Stratocaster, 2013 Gibson LPJ

Well just for them to confirm it is a fake as I've already spoken to the seller, I bought it on the basis that if there was anything wrong with it I'd get a full refund and I've told him your fears and he said it's fine if I want a refund, just wondered if it was worth getting it confirmed in the flesh by them?

I mean sure, it's always good to get a second opinion, but I own a shop, and I work on Fenders, and I can tell that there's something not quite right about it.

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1965 Fender Precision Bass, 1994 Fender '54 Reissue Precision Bass, 2007 Applause Celebrity, 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass, 2012 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, 2013 Fender American Special Stratocaster, 2013 Gibson LPJ

This is what the world is coming to - - people are parting out guitars and
this results in many unofficial, but real looking to the novice buyer, guitars.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

That's one reason that Fender doesn't sell necks,and no replacement decals without photo evidence of the guitar that the decal is to go on...there would be so many fakes floating around we would never find a good deal.

I think that it's always been going on, but now is becoming more
widespread and some of the "fakes" that I've seen would fool many
of the new kids looking for a good "deal" on a Fender guitar.

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Miami Mike, haha, your name makes you sound like a mobster. Anyway, check out Chinese sites that sell guitars. They are almost EXACTLY copying Gibsons. Like it's scary good how close they are getting to the real thing. I have also seen the Fenders and it is a joke. I guess that's really good for guys like us. Not so good for Gibson people.

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1965 Fender Precision Bass, 1994 Fender '54 Reissue Precision Bass, 2007 Applause Celebrity, 2011 Fender American Special Jazz Bass, 2012 Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster, 2013 Fender American Special Stratocaster, 2013 Gibson LPJ

I've read a lot about the chinese replica Gibsons. There are a lot of things where you can see it's not a real Gibson. And what most of the sellers do is putting pictures of the real Gibsons on their site and when you order that one, you will get a total different looking guitar where the logo is more off than on the pictures on the site and so on.

Some chinese builders actually make pretty good replica's but from what i've read, I will never try bying one!

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Guitars:
Fender USA Standard '89
Godin G4000 '95
LTD Viper 400 '01
Ibanez RG550 LTD '97

Amps: Koch Studiotone Tube amp / Hughes & Kettner ATS MKII
Pedals: Ibanez WH10, Ibanez CP10, Boss CH-1, Boss MT-2, Aria FL10