...and it was quite the learning experience. no photos because i couldn’t be bothered. so i popped into this music store because it happened to be there just to see what they had. now where i am there’s only one fender dealer and it’s not them so i was curious to see some strats hanging on the wall and a big fender logo above them. i go to check them out and the prices are insane. so i ask the salesman about them he says “they’re used japanese strats.” i’m already suspicious but okay, i’ll bite. he takes one down ($7000 price tag). it’s got gold hardware, the serial # is on the base of the neck, and it’s a roasted pine type finish. even my untrained eye can see the frets are uneven and some of them aren’t even bottoming out at the neck, like there’s a gap. i ask him what the pickups are, he hesitates and then says “custom”. he plugs it into the crappiest amp in the store and, well, let’s just say it played like crap, the pickups all sounded the same, the tone knob barely changed anything, and the tremolo felt heavy. i asked him why is it so expensive and he says “because this is the 48th anniversary strat from fender japan and it’s the only one in the world!” (absolutely no mention of this on the guitar itself). then he takes down another that equally plays like trash and has a pot switch that feels like sand is in it. anyway i firsthand experienced a fake strat. then i went home and played my AmPro.
honestly i don’t know exactly what fakes they were, i just know they were fakes - they’re targeting someone who doesn’t hang out on strat talk or owns a real fender so they won’t know what they’re looking at. i’d never seen a fake in person and i was already suspicious even before he pulled one off the wall. one of them was a heavily relicked and it wasn’t that graceful relicking fender does, it looked messy, ratty, and just plain ugly. they all weren’t in the best shape but i don’t know if it’s because they really were used or if the quality was just that bad.
never said fender japan is fake, just these particular guitars. unless you’re saying fender japan puts out such trash quality.
Fender Japan guitars are extraordinary. Without pics...we have only your opinion. Opinions vary. If these are true fakes...it's something that we don't really talk about here. Its in the rules.
So the store had at least two fakes, and the salesman knows this and are targeting people who doesn’t know much about strats. And you didn’t bother to take pictures?
Okay, we all know "fake strats" exist -- but without pictures, what exactly is the point of this thread?
"the pickups all sounded the same" It's kind of impossible for all pickups to sound the same on strat, isnt it? It's three different locations where the strings vibrate in three different ways hence the sound is slightly different at each position. Even with a set of CS 69 where all three pickups are wound the same and share same output, the tone is different depending on which position the switch is at.
A day does not go by on ST without someone finding another fake...seriously take some pics next time.
Surely there’s some kind of US equivalent to Trading Standards that we have in the UK (basically an organisation that investigates unfair trading... fakes, safety, weights and measures etc)? If you know them to be fake for sure, you should really report the place.
Rules is rules. FRAUDULENT PRODUCTS: Do not post about buying. selling or finding trademarked items such as counterfeit guitars, guitar products or decals. Nor may you post links to any such counterfeit goods. This creates legal issues for our website and we do not wish to promote these illegal items on our sites.
Wanna have some fun? Go back and ask to take pictures to have it authenticated on your favorite Strat forum.
