Members Ledheadforlife Posted March 18, 2011 Members Posted March 18, 2011 Hey guys, I just picked up this strat yesterday and I was wonderin if ya'll could help me id it. First question: Is it a real Fender? Second question: Is that a C or a G at the beginning of the serial number. Guy told me he thinks it's stock except for a dimarzio evolution in the bridge. I took the neck off and it's stamped ST-362 F, the body is stamped ST-362 FH. Neckplate is square and has no markings on it, gotoh tuners. I'll let the pics do the rest of the talkin, thanx in advance for the help!
Members cratz2 Posted March 18, 2011 Members Posted March 18, 2011 Looks like a G to me... guitardaterproject reveals the following: Guitar InfoYour guitar was made at theFuji-gen Plant (for Fender Japan), Japanin the Year(s): 1987 - 1988 If it IS a C, all the same info applies, except it was probably made 1986-1987. Should be a great guitar. The Floyd Rose II was definitely not very well respected but most of them weren't made my Schaller so hopefully yours will be OK.
Members Ledheadforlife Posted March 19, 2011 Author Members Posted March 19, 2011 Thanks, I already checked the serial and came back with the same info, the question I have it, what model is it, and I'm kinda worried if it's a real Fender cause the decal on the headstock looks like a sticker. Any insight?
Members cratz2 Posted March 19, 2011 Members Posted March 19, 2011 Everything looks right to my eyes. Of course, internet photos aren't always the most telling. The decal should be a water slide decal. My only concern is that I've never seen a Floyd Rose II on a Japanese Fender. You usually see those on Korean and Taiwanese Kramers and the like. But I'm pretty far from an expert.
Members zenbu Posted March 19, 2011 Members Posted March 19, 2011 edited.....ooops...shoulda read more carefully...
Members Ledheadforlife Posted March 19, 2011 Author Members Posted March 19, 2011 How do you figure that's a floyd rose II? This one is marked schaller, and I thought the floyd rose II was marked "floyd rose II", and I always thought the schallers were pre-original floyd rose, and the name floyd rose II implies that it came after floyd rose I?
Members cratz2 Posted March 19, 2011 Members Posted March 19, 2011 Uhhh... dunno. I could be easily wrong, but your trem isn't double locking, right? The little square thingies under the fine tuners hold the ball end of the string? I'm far from a Floyd expert, but I think the design was originally built by Schaller before there were any that were stamped 'Floyd Rose' and then Schaller continued to be one of the companies that would build the Floyd Rose trem. There were design tweaks, including the II version and those were probably also made by a few different companies. Like I said, I don't remember ever seeing a FR II design made by Schaller so perhaps this is something a bit different, but it's absolutely not an original Floyd Rose. Plus you have the time line... The Floyd Rose was out in the very late 70s... 1977 or 1978 or so. I think I saw my first Floyded guitar in about 1982 and got a Kramer Beretta in, I think, 1985. At this point, I think all the Floyd Rose units were of roughly the same quality then shortly after, they started coming out with versions meant to save $$$. Not all of them were terrible. And in some instances, the difference would only present themselves with very aggressive use and/or the removal and re-installation of the pivot screws.
Members Ledheadforlife Posted March 19, 2011 Author Members Posted March 19, 2011 Thanks for the insight, I'm not too worried about the trem cause my dive bombin days are over for the most part, I just dig em cause they hold tune so well. Overall, I'm lovin this thing, I just wish I was 100% sure that it's real. I'm not too familiar with waterslide decals, and I can only see the edges in certain light at certain angles, but, should the edges be so apparent?
Members cratz2 Posted March 19, 2011 Members Posted March 19, 2011 Sometimes yeah... I had one Japanese Squier from about 1987 where the decal looked like it was on top of the clear coat... the background of the decal actually wasn't quite transparent... but I've seen many instances of the same thing so I'm 99.99% sure it was original. As for yours... I wouldn't swear to it, but I'd say there is better than a 95% chance yours is real. How does it play? How does it feel?
Members Ledheadforlife Posted March 19, 2011 Author Members Posted March 19, 2011 Plays great now, it played like crap at first and the sound was cuttin in and out, but i took it to my tech and he replaced the jack, put new strings on it, and set it up, and now it screams. The neck is a little fatter than I'd like, my other Fender strat is a mij '90 60's hot rod reissue, and the neck on it is Ibanez thin, but I think I'll get used to this one after awhile.
Members Ledheadforlife Posted March 21, 2011 Author Members Posted March 21, 2011 Any idea what model it is? A few people have said it might be a contemporary strat, but all the research I've done on those said they had the input jack on the side and black painted headstocks? I'm stumped, anybody out there have a theory for me?
Members cratz2 Posted March 23, 2011 Members Posted March 23, 2011 I think the Contemporary Strats were a series, not really a model. Most Japanese Fenders have a model name of two or three letters and two or three numbers. Your guitar, as stated on the neck and body, is a ST-362.
Members Ledheadforlife Posted March 24, 2011 Author Members Posted March 24, 2011 Thanx bro, I can't find any guitars on the net exactly like this one, so I think I'm gonna give up on trying to id it for now, and just enjoy playin it!
Members zenbu Posted March 24, 2011 Members Posted March 24, 2011 as an owner of many MIJ guitars, not just Fenders, I have become accustomed to not know precisely what they all are...just the way it is, get used to it. There were many models made by many companies that never showed up in catalogs so lots of stuff on line is guess work. Some guys think they have all the answers, I`m not one...I have more questions than answers and hope that some day somebody will write the definitive book with answers. The Japan Vintage series of books published by Shinko Music have helped me a great deal but even the Japanese authors know they do not have all the data. The serial looks like a G to me, get your hands on a watchmakers loupe and see if you can get a better idea with that.
Members cratz2 Posted March 24, 2011 Members Posted March 24, 2011 Oh, and I definitely didn't mean to insinuate that I have all the answers either... Not by any stretch. I just love most of the Japanese guitars I've owned and played. Hope you didn't get too rocked over there zenbu.
Members Ledheadforlife Posted March 24, 2011 Author Members Posted March 24, 2011 Well, from the research I've done, I'm starting to think it's a squier that somebody slapped a fender decal on, and that sucks cause that's not how it was advertised. I sure hope I'm wrong.
Members cratz2 Posted March 25, 2011 Members Posted March 25, 2011 Honestly... other than a gut feeling, why do you think it's a fake? The model name sounds right, the markings all seem right. Can you take some pics of the neck heel and neck pocket? Also, take a couple pics of the back side of the pickups and of the back of the pots and the cap. Maybe take the pics outside so the lighting will be a little bit better. The only thing that gives me pause at all is the Floyd Rose II. I've just never personally seen a Fender (or a Squier) with one. But as zenbu said, it could easily be a model never intended for the US. Or maybe a 2% chance it arrived with an OFR or another licensed FR and it was swapped for a FRII by someone that wanted the trem that came on your guitar on their Kramer or whatever guitar. I still say there's way over a 95% chance it's an original Fender guitar, regardless of the trem situation.
Members Ledheadforlife Posted March 25, 2011 Author Members Posted March 25, 2011 I still say there's way over a 95% chance it's an original Fender guitar, regardless of the trem situation. Thanx bro, that's exactly what I wanna hear lol. I'm not sure why I think it might be a squier, just my spidersense tinglin...can't put my finger on it. I just think it's strange that I can't find any other guitars on the net exactly like it, and I can't find out exactly what model it is. As far as pics of the neck pocket, back of pickups etc, it's gonna be awhile cause I just had my tech set it up perfectly so I'm not about to take it apart again.
Members zenbu Posted March 25, 2011 Members Posted March 25, 2011 how close is this one... http://page17.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/v190275797
Members zenbu Posted March 25, 2011 Members Posted March 25, 2011 watch Yahoo Japan I bet sooner or later one will show up.
Members Ledheadforlife Posted March 25, 2011 Author Members Posted March 25, 2011 That one's pretty dang close except the trem says fender on it, and mine says schaller. Wish there were some pics of the back of the neck, neckplate, and close up of the serial. And I wish it was in english lol. Thanx for the link!
Members Ledheadforlife Posted March 25, 2011 Author Members Posted March 25, 2011 Quick update: An expert on another forum assured me that the decal is under the finish, but the finish has "settled" over the years which makes the outline visable. After running my fingers over it(dunno why I didnt think to do this before lol) I can confirm that he's right, it's smooth as a baby's bottom, no edges, yay! He said this isnt at all uncommon on late 80's mij strats, and that he's seen it many times before. So, now that my squier tragedy has been averted, I can go ahead and leave positive feedback for ebay dude and get on with my life lol. Thanx again to everybody who chimed in and tried to help!
Members cratz2 Posted March 26, 2011 Members Posted March 26, 2011 Glad to hear it. And yeah, it's definitely common to be able to see the entire decal perimeter on Japanese Fenders and Squiers. Some of the Contemporary Strats and others with painted headstocks, it can be REALLY shocking how DIY the label can look.
Members zenbu Posted March 26, 2011 Members Posted March 26, 2011 http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k138210245
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