Need help:is this a real vintage fender 62' startcaster?

[chinatown]

I got this guitar from a friend,but I'm not sure it's a real 62' startcaster or not,so can you guys tell me something?Thanks a lot!!

Pictures are here:
http://community.webshots.com/album/548009583DsTbOi

[Hipster Dofus]

Those that would know will want to see the Neck Pocket, Pickup Cavitys, Pots, and back side of PG, Decal on HS, ans so on...
Looks cool though.

[dave s]

The bridge saddles appear to indicate a more modern (90s maybe) Made In USA strat.

dave

[HHB]

shoreline gold and real clean? tha's one expensive axe if it's real, looks cool as hell either way

[mezcalhead]

Neck code 8MAY62B .. shouldn't the code be 2 for a '62 Strat? 8 is for 22 fret Mustangs and suchlike, I believe.

As Hipster D says, internal photos will give the clever guys more to go on, especially if you give a bit more background about the guitar, how you got it, what your friend says about it, etc.

You could start by comparing the neck plate serial number to Fender's dating guide:

http://www.fender.com/support/dating..._us_dating.php

[daddyo]

Originally Posted by mezcalhead

Neck code 8MAY62B .. shouldn't the code be 2 for a '62 Strat? 8 is for 22 fret Mustangs and suchlike, I believe.

As Hipster D says, internal photos will give the clever guys more to go on, especially if you give a bit more background about the guitar, how you got it, what your friend says about it, etc.

You could start by comparing the neck plate serial number to Fender's dating guide:

http://www.fender.com/support/dating..._us_dating.php

What neck plate serial number?

[hogy]

It might be a real startcaster, an old Strat it's not.

[Dr.Tom]

Here's my '63 for comparison. Mine came in a brown case. The bridge saddles look authentic to me and so does the date code on the neck. I'd like to know the neck plate serial number(these can be changed real easy), the codes on the volume and tone pots and what the back of the pickups look like. You "might" have a real '62 . What color is it because on my monitor it looks almost silver with a hint of green.



Regards,

Tom

2005 PRS Modern Eagle Charcoal 20th Ann., 2005 PRS CU24 20th Ann.Artist,toggle switch push/pull- Blue Matteo ;1997 PRS Santana 1 Sunburst ; 1965 SG Special - White ; 1963 Fender Strat- sunburst ; 1964 Gretsch Country Gent-dark walnut ; 2001 Gibson ES-335 - natural ; 2004 Gibson Firebird - white ; 1966 Fender Electric XII ; 1989 Fender Start Plus Deluxe - greyburst ; 2006 Godin LGX-SA 3 voice - Cognac burst ; 2003 Brian Moore i1.13 3 voice - greyburst ; 1969 Fender Tele- Blonde ; 1969 Fender Esquire - Blonde ; 1969 Fender Tele Bass - Blonde ; 2005 Gibson Flying V - white ; 199? Jackson Randy Rhodes V - black ; 199? Peavey Wolfgang - cognac burst ; 200? Gretch Duojet 1957 RI - black w/bigsby ; 2005 Gibson SG Special - black ; 1968 Vox Sidewinder Bass- cherry ; 1965 Silvertone amp-in-case 2pickup - red sparkle ; 1989 Takamine EF360S ; 2004 Taylor 314CE ; 2004 Taylor 814CE ; 197? Bruno Royal Artist acoustic

[John Phillips]

No, it is not a real '62 Strat.

Even at the resolution of those photos, you can see:

Headstock shape is incorrect (especially the sharp radius just below the scroll, parallel with the B tuner, is too large).

Fingerboard dots are the wrong color and wrong spacing at the 12th fret (I've never seen a real one with a fingerboard that pale and stripy either).

Date stamp is incorrect as mezcalhead said. That's a Mustang/Duo-SonicII/MusicmasterII stamp.

Pickguard is too flat, incorrectly beveled at the edges and slightly too thin, especially the black layer.

Neckplate and screws don't look right, although it's hard to tell in the blurred pic.

(The case is wrong too - a black case with a Fender badge is 1965 or later, and it's in astonishing condition for a genuine old case, even of that period.)

[Dana Olsen]

It does not look to me to be an all original '62 Strat, but there are some encouraging details:

1) The neck appears to have a slab fretboard - that's encouraging, a sign of proper vintage if it's a real Fender neck, which it may be judging from the date stamp on the neck. Date stamps, sadly, are not too hard to fake ...

2) I don't see a 5 digit serial number on the neck plate - should read "L12345", 12345 symbolizing any 5 digits, so the neck plate probably isn't original, though not necessarily.

You simply GOTTA take it, in person, to someone who knows how to read the date codes on the pots, who knows the type of wire and pickup configuration from @ '62, and who knows enough about finishes to determine if the decal on the peghead is original or has been artfully 'placed' there.

As hipster dofus wrote, I can't really see enough detail to tell any more than that. Need to see the neck pocket, the pots and switch, close up of the bridge, cavity for p/u's and tailpiece, decal, output jack, tuners, more ....

A lot of older, bolt on neck insturments have parts from a bunch of different years on the same guitar, or from different guitars of the same vintage. Could easily be a pickguard w/ mix 'n match pickups from various years, and a neck and body of different years.

My '66 Tele has 3 of 1 kind of tuner, and 3 of another kind. Both kinds are from the 'right' period, but it's a mixed set - 3 of each. The bridge p/u has cloth wire, but the neck p/u has plastic coated wires. Certainly THAT guitar is not all original, but it's definitley made up of vintage stuff, just not all exactly the same year necessarily.

BTW, one can only tell so much from pics. An in person look at the thing is important. I and others too have been fooled by excellent refinishes .....

Dana

[mezcalhead]

Originally Posted by daddyo

What neck plate serial number?

Er, yes, good point.



Looking closely, there doesn't appear to be one. I was thinking this might simply turn out to be an AVRI.

Given that the neck seems to be from a short-scale guitar, does the guitar intonate properly? Were you told any more about it when you got it?

[chinatown]

To me,it's so hard to authenticate a real original 62 fender

Thanks you guys,you're really so nice!!!!I may take more pics about the Neck Pocket,Pickups and details of other parts.

[John Phillips]

The neck isn't from a short-scale guitar, it's simply a fake stamp, done by someone who didn't realise that the first digit is a part code not a date - the lettering isn't even positioned correctly, the word 'MAY' should be stamped as a single block, not three individual letters. The 8 necks have 22 frets and a different headstock shape - although that could have been recut - and never had white dots, they went from clay to silver to pearl and then were discontinued.

More detailed pics would help identify what it is, but it isn't a '62 Strat. It does look cool though, so as long as you weren't sold it for a '62 Strat price you probably don't have much to worry about.

[mezcalhead]

You've got a good eye, sir.

The question we haven't asked yet: how does it play and sound?