a real fender strat? please read

hey, i found a strat, but the guy said he doesnt know if its real.. he said it might be a squire, or it might be a real fender he doesnt know.. he got it for doing some work he said..

here are some pics.. do you think its a real strat? i know its hard to tell, but any input would help

I would say that sucker is FAKE! the headstock is really messed up looking, it looks like somebody made a guitar and bought a fender label off of ebay. (you can do it, run a search for fender headstock decals!). If you really want to check, just take the neck off (if you can), their should be a sticker that says fender and a stamp of the date it was made.

Well it is not a squire. If you go to www.fender.com you can get the year of manufacture from the serial number. There should also be a year (and month) written on the neck (under the neck joint) and on the body (either under the neck joint or under the pick guard). If they all match up then it is probably ligit.

Another thing is that the guy who put it together will have initialed the dates on the neck. You can ask tech support at fender if these initials are good for the corresponding date.

Originally Posted by: Dr_simonWell it is not a squire. If you go to www.fender.com you can get the year of manufacture from the serial number. There should also be a year (and month) written on the neck (under the neck joint) and on the body (either under the neck joint or under the pick guard). If they all match up then it is probably ligit.

Another thing is that the guy who put it together will have initialed the dates on the neck. You can ask tech support at fender if these initials are good for the corresponding date.

Actually fender has the most unreliable serial number dating system of all old manufacturers, I'd check under the neck.

and I didn't suggest that ????

Originally Posted by: Dr_simonand I didn't suggest that ????

Yeah, but I needed to feel important... :D

Tee Hee !!!

That headstock shape doesn't look right. But here's the important thing:

If you like it, and the price is right, who cares if it's a 'real' Fender? Shut your eyes, open your mind and your ears. If it feels good in your hands, and the sound makes your ears smile, it's a good guitar.

'nuff said. :)

Edit:

Doh! I just noticed that the pix look like they're from an eBay listing! That means you can't try before you buy. In that case, I advise you to walk away, unless the price is so low that you don't care if the guitar turns out to be a dud. I've bought several guitars through eBay, but only when I was pretty sure about what I could expect to get. In this case you don't know that, and you can't check it out before you decide whether to buy it or not.

thanks for the help guys, i didnt buy it.. but it was a e-bay listing that went for $91... lol i also though the headstock looked goofy

thanks for the help guys :)