Poorly matched 3 piece body on suburst strat, help!

@Matt33 here's my two cents: If you posted this thread, the issue is clearly bothering you. Do you love the guitar? If not, sell it. If so, can you get to the point where you don't focus on the grain every time you look at it or pick it up? If so, then play it. If not, then refinish it yourself in an opaque color or have someone else do it.

 

Why not? He's probably a better guitar player than the majority of people who post about how much they dislike him, he's certainly made more money playing guitar than any of us here

 

Agreed. I'm not the biggest Mayer fan, but I don't see the reason to cut him down, especially in a thread that has nothing to do with him as player.

 

He's actually an extremely good guitarist whose songwriting talents happen to run in the direction of sappy pop. I don't really like his music, but I have huge respect for him as a player.

 

I see no description....
Only a picture....if that's of the guitar in question the sunburst imperfections were nicely hidden.

 

I agree.................. that was at best a sly image. Borderline deceptive.

Only the OP can decide if this is an issue.

 

Well Most of his last 3 or so albums haven't even been pop music . He moved to Montana, put out two albums that were country folk albums with pedal steel, acoustic guitars, and finger picking. I think a lot of folks that only know him as the bubble gum pop guy probably havent listened to a full album since 2003

 

Here is a Reverb offering of a J.M Strat:

https://reverb.com/p/fender-john-mayer-stratocaster

It looks to me like a 3-piece body..I can see the joints on the rear almost even with the bottom of the tummy cut, and on the front right by the top of the output jack.

If Fender is making an effort to duplicate a particular guitar of J.M., and that guitar has a 3-piece body, then Fender's duplicate of that guitar would have a 3-piece body. It's unusual that the 3-pieces of the body would be grain-matched exactly..J.M.'s probably isn't .

 

Yep bad bad axe please ship it immediately to my Strat sanctuary for love and care details on the web. We pay for reallocation costs

 

Here is a JM Strat Amazon offfering, no longer available, but zoom in and look at the bridge pieces. the look like modern block saddles, vs. vintage bent steel to me.

https://www.amazon.com/Fender-Stratocaster-African-Rosewood-Fretboard/dp/B000GACWA0

 

Not a Mayer strat

 

It would be hard for me, I get kinda picky on my guitars with visible grain. I don't believe it affects tone, but when shopping on line if I can't see the grain clearly I ask for extra pics or don't purchase. So far I have done pretty well on the Sunburst Protone I have and the FSR butterscotch Tele. But like others have said you can't see tone.

 

Because, as technically good as he is, he has not developed a unique instrumental voice. I don't hear a recording and immediately say, "That's John Mayer." He is generic.

 

Actually he has, how many records of his have you listened to? Mayer does do some unique to mayer things. Like his use of his thumb adding bass lines, doing rhythm lines inter mixed with lead licks. Sure early on he was rehash of a bunch of SRV licks (SRV himself practically stole from Albert Kings plate but no one ever seems to care about that) but he's developed certain unique habits and traits over the last 18-20 years as a live performer

 

It's not the worst I've seen, by any means, but it would bug me on a $1600+ guitar. But then, I would've examined the photos very carefully before buying because mismatched wood on a sunburst finish chaps my hide.

If it really bugs you, maybe sell the body and buy a different one to put all the parts on.

Or part it all out and sell me the neck, which I consider one of the best Strat necks fender has ever made.

 

If you bought it to hang on a wall? ... it's a plank, play it, love it, live life... no one gets out alive

 

Sorry OP but, why do folks hate on a guy who has exposed more young people to excellent blues guitar playing, who would have never have ever been exposed to it. And the guy can flat out play, perform , write, and has been there and done that, enough of the bashing.
Oh by the way I think the guitar is gorgeous. But do what you must.

 

The glue joints do not show up AT ALL in that photo.
The camera angle appears to have been very strategically chosen, or it's a different guitar.

 

Exactly, if that's the same guitar they have clearly chosen a smart camera angle... let's wait feedback from the OP...

 

Firstly, it is obvious the Seller hid the aesthetics issue. This is becoming an ever-increasing dynamic with online sales (i.e., hiding things, obscuring things, distorting things, and quite simply lying about things). It is for this reason that I'll not buy another guitar online.

Don't kick yourself for falling prey to the Seller's tactics. Few would have known what he was up to. I have found since being burned on my one-and-only Reverb purchase (details below), that there's a very quick and true means by which to weed-out the crooks: If you begin to ask lots of questions and ask for lots of photos, and the Seller becomes frustrated, irritated and short with you, you know they're a crook, its that simple. Anyone with decency and a conscience will go-the-distance with you, and answer every question you have, and will go one step further, by providing you with more than you've asked for.

I was recently badly burned on a Reverb purchase (checkout my thread entitled, "Ripped-Off on Reverb", maybe 6 weeks ago). In my case, the Seller had posted fraudulent photos--of another guitar altogether--which I proved--and which he admitted to over the phone with me (but not with Reverb staff); yet he still would not grant me a refund. Reverb stepped up to the plate and refunded my money, taking the hit on the guitar. Kudos to Reverb for that move (refer to the Reverb contacts listed in my thread, if needed).

Something which nags at you about a given guitar will prevent you from picking it up and playing it. You'll have to get over the imperfect aesthetics, or engage Reverb.

Secondly, despite the aesthetics, if the guitar "plays well," and sounds good, I would be inclined to keep it, while laterally calling-in an air strike on the Sellers house--just for being dishonest.