First post, so I'll start with saying hi to the Fender Lounge.
My name is Menios, from Greece and I would appreciate it if you guys could help me figuring out what's the deal with my guitar.
I bought my '87 American Standard brand new, at the summer of '87, from a big guitar store in NJ USA (can't recall the name of the store). Later on I discovered a strange thing: the date stamp on the body is 6/3/87 and the hand written date on the neck is 5/22/80.
I never tried to find an answer to this puzzle till now that I've decided to sell it and potential buyers are asking me to explain this huge difference in the dates.
Searching on the net I found out that FMIC used remaining stock from CBS and even saw a couple of cases similar to mine but the difference in the dates was very small. I've never come across a 7 year difference or anything even close.
Also, does this peculiarity add any value to my guitar?
Thank you in advance.

Those serial numbers are very controversial and misleading.

Thank you for your reply. Are you referring to the headstock serial number? Why do you think it is controversial and misleading? From what I've seen it is a typical early '87 American Standard serial number..

I don,t think its that strange for the time period. There was alot going on with Fender at that time.

To me, the date on the heel of the neck looks like 5-22-87, with some stray mark and the wood grain that make the 7 look like a 0. Note how much darker the right side of the "0" is, that darker part exactly makes a 7.......coincidence?.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Thank you for the replies.



The pic is not in focus but I can see what you mean. I don't think that it's wood grain though, the stray mark scenario is more possible. Here's an older pic I have (again not in focus )






That is good to know, despite the fact that I wanted to believe that my guitar was special

I agree that it's just some kind of odd wood mark making a "7" look like a "0". Also it couldn't be a miswritten "6"; it is very well documented that Fender didn't start producing American Standards until much later in the year (more like October 1986).

It would be absoultely 100% impossible for that neck to be from 1980. Absolutely impossible as a 1980 Stratocaster neck would have a large headstock, bullet truss rod, 21 frets, large black headstock decal, etc. Even if it were a neck from "The Strat" (which this absolutely 100% is not) it would still have 21 frets but a small headstock and the truss rod adjuster on the neck heel - and the headstock would be painted and would say "The Strat" on it instead of "Stratocaster".

Hi NGC 457: welcome to the Forum.

A focused photo might help more, but for what it's worth the date on the neck looks like 87 to me too. I think the guy writing it just let the tip of his pencil slip a bit and made a mark that seems to turn the 7 into a 0. I don't believe it's anything to worry about.

Cheers - C

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+1
That was the reason that I was so puzzled, it just didn't make sense.

Again, thank you for your replies, I will edit my sale ad, as it is misleading to buyers.