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Post subject: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 12:15 pm
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Hi All,

I recently found a Fender Classic 50's Strat that I am thinking about purchasing. The problem is that I could not find any information online about serial numbers for a MIM Classic 50's. I tried http://www.guitardaterproject.org/fender.aspx, but I think due to the fact that it's a re-issue, it's not showing up.

The S/N is MX12178530. Does this check out as being the correct neck? I believe it's okay, but just wanted to double-check. I will also post some pictures. Does this look legit?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 12:16 pm
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Also....

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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 1:30 pm
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Hi mosdef24,

Nice guitar!

First, it is not a reissue, no such thing as a MIM reissue. Maybe people feel that a guitar or amp sounds better by calling it a reissue when it isn't? :lol:

Second, only Fender can verify the details with only the serial number, contact consumer relations. All that we know is that the serial number indicates MIM, 2012 to 2013, and it does appear to be a legitimate "Classic Series 50s" <-- Correct name for this guitar.

http://www.fender.com/support/articles/contact-consumer-relations/

Guitar Dater Project is lame, it started as a guesswork project, going by the first few digits of the serial number, which anyone can do. To decode most Fender guitar serial numbers, the first one or two letters indicate the country, the next two numbers indicate the year made, and the info is on the Fender dating site. Then GDP supposedly tried to get a database of legit serial numbers going, which never fully materialized. Many serial numbers will come up as legit on the GDP site, which means nothing as that number can be faked on any guitar.

You did the right thing coming here, and contacting Fender is the only sure way to know if the details are correct for the given serial number.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 2:26 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
Hi mosdef24,

Nice guitar!

First, it is not a reissue, no such thing as a MIM reissue. Maybe people feel that a guitar or amp sounds better by calling it a reissue when it isn't? :lol:

Second, only Fender can verify the details with only the serial number, contact consumer relations. All that we know is that the serial number indicates MIM, 2012 to 2013, and it does appear to be a legitimate "Classic Series 50s" <-- Correct name for this guitar.

http://www.fender.com/support/articles/contact-consumer-relations/

Guitar Dater Project is lame, it started as a guesswork project, going by the first few digits of the serial number, which anyone can do. To decode most Fender guitar serial numbers, the first one or two letters indicate the country, the next two numbers indicate the year made, and the info is on the Fender dating site. Then GDP supposedly tried to get a database of legit serial numbers going, which never fully materialized. Many serial numbers will come up as legit on the GDP site, which means nothing as that number can be faked on any guitar.

You did the right thing coming here, and contacting Fender is the only sure way to know if the details are correct for the given serial number.


+1

I own a half a dozen of these guitars (various colors in both '50s and '60s versions) and yours appears to be a totally stock, factory-fresh edition in Sonic Blue dating to 2012.

Very pretty, I might add.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 6:23 pm
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Let me +2 on Guitar Dater Project. Why wouldn't you try the "support" tab on Fender.com? It lists this format for MIM models.

The owners of Guitar Dater Project need to either update it or just kill the damn thing. It doesn't recognize any Fender format after 2009.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 12:15 am
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shimmilou wrote:
First, it is not a reissue, no such thing as a MIM reissue. Maybe people feel that a guitar or amp sounds better by calling it a reissue when it isn't? :lol:


I sort of disagree. It may not be a "Reissue," but it sure seems to be a "reissue." I mean that it has all the features of a vintage model, right down to the old fashioned logos.

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I think reissue means reproduction of a previously discontinued version.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 12:46 am
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I have called them "re-issues" in the past (erroneously) and will prolly do so in the future (still erroneously). But technically, they aren't and even Fender doesn't market them as such. Hence, the official "Classic Series" moniker used in all corporate literature.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 1:19 am
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shimmilou wrote:
Hi mosdef24,

Nice guitar!

First, it is not a reissue, no such thing as a MIM reissue. Maybe people feel that a guitar or amp sounds better by calling it a reissue when it isn't? :lol:

Second, only Fender can verify the details with only the serial number, contact consumer relations. All that we know is that the serial number indicates MIM, 2012 to 2013, and it does appear to be a legitimate "Classic Series 50s" <-- Correct name for this guitar.

http://www.fender.com/support/articles/contact-consumer-relations/

Guitar Dater Project is lame, it started as a guesswork project, going by the first few digits of the serial number, which anyone can do. To decode most Fender guitar serial numbers, the first one or two letters indicate the country, the next two numbers indicate the year made, and the info is on the Fender dating site. Then GDP supposedly tried to get a database of legit serial numbers going, which never fully materialized. Many serial numbers will come up as legit on the GDP site, which means nothing as that number can be faked on any guitar.

You did the right thing coming here, and contacting Fender is the only sure way to know if the details are correct for the given serial number.


Hi, and thank you so much for the helpful post! I appreciate it! I think I am going to try and nab it tomorrow. I'm bidding on it, and it's currently at $310+ $60 in shipping. There's 24 hours left on it, so hopefully I can keep it under $400. I know these things are worth $750-800, and it appears to look almost brand new, so I think it's a steal.


Last edited by mosdef24 on Sun Dec 01, 2013 1:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 1:35 am
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Quote:
Guitar Dater Project is lame, it started as a guesswork project, going by the first few digits of the serial number, which anyone can do. To decode most Fender guitar serial numbers, the first one or two letters indicate the country, the next two numbers indicate the year made, and the info is on the Fender dating site. Then GDP supposedly tried to get a database of legit serial numbers going, which never fully materialized. Many serial numbers will come up as legit on the GDP site, which means nothing as that number can be faked on any guitar.

You did the right thing coming here, and contacting Fender is the only sure way to know if the details are correct for the given serial number.

+1

I own a half a dozen of these guitars (various colors in both '50s and '60s versions) and yours appears to be a totally stock, factory-fresh edition in Sonic Blue dating to 2012.

Very pretty, I might add.

Arjay


Lol, I take it you really like them if you own that many. Is it Sonic Blue or Surf Green? The guy is advertising it as Surf Green, but I know that in many pictures, the colors look really similar. I want to make sure that this is Surf Green, because it's one of my dream guitars.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 1:58 am
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It might in fact be Surf Green. This is mine, a 1999 edition in Surf Green that I picked up a while back......

Image

It looks quite similar to the guitar you have your eye on.

In person, the finish is a lot greener but it's a difficult color to accurately capture with a digital camera. This close-up view of the bridge is a better representation of the true color......

Image

I'll be refinishing the guitar in Taos Turquoise pretty soon.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 3:50 am
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orvilleowner wrote:
...It may not be a "Reissue,"...


Correct, it is not. :wink:

orvilleowner wrote:
...I think reissue means reproduction of a previously discontinued version.


Sort of, and there was never an original "50s" Strat, so impossible to reissue something that wasn't issued to begin with. As pointed out, Fender put no reissue moniker on it as they have for other models (named by Fender of course, not by us). The real reissues weren't really reproductions exactly, sort of a mix of year features.

Having said that, the Classic Series, 50s, 60s and 70s are very cool, great lookers, and are excellent guitars. Probably some of the best MIM guitars that Fender has ever produced, rivaling some MIA models. I like the newest versions with the Nitro finishes even better. 8)

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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 11:29 am
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shimmilou wrote:

orvilleowner wrote:
I think reissue means reproduction of a previously discontinued version.

Sort of, and there was never an original "50s" Strat, so impossible to reissue something that wasn't issued to begin with. As pointed out, Fender put no reissue moniker on it as they have for other models (named by Fender of course, not by us). The real reissues weren't really reproductions exactly, sort of a mix of year features.


A quick look elsewhere on this website tells me that Fender doesn't currently have any "Reissue" models, at least regards their marketing (what they officially call a guitar). So there aren't any American Reissues either. But of course their offerings are full of reissues.

Fender and Gibson fans have been moaning about the inaccuracies of the reissued/reproductions for decades, so a guy could argue that there haven't been any true reissues. And it seems each year both manufacturers claim they are improving their accuracy.

Personally, I am very amused by things like the one pickup '54 Les Paul and the FCS vintage models with Jumbo frets and 9.5" radius fretboard. At least Fender is honest about their Pawn Shop series of "classics" that never were.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 1:19 pm
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True. Fender is now using the more apt name of American Vintage, although they do refer to the "vintage-reissue concept" in the description. Strange that they dropped the Reissue moniker just as they really got the details to the most period correct and most accurate level yet.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 2:04 pm
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shimmilou wrote:
Strange that they dropped the Reissue moniker just as they really got the details to the most period correct and most accurate level yet.


That does seem a bit anomalous given that the new AVS guitars are more accurate representations of their respective prototypes than the AVRI models they replaced.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Fender Classic 50's Strat Dating
Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2013 3:25 pm
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Nice guitar. Sonic Blue is just so cool.
Not to change the subject, but I was led to believe that the frets on these are small, per the period, 1950's. If'n you buy this thing, please let us know. I've had my eye on this very model.
Ah, the '50's....


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