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GMC Forum _ GEAR & PRODUCTION _ Can Someone Identify This ?
Posted by: Staffy Oct 30 2009, 10:13 PM
In my quest for the holy grail, sorry, the quest to prove that no Fender is worth more than 1500$ and is actually some piece'o'junk, I have the past three days played some 15 Strats at different dealers and compared them to my Mexican one with Texas Specials. All I tested was in the prize-range 1500 - 7000. The conclusion of this was as expected: All of them except for two sounded the similar or worser then my Mexican. (one Relic Masterbuilt passed, and one Standard American Mark Knopler Signature, but not with THAT greater sound...)
So today at the local dealer I saw a Fender on the wall that actually was no Fender, and I asked the owner what he will charge since it's not a "real" Fender. I got it for 200$, but neither him or I can't tell what this crap is, even though it plays pretty good but sounds terrible due to wrong soldering of the microphones (probably).....
So I need help to find out what this piece'o'junk is..... Can some of the parts be identified? (see pictures)
I think myself that it is a kit someone built, since the screws for the trem are sticking up under the pick-guard, but for 200 bucks.... The body is nice in the laquer though... seems to be professional. What I actually gonna do with this is to put on some other hardware I have lying here around, and see if it can be used as a slide guitar or something. The neck is cool, a 60's C-shape with about the same radius as my Mexican strat.....
The pickups is some strange ones, the covers cant be removed, but there is a graphite nut on the neck.
Someone has any ideas of what it can be???
//Staffay
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Oct 30 2009, 10:19 PM
I can't say I recognize it, who knows... could be any kind of Strat copy, and there are a LOT of those. I've seen these kinds of copies many times, with Fender logo on it, but everything else is no name. Hey if it sounds right, who cares about the name! 
Posted by: Staffy Oct 30 2009, 10:26 PM
Nah, I dont care bout the name, just about how it plays. I think the guy who had it either built it from a kit or removed the old logo, since if You look closely at the head You can see that it has been sanded down..... but the neck is straight and it it tunes well.. so who cares??? I was just curious of the different parts. Especially the microphones.
//Staffay
Posted by: sted Oct 31 2009, 12:03 PM
its got to be an aftermarket neck for sure, Ive never seen a fender with a neck like that, the thickness of the rose wood, the frets and what looks like a graphtech nut too? almost certainly a kit build imo. and whats the deal with that neck pup? Never seen one like that before, maybe a stacked bucker?
Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Oct 31 2009, 01:49 PM
//Staffay
Yeah, I agree mate. Again, not sure, it could be any kind of aftermarket kit/part combinations. Are there any kind of serial numbers/markings in the cavity?
Posted by: Sensible Jones Nov 1 2009, 06:46 PM
OK, in my *ahem* 'expert'(?) opinion!!!
That's not a Fender Neck (Truss Rod adjustment at the wrong end!!), but one from any number of manufacturers with an 'after market' Logo (and not a particularly good one at that!!!).
As for the rest, seems like someones bought a body and built the whole thing from different parts!
If you lift the scratchplate and look to see how neat the wiring is that'll give you a clue as to whether someone put it together or whether they just bought it as a 'Loaded Scratchplate'! (Unless it's one of mine in which case there's very little difference!!! 
) Although, as you say it doesn't work properly, chances are it's been 'built' by someone who's not quite sure of what they were doing!
It's impossible to identify those pickups unless tehy have some kind of marking on them! Same as the Body, is there anything written in the Neck pocket or the Pickup/Control cavities?
Posted by: Staffy Nov 1 2009, 07:58 PM
That's not a Fender Neck (Truss Rod adjustment at the wrong end!!), but one from any number of manufacturers with an 'after market' Logo (and not a particularly good one at that!!!).
As for the rest, seems like someones bought a body and built the whole thing from different parts!
If you lift the scratchplate and look to see how neat the wiring is that'll give you a clue as to whether someone put it together or whether they just bought it as a 'Loaded Scratchplate'! (Unless it's one of mine in which case there's very little difference!!!
) Although, as you say it doesn't work properly, chances are it's been 'built' by someone who's not quite sure of what they were doing! It's impossible to identify those pickups unless tehy have some kind of marking on them! Same as the Body, is there anything written in the Neck pocket or the Pickup/Control cavities?
Nah, nothing is written nowhere, and the wiring looks like an amateurs job.... also the screws for the trem has passed throught the body and sticks up under the pickups. Anyway, it plays pretty well, the neck is straight and it tunes good, so for 200$ I think it was a good buy, I will take the original pickups from my Mexican Strat and put them on instead and see how it sound..... reporting further on.
//Staffay
Posted by: Muris Varajic Nov 1 2009, 10:30 PM
I'm so bad with specs and all that so I just wish it works good for 200$ which was nice price after all.
Posted by: Praetorian Nov 2 2009, 09:40 PM
Could be one of the Chinese knock-offs
Posted by: Sensible Jones Nov 3 2009, 01:20 AM
//Staffay
Quite a common thing mate, nothing to worry about on something like this!!
Posted by: Staffy Nov 3 2009, 01:25 AM
Nah, I know, but I was thinking someone build it by themselves, or maybe it's just some "Made in China" -style of fitting a tremolo....
//Staffay
Posted by: Sensible Jones Nov 3 2009, 01:31 AM
//Staffay
Exactly!
Although, I have a 'Lawsuit Era' one and the screws are just showing in the neck cavity so not all of those guitars were 'brilliant' quality!!
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