Hi,
I just got a used mint condition 62 RI, 3TSB and verified the SN with Fender as Oct 2005 but when I take it apart the neck is Oct 05 but the body is April 20XX (can’t read it, its smudged)… the guitar is in great shape, pups look and sound fine. I have all the case candy, tags and warr info, stickers, extra 5way switch, everything is there but why would the two dates differ so much??? Could I have a MIJ or MIM body that someone switched out… neck plate has same serial number as the tags in the case… I’m starting to worry if I have a japan guitar made of parts with a good USA neck plate with a serial nuber only????

any help would be great....

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If you can't afford it, don't need it and have no room left, buy it anyway!!!!!!!

Pics would go a long way in helping you out. Post some and we'll see if we can't help you out. Pics of the end of the neck, close up of the headstock, body cavities (neck pocket, and under the pickguard) and even the underside of the pickguard.

Dating AVRI from the serial number is not an exact science. The only way to really date one is from the date on the neck and the one on the body, if it has one, not all do!

HTH

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

The MIM and MIJ re-issues use a polyurethane finish on the bodies (excepting the Ensenada-made Road Worn series). Under close scrutiny the poly looks substantially different than nitro-cellulose lacquer. That should be the giveaway. As far as the date codes not jiving with one another, that's atypical for a MIA production re-issue instrument. AFAIK, only the Master-Builts or Team-Builts made in the Custom Shop will have matching date codes. Likely your Strat is all legit.

HTH

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

Thanks guys, i just put it back together and didn't take pix so I took it apart again.... there looks to be a thick yellowish buildup of finish in the tremolo cavity on the back and the screws all had coily lacquer type stuff wrapped around them (so looks to be nitro). There is a noticeable dullness to the body where you right arm would rest…. Body is stamped April but looks like a green sticker may have 10/21 on it…. Pick-ups are Oct and signed off….. I’m thinking it’s the real deal….. headstock logo is messed and countered body sticker is wrinkled… but Fender said that was normal and they all scratch and get screwed up????…. I have 8 strats and this is the first one that’s like this…. Well some are under the finish…
Here are the pix, going to go put it back together now....lol
http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitalcan ... 412915134/

_________________
If you can't afford it, don't need it and have no room left, buy it anyway!!!!!!!

Rest easy -- all appears as it should.

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

Yep - everything looks fairly normal to me. It's not unusual for the body and neck dates to be months apart.

The headstock decals used to be waterslide decals applied over the finish; if I'm remembering correctly the headstockdecals first went under the finish until the late 1960s (the large "CBS" style decals). The AV's replicate how Fender was doing the decals back in 1962 for your Strat (or whatever year Fender is replicating - so the AV '70s Strat would have the decal under the finish).

Thanks again guys,
So it looks like it is an American RI??????GOOD.... I was a little worried. I only paid $122 for it as I traded in all kinds of crap I hadn’t used in years and would have never used again and some of the crap I forgot I even had…lol… I did the trade under the impression it was an American Strat but then worried when I got home, my other Strats are either Custom Shops or I bought new so I know there history…. Really don’t know why I doubted this one…. But I’m happy now… i never thought my old stuff would have been worth so much!!!!!

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If you can't afford it, don't need it and have no room left, buy it anyway!!!!!!!