Just a little off the skunk stripe so if feels uneven. Has anyone heard if this? Supposedly it has a poly neck, so it should wear like iron.

Hmmmm, maybe the issue is with the skunk stripe wood not fitted closely enough to the mape. I had purchased a strat once that had a slightly protruding skunk stripe at the tip closest to the headstock. I took it back for an exchange.

Hi Doc Music: that neck is finished with urethane, which as you say is very tough.

Has an actual chip of finish come off or what? We do occasionally hear of finish problems on the skunk stripe, though not often. Walnut is a slightly "oilier" wood than maple and very infrequently that leads to adhesion issues with the lacquer. Though the middle of the back of the neck is also sometimes where guitars take a knock, so that can sometimes be the cause.

It is almost certainly fixable: care to show us a nice in-focus photo of the problem and we can then tell you how to go about sorting it?

Cheers - C

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A four-month old guitar should be returned to an authorized Fender service center for repair under the provisions of the warranty.

Arjay

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"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

I agree in principle. Only problem is, I believe finish issues are specifically excluded under Fender's warranty. Which seems a touch harsh in this situation. Talk to the shop: they may help in any case.

Cheers - C

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One of my strats has a slight edge where the skunk stripe fits into the neck up near the headstock. I notice it from time to time when the seasons change and the humidity goes up or down effecting the moisture content of the wood. On mine, it's barely enough to catch your nail on. I can't say for sure how old the guitar was the first time I noticed the problem, but it was certainly a few years.

In any event, in your case if the skunk stripe was not sufficiently tight in the maple when it left the factory it could be that structural or build issue that caused the finish to check. Something like that may very well be covered under the warranty. It's worth looking into if it bothers you.