Genuine Fender Custom Shop?
Discussion
Hi guys,
I've already asked the question on a guitar forum but haven't had many responses, and seeing as some of you have clearly seen a lot of guitars I thought I'd see if anyone had an opinion here.
I'm looking to buy a 2002 Custom Shop Fender Stratocaster from a well respected store who I've previously bought from without issue. The neck certainly looks custom shop quality to me but unfortunately I'm not local and cannot see the guitar in person. The guitar comes with a COA however I realise that they've been sold separately on eBay in the past with neck plates from guitars which have been stripped and sold as parts.
I've been in contact with Fender who could confirm that the serial number on the neck plate and COA matched a May 2002 custom shop Stratocaster, but besides the date of production, they were unable to give me any build details, telling me that it's simply recorded as a custom instrument on their system and that they rarely kept build specs before 2004.
The shop have kindly removed the neck but unfortunately there are no complete dates to help confirm it's not a partscaster, only a crossed out number of some sort on the neck and a stamp saying July in the neck pocket.
I was hoping someone here might be able to confirm whether:
A) It looks like a genuine custom shop and whether the crossed out number on the neck is anything to worry about
B) If this is a genuine custom shop guitar completed in May 2002, would the body really have been sitting around for at least 10 months seeing as the neck pocket stamp says July?
Many thanks for any help!
P.S. I realise it has a push-push switch fitted, giving it 7 positions and that this may well have been a later addition.[url]
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I've already asked the question on a guitar forum but haven't had many responses, and seeing as some of you have clearly seen a lot of guitars I thought I'd see if anyone had an opinion here.
I'm looking to buy a 2002 Custom Shop Fender Stratocaster from a well respected store who I've previously bought from without issue. The neck certainly looks custom shop quality to me but unfortunately I'm not local and cannot see the guitar in person. The guitar comes with a COA however I realise that they've been sold separately on eBay in the past with neck plates from guitars which have been stripped and sold as parts.
I've been in contact with Fender who could confirm that the serial number on the neck plate and COA matched a May 2002 custom shop Stratocaster, but besides the date of production, they were unable to give me any build details, telling me that it's simply recorded as a custom instrument on their system and that they rarely kept build specs before 2004.
The shop have kindly removed the neck but unfortunately there are no complete dates to help confirm it's not a partscaster, only a crossed out number of some sort on the neck and a stamp saying July in the neck pocket.
I was hoping someone here might be able to confirm whether:
A) It looks like a genuine custom shop and whether the crossed out number on the neck is anything to worry about
B) If this is a genuine custom shop guitar completed in May 2002, would the body really have been sitting around for at least 10 months seeing as the neck pocket stamp says July?
Many thanks for any help!
P.S. I realise it has a push-push switch fitted, giving it 7 positions and that this may well have been a later addition.[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/WSzR3rnR[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/ESspDcpJ[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/dTZJeGTi[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/7Rtxf1hL[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/6A652PLz[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/Cdv9zr1T[/url]Place to ask is in strat talk https://www.strat-talk.com/ .. they seem pretty hot on there at weeding out and identifying fakes (or even guitars that are not "fake per se", but not what they claim to be.. e.g partscasters made out genuine Fender parts..
There may be a few people here who also know, I know a few other PHers are also there
There may be a few people here who also know, I know a few other PHers are also there
I have two CS Nocaster s which I bought many years ago from a known dealer but they also came without COA.
I know that one of the necks had a John Cruz stamp, even tho at the time he wasn't a master builder. Luckily when he was doing a talk at guitar guitar I attended and brought that one along and asked if he or one of his Fender colleagues could issue a COA they said yes but I had send them lots of pics including the pots and wiring etc., which I did and they reissued. However (as I had seem on another forum) they would only date them with issue date but not the date of the build. Strange. I did it anyway and have certs now.
One of mine 1999
The man himself holding the one with his name on the neck a Jan 97
I know that one of the necks had a John Cruz stamp, even tho at the time he wasn't a master builder. Luckily when he was doing a talk at guitar guitar I attended and brought that one along and asked if he or one of his Fender colleagues could issue a COA they said yes but I had send them lots of pics including the pots and wiring etc., which I did and they reissued. However (as I had seem on another forum) they would only date them with issue date but not the date of the build. Strange. I did it anyway and have certs now.
One of mine 1999
The man himself holding the one with his name on the neck a Jan 97
Nice guitar and cool to have it pictured with JC!
Thanks guys, I did post it on Strat-talk but didn't get too many responses. Some eagle eyed person on The Gear Page however pointed out that as well as having the crossed out number, the neck also has a micro tilt which from the wear marks has been used, whereas the neck pocket on this guitar has no micro tilt, suggesting the neck was on a different guitar originally so I think I'll give this one a miss!
Thanks guys, I did post it on Strat-talk but didn't get too many responses. Some eagle eyed person on The Gear Page however pointed out that as well as having the crossed out number, the neck also has a micro tilt which from the wear marks has been used, whereas the neck pocket on this guitar has no micro tilt, suggesting the neck was on a different guitar originally so I think I'll give this one a miss!
MG-FIDO said:
Nice guitar and cool to have it pictured with JC!
Thanks guys, I did post it on Strat-talk but didn't get too many responses. Some eagle eyed person on The Gear Page however pointed out that as well as having the crossed out number, the neck also has a micro tilt which from the wear marks has been used, whereas the neck pocket on this guitar has no micro tilt, suggesting the neck was on a different guitar originally so I think I'll give this one a miss!
I'd have to say that the witness marks on the neck tilt plate/truss rod anchor look too random to be caused by a neck tilt mechanism. Thanks guys, I did post it on Strat-talk but didn't get too many responses. Some eagle eyed person on The Gear Page however pointed out that as well as having the crossed out number, the neck also has a micro tilt which from the wear marks has been used, whereas the neck pocket on this guitar has no micro tilt, suggesting the neck was on a different guitar originally so I think I'll give this one a miss!
singlecoil said:
I'd have to say that the witness marks on the neck tilt plate/truss rod anchor look too random to be caused by a neck tilt mechanism.
But it does look like there's a perfectly round indent on the micro tilt as if it had been pressed up against a micro tilt on a body, I don't see where it would have got that on the flat wood of this guitar's neck pocket. 
MG-FIDO said:
But it does look like there's a perfectly round indent on the micro tilt as if it had been pressed up against a micro tilt on a body, I don't see where it would have got that on the flat wood of this guitar's neck pocket.
What I'm seeing is 4 marks (arrowed) 
which it probably received before being fitted. There's no way they could have been caused by a neck tilt screw. The witness marks for those are pretty much centred on the centre line of the neck, not spread out like the the marks in the picture. The faint concentric marks would have been made when the anchor was being made.
It may well be that the neck/body combination aren't what they purport to be but I don't think the neck is from a tilt/neck guitar.
MG-FIDO said:
Thanks for that, any thoughts on the crossed out numbers and lack of dates on the body and neck? All in all I'm feeling a bit uneasy about it which is a shame as I think it's a lovely looking guitar at a price which is reasonable (if it is what it is claimed to be)!
My guess is that the number on the neck has been obscured deliberately by the seller, probably with white board type felt tip. Can't say about dates, my experience is mainly with repairing and servicing guitars rather than authenticating them.Gassing Station | Music | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff