Is this a real Fender road worn Stratocaster?

noxmasforjohnquays

Hi chaps

Looking to buy my first Fender Stratocaster after years of just playing Squiers. Found this absolute bargain online for £325 - second hand of course. Really like the look of the guitar and reading about the road worn series, it seemed like a sure thing provided it plays as good as it looks.

That was, however, until I rang the guy selling it and he told me that the guitar was completely stock apart from the fact he'd sanded off the serial number so there was zero trace of it being made in Mexico. This has obviously put me off a little bit because I don't really know how to tell whether it's a genuine Fender or a knock off partscaster being sold as a Fender.

Can anyone with more experience dealing with genuine Fender Stratocasters help me to identify whether it's a genuine Fender road worn Strat judging from the photos? The low price and the lack of serial number almost seems too good to be true but at the same time I'm tempted to entertain the idea and try it out anyway.

Thanks in advance!

noxmasforjohnquays

Plus a couple more photos of the bridge and the back of the guitar.




Any thoughts? Am I going to get burnt here?

stickyfiddle

Looks genuine. If anything dodgy I'd assume stolen rather than fake.

Funkfingers

Some of it could be.

The pickguard is not. The stock part should be single ply white, like the vibrato cavity cover plate. The stock pickup height adjustment screws should have countersunk heads rather than domed/mushroom ones.

The "wear" on the forearm contour has the "done with a template" look about it of JHS/Encore/Vintage. 
 
Now that you have added the photographs of the back of the guitar, it resembles the MIM Classic series after an amateurish attempt at relicing plus the wrong scratchplate. (The stock pickup screws should have countersunk heads rather than domed/mushroom ones.)

Does the vibrato sustain block have P.W. stamped into it? 

Funkfingers

You know the drill. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Two options, there are.

1. Use the information that you have gleaned in this Discussion to haggle the price down. Customise/refurbish at leisure.
2. Walk away.

stickyfiddle

It looks like a Roadworn series - Mexican made with reliced lacquer finishes. That's what they looked like!

Though yes, looks like the scratchplate should be single-ply for a 50's model.

thegummy

Got to ask why he would sand the serial number off.

Either it's fake or it's stolen - would you be happy buying either?

barneyd

I think even if it's genuine I'd stay well clear, as the only real reason someone would take off the Serial number would be if it's stolen. Especially if it's been priced under the general going rate.

Funkfingers

barneyd said:

the general going rate.

MSRP for the Roadworn series almost ran into four figures. Thus, secondhand price might be expected to start around five hundred. 

noxmasforjohnquays

Funkfingers said:

barneyd said:

the general going rate.

MSRP for the Roadworn series almost ran into four figures. Thus, secondhand price might be expected to start around five hundred. 

Yep exactly what I mean. The price is a god damn steal for a Mexi with a nitro finish and an original MSRP just shy of £1,000. Combine that with the sanded off serial number. Something just doesn't feel right about it...

LastMantra

Body and neck don't look far off. I agree re the scratch plate. Pickups look like the right type (for 60s anyway like mine but this is 50s don't know if they're different) but they look too new/un-aged as does all the plastics. Mine also has a blank neck-plate without the "F". 
I would say it's not all original, so a bit worrying. Might still be a cracking guitar the proper roadworns are really good. If it was all original it would be a steal at that price. 
There's a 2p sized hole in the body under the scratch plate on the roadworns and marks elsewhere but all hidden.

Might be worth a gamble actually. 

noxmasforjohnquays

Funkfingers said:

Some of it could be.

The pickguard is not. The stock part should be single ply white, like the vibrato cavity cover plate. The stock pickup height adjustment screws should have countersunk heads rather than domed/mushroom ones.

The "wear" on the forearm contour has the "done with a template" look about it of JHS/Encore/Vintage. 
 
Now that you have added the photographs of the back of the guitar, it resembles the MIM Classic series after an amateurish attempt at relicing plus the wrong scratchplate. (The stock pickup screws should have countersunk heads rather than domed/mushroom ones.)

Does the vibrato sustain block have P.W. stamped into it? 

Should it have P.W. stamped into it? I can ask the guy to check.

noxmasforjohnquays

LastMantra said:

Body and neck don't look far off. I agree re the scratch plate. Pickups look like the right type (for 60s anyway like mine but this is 50s don't know if they're different) but they look too new/un-aged as does all the plastics. Mine also has a blank neck-plate without the "F". 
I would say it's not all original, so a bit worrying. Might still be a cracking guitar the proper roadworns are really good. If it was all original it would be a steal at that price. 
There's a 2p sized hole in the body under the scratch plate on the roadworns and marks elsewhere but all hidden.

Might be worth a gamble actually. 

In the listing, he specifically mentions that it has Tex Mex pups installed and aged Fender saddles, tuners, and backplate installed. He also claims that it's a 60s model and not a 50s but he might just be wrong about that.



Do the tuners and saddles look the same on yours? It might have just been modded a little bit over the years. I've owned Squier strats that I've replaced all the plastics on in the past just because I didn't like the colour of the factory plastics on that particular finish so it isn't unheard of.

Funkfingers

Have you actually viewed the guitar in person? 

To my eyes, the almost square patch of damage to the body in the first photograph looks characteristic of the way poly takes a hit. It cracks. The top/colour coats flakes off, leaving the clear sealing coat intact. Nitro-cellulose would adopt the shape of the dent in the wood before eventually falling off.

This is one of the reasons why I think the guitar is an abused Classic or Player series rather than a Roadworn. The clinching detail would be the fret wire. The Roadworn has 6105, the Classic has vintage/small.

p90fool

It doesn't matter if it's a genuine roadworn or not, do you want a stolen guitar?

noxmasforjohnquays

Funkfingers said:

Have you actually viewed the guitar in person? 

To my eyes, the almost square patch of damage to the body in the first photograph looks characteristic of the way poly takes a hit. It cracks. The top/colour coats flakes off, leaving the clear sealing coat intact. Nitro-cellulose would adopt the shape of the dent in the wood before eventually falling off.

This is one of the reasons why I think the guitar is an abused Classic or Player series rather than a Roadworn. The clinching detail would be the fret wire. The Roadworn has 6105, the Classic has vintage/small.

I haven't yet but the guy lives just up the road from where I work so I'm planning on taking the trip up there. The problem is, I've never seen a nitro finish up close before so I don't really know how to tell without just guessing. I also haven't played 6105 frets before so unless it's a pretty big difference, I could miss this entirely.

Plus that doesn't necessarily mean it's genuine. Could just be a genuine/after market neck.

noxmasforjohnquays

p90fool said:

It doesn't matter if it's a genuine roadworn or not, do you want a stolen guitar?

A very valid point.

LastMantra

I think the neck is legit, the tuners look right. The saddles /bridge the right type but imo not from a roadworn I'm afraid. Look too shiny and new mine are more yellow like old nickel effect. Could be mistaken looking on phone.
I'm not sure about the 50s 60s thing tbh. I thought the 2clr burst was 50s. Mine is definitely 60s and it's 3. So quite possibly the neck is the only real bit. 

Edit;mine has a lot more wear on the back of the body. Pretty sure it's not proper.

LastMantra

The bodies are nice on the real ones. Solid and quite hefty (I like that) and nicely smooth to the touch.

noxmasforjohnquays

Yeah I'm gonna leave it. There's too much to be suspicious about. It's either real with a bunch of aftermarket parts thrown at it, or it's fake, or it's stolen. If it was stock and was just missing the serial number I'd consider it but in this state, pass.

Thanks for the help everyone!

HAL9000

noxmasforjohnquays said:

He also claims that it's a 60s model and not a 50s but he might just be wrong about that.

Wouldn't a 60s one have had a rosewood board?