How to spot a fake Fender Stratocaster
Buyer, beware! Some tips on how to avoid being had buying a Fender
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Kennis Russell shows you how to avoid a fake Fender. · Source: Kennis Russell /YouTube
YouTuber Kennis Russel has discovered a Fender Stratocaster in a music store – which is actually a Squier. In his video, he then goes on to explain what you should pay attention to when buying. Hopefully, this will ensure that really get the guitar you thought you were buying – and not a cheap copy!
Faked guitars are generally not a problem with new purchases, at least if you’re at a proper Fender dealer. But if you buy some used items, you should pay attention to certain points on the guitar. The example in the video below is only useful when it comes to Squiers who want to be Fenders. There are also other copies out there which are supposedly from Leo’s company but were never made in the USA, let alone California!
Other things to look out for are cheap machine heads, bridge saddles usually made of poorly chromed, cheap metal and also poor fret work, with sharp fret ends.
You can usually tell if a guitar is overly heavy as well, as the cheaper ‘knock offs’ tend to use heavy cheap wood or sometimes even plywood. There were lots of nasty plywood Stratocasters knocking around when I was a kid. Miss- spelt words on headstocks and poorly punched metal logos or serial numbers on neck plates are also a sure sign that something is amiss.
Online auctions
There are lots of fakes around online, so you can use these tips to avoid those, too. Ask for good quality photos before you bid and check out all the basics first. It might save yourself some money. Use Paypal and always pay the fees, never send money direct to a bank account – Paypal will cover you if you pay using their system.
Hopefully, Kennis Russell’s little video will help you to avoid fake Fenders, so if you enjoyed it go over to his Youtube channel and give him the thumbs up!
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2 responses to “How to spot a fake Fender Stratocaster”
While it’s true that many unscrupulous people will modify a Squire to try and pass it off as an American-made Stratocaster, the truth is that Squire guitars ARE Fender guitars, despite statements to the contrary. Being manufactured in Asia does NOT make them “non-Fender”. Besides, it’s well known that many guitars, both electric and acoustic, are manufactured with “foreign” materials, such as Honduran mahogany, Indian rosewood, tuners made by Schaller in Germany, etc….
Knowing what is “original” for the specific year of Fender guitars helps. Not original does not mean it is a bad guitar, just may not be as valuable. I have had many guitars with “upgrades” that were worse than the original hardware. I also have had a Stratocaster that played amazing with what I call “downgrade” parts. The guitar looked like a cheap student guitar but had amazing pickups and action. Closer to a ESP than a Fender. It’s just knowing what is supposed to be there. If you are collecting you want no mods unless it can be verified through paperwork it is a true Fender Custom Shop Guitar. Check the serial number and research it through Fender. Same for any other brand of guitar. Mods aren’t always a bad thing, They also aren’t always a good thing. Always verify the year and what country it was built. Then search on the fender website for the guitar and compare. Also reproduction necks have unique serial numbers when you search it through fender and it comes back as a repo neck 90% of the time its attached to a squire body I have yet to find a real american strat with a reproduction neck. Not saying they aren’t out there. They are. I am only speaking from my experience.