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Post subject: Telecaster MN4 made in usa
Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:36 am
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I need help

I have Fender Telecaster with serial number starting with MN4 (mexican serial) and is writen that is produced in USA (made in usa)

how is that possible


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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 11:53 am
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I have a Strat with an MN4 serial number, and NO label saying where it was made. I have heard that some time in 1994 the Mexico factory burned, and they were making the "Mexican" guitars in USA. I have searched a bit, and I did find information confirming a fire at the factory, but no other details.
If you find out anything, let me know.

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1994 Standard Strat, Blue
2000 Standard Strat, Black, with GFS block, and GFS Lil Killer pickup.
2004 Standard Telecaster, Black
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1986 Kramer Vangard
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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 11:58 am
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Go to this site and it will tell you where and when your guitars were made.
www.theguitardaterproject.org :wink:


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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 1:00 pm
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It could be a "California" Telecaster. These were available in the mid-90s.

The regular California Tele had a Strat pickup in the neck position and the California Fat Tele had a chrome-covered humbucker in the neck position and a 5-way switch. Both of these came with a vintage-style bridge (with the raised edges on three sides) with six round saddles.

I think the parts were made in the USA and sent to Mexico for painting and assembly.

Can you post pictures of your guitar? That will make it much easier to identify.


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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 1:09 pm
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this site doesn't help. the only thing they tell you is that serials beginnig with MN4 are made in mexico. on my guitar it is written made in usa. on other guitars with MN4 serial that i saw it is writen made in mexico

thanks anyway


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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 1:59 pm
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Here are the photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dislexic/3345234952/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dislexic/3345234244/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dislexic/3344397795/


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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:09 pm
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Thanks for the photos! Those make it easy to tell you what you have.

That's a MIM (made in Mexico) Standard Telecaster, made prior to 1998 when Fender switched to the current string-through-body 6-saddle bridge. I'm sure because of the top-loading bridge which was specific to that model and the headstock decal is correct for that model too, except for the one detail you're asking about.

I believe someone removed the "Made In Mexico" portion of the decal and added the "Made in U.S.A." decal in its place. Look carefully at it and shine a light on the decal at an angle or hold it up outdoors in direct sunlight and you should be able to tell it's not one complete, intact decal.

Or, it could be direct-transfer lettering - the kind you rub on, in which case it might be very hard to tell. Either way, you can see that the "Made in U.S.A." letters are not perfectly lined up with the word TELECASTER.

But I'm sure that's a MIM Standard Telecaster, a fine guitar. Don't worry about where it was made.

If you search eBay for "Standard Telecaster", you'll see a bunch of decals just like yours only with the Made In Mexico lettering still intact where yours used to be.


Last edited by George on Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:15 pm
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i've already looked for new decal, but it doesn't look like it.
everything is smooth.

and i love this guitar so i don't care if it is made in mexico, it's just odd

thanks


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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:26 pm
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Yeah, it's an old trick, especially popular before the days of the internet when now everyone can verify everything instantly.

Guys who wanted to sell a MIM or MIJ Fender would take off the Mexico or Japan decal and add a USA decal so they could get more money at the pawn shop or wherever they sold it. I can remember going into pawn shops in the '80s and '90s and owners would look in a book and pay accordingly. If you were nice, they'd let you see their book, too. Nowadays I'm sure they go online and figure out what they're buying/selling before money changes hands, or at least the smart ones do.

I have a mid 1980s MIJ Fender Bass with the "Made In Japan" scraped off and I assume whoever did it was trying to pass it off as a MIA Fender, just like with your guitar.

Enjoy that Tele and thanks again for the pictures.


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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:44 pm
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if that's the case it was a professionl job

thanks for all the infos


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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 3:14 pm
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dislexic wrote:
this site doesn't help. the only thing they tell you is that serials beginnig with MN4 are made in mexico. on my guitar it is written made in usa. on other guitars with MN4 serial that i saw it is writen made in mexico

thanks anyway

Did you type in your whole serial number?


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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 4:41 pm
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Here is a picture of my headstock. I have owned this guitar since new, so I know the label was not removed.
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l229/ ... dstock.jpg

_________________
1994 Standard Strat, Blue
2000 Standard Strat, Black, with GFS block, and GFS Lil Killer pickup.
2004 Standard Telecaster, Black
1971 Gibson SG
1985 Kramer Baretta
1986 Kramer Vangard
Carvin X60B
Marshall 50 watt 2x12 combo


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Profile
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