here is a side by side comparison, you can see many differences. especially string tree placement.

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Side by side, I can really tell the difference, the one question
is slightly elongated and slimmer.
I looked at my HR 62, the rw on the maple is straight .
Yup fake, I would return it if possible

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

thats a good spot guys i hadn't noticed that myself. I've just looked at some photos of some other reissues and i think the curve in the rosewood was on slightly older models. I'm not sure here's some links whats your opinions in comparison to mine?

http://www.fenderreissue.com/fender-cus ... er-reissue

http://www.fenderreissue.com/corona/198 ... aster-sold

http://www.fenderreissue.com/1983-fende ... aster-3350

hrmm there is a slight curve an those, not near as pronounced but its there. i guess it is possible it slipped through the production. but adding all the subtle differences together makes for one scary situation. what does your bridge spacing measure?

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what do i need to measure to get the bridge spacing?? do you mean on the body ??

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IMHO, maybe the first "90" is not part of the date at all???
What do you think?

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I think the dates matching isn't the biggest issue, I don't recall ever seeing a fender with a hard stamped date on it. however I do think it is possibly a refinish and was stamped afterwards by whomever did the work. this would explain the curvy rosewood seem. this also could explain the slight overall shape difference.



if you look closely at the seam you can see the flat radius section of rosewood above the nut no longer has the curve in the normal way. this happens from over sanding in an arch pattern . also the lack of curve under "fender" could be from sanding with a block causing it to go flat. so this could defiantly be a refinish.

also the string tree still looks a little low to me .

would it be possible for you to get a photo showing the edge lines of the decals? and can you tell if there is finish sprayed over them?

also to measure the bridge spacing, just take a ruler and measure E to E on the screws and strings. it looks like the vintage 2 7/32 spacing but that is hard to tell in photos sometimes. if both measure 2 1/16 it is not an american reissue body.

if you like the way it plays and got a smoking deal I would say accept the risk, but if you paid more than you are willing to risk on a fake...... forget it it is definitely a risky one and unfortunately there are some good fakes floating around.

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I think the neck is from a Fender-Japan re-issue. Fuji-Gen is the only plant (aside from the Custom Shop in Corona) that gets the string-tree location correct. If you examine any authentic vintage Strat you'll note that it's situated even with the A string tuner post. As for the rosewood seam appearing different from the other neck above the nut, that's a function of the machining used to create the "waterfall" on the headstock. And I've seen countless variations on how it's accomplished, even among similar instruments that were made in the same factory in the same year.

JMO

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

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unfortunately I have come across several fakes on craigslist here recently......
so I am getting a bit of practice at spotting the subtle details. it seems to be increasingly more common these past few years. the owners are sometimes genuinely shocked from my news and some you can tell don't care simply because they knew.


to your questions. based on what I see, I personally would pass due to all the inconsistencies from the norm.
BUT if it played well enough and had the appropriate partscaster price, I would consider it. but the neck scares me

just to many punks with fender decals

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Takes the fun out of the hobby.
Try autographs or Microsoft Software or Gucci bags or paintings by "The Masters".

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I'm not an expert but.. I agree with the others, there are many things odd about that guitar, odd in a bad way. And I've never seen neck stamps like that on a Fender neck, either.
If that guitar was presented to you as a genuine '62 RI I think the seller either lied or was ignorant of what was really going on. Seems like a partscaster to me.

+1

Too many unexplained and unresolved inconsistencies.

Let this one pass.

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 don't normally participate in these kinds of threads because, quite frankly, I'm just not that much of an expert when it comes to examining vintage (or vintage re-issue) guitars ... however ... I believe I may have noticed another inconsistency which I don't think anyone has mentioned yet. I'm looking at the side-by-side pics and it appears to me as thought the "Original Contour Body" decal may be slightly rotated off of the correct orientation. Does that look right to you fellows?

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.