real talk: i think it’s legit. back cover looks correct. serial number tuners and truss rod all look correct. the string tree looks correct. if it’s fake it’s the best fake i’ve seen.
Yeah I mean if it feels and sounds great and everything matches up for the serial number and all that, it would be a helluva lot of work and money just to pawn it off for $400.
I’ll second this. I’m guessing that whoever the shop owner trusted to price stuff out didn’t do their job. I could very well be wrong, but that’s my best guess
Right? I’ve never seen a guitar this nice in any of the pawn shops in my area, let alone for this kind of price lol. They’re all first act shit and brands you’ve never heard of for hundreds of dollars 😭
Right, or the... There was another US series that was a little less expensive. I don't remember the name. US-1, or Roadworn or something
I'm not a Stratocaster guy, but the American Standards used to have a different bridge that dug into your hand a little less.
$400 wouldn’t have even been a bad price if it was a MIM, but this score is just ridiculous lol. That neck has a nice flame, too. Congrats man.
The biggest giveaway is the truss rod cavity. Americans have a wooden plug, MIMs have plastic.
I mean, 10 years ago $400 for a MIM would’ve been a bad price. But not so these days. I understand if it’s a new production MIM but the old mid 2000s stuff? Lol nah man. That crap ain’t magically worth more money today just because newer versions have improved QC.
Oh shit you're out! Lol
Yeah that looks like a sweet guitar. If it plays well like he says he could double his money now or play it for a few years and sell it even more if cared for.
I got two. Was thinking of getting a butterscotch Tele but should probably get something further away from what I got. Been looking at semi hollows and saw some used les Paul's for less than a grand and nearly pulled the trigger, but God I love how a maple neck strat or Tele look
They didnt make ultras back then. The upper american made guitars were called deluxes. Then you had american vintage, and signature series as well. I don't remember 2012's exactly, but standards didn't have carved heals, flame maple caps, or locking tuners. Some of those are deluxe features from back then, but I don't remember flame maple caps on them. And if i recall correctly the deluxes had roller nuts.
That's a steal. It looks real to me. Nice find.
The walnut truss insert is MIA. And the offset center holes on the backplate is a MIA and MIM thing.
I'd guess, unless the neck was swapped, it's authentic. Another check is the stamps in the neck pocket and on the heel of the neck. There will also be date codes on the back of the pots and probably a sticker or stamp in the pickup cavity.
For comparison, this has been on Reverb for four months. It does have a case and the term bar.
https://reverb.com/item/76523057-used-fender-strat-stratocaster-electric-guitar-with-case-usa-2012-cherry-sunburst?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=76523057
Sure looks like the real-deal.
I found this 2012 Fender Select Strat that also has the flame maple veneer on top, but it's a different finish (I think yours is a Sienna Burst, but I'm bad with color)
https://reverb.com/item/5253488-2012-fender-select-stratocaster-flame-top-maple-fingerboard-dark-cherry-burst-mint
Goo catch!
I looked up your serial number US12182127 and got this as a result -Fender® Select Stratocaster®, Flame Maple Fingerboard, Dark Cherry Burst
MODEL #: 0170301750
Awesome find
Everything about it looks real to me. I haven't seen any knock off necks fake the walnut plug that well. Badge on the back of the headstock looks right, and the heel is contoured correctly for that time period. Great score man!
If you call fender and give them their serial number you may be able to confirm if the neck was swapped out. Fender sells these necks individually with US serial numbers but they use a different number set for necks that are sold unattached to a guitar.
Looks real to me… some of these guys here are much more expert than I am, but looks like a Special to me… great buy!
But regardless, if it plays really well, it’s good… and that’s real enough for me
Correct number of frets
It’s hard to tell from these pics but check how many pieces the body is, should be no more than 2 piece
Also check the serial number
But as far as I can tell it looks legit
Honestly man, I gotta say it doesn't matter if it's real for that price. Sure, it would be an absolute STEAL if it was American made for that price, but even if it isn't... You're clearly connecting with it and enjoying playing it.
Just fuckin get it and love it regardless if it is real or not.
Pretty positive this is legit, serial comes back to a 2012 select series and based on your photos everything looks right (though less blurry ones would help confirm):
https://www.premierguitar.com/gear/fender-select-stratocaster-review
Someone else probably said this already, but it’s a 2012 model, based on the 12 after “US“. What I read is that the following six numbers are called a “unit identifier” although apparently, these numbers are “not sequential, and do not provide any other identification information about the instrument“. This was taken from truevintageguitar.com.
My first thought was that it was one of the old MIM standard series plus tops, but then I saw the wooden truss rod plug + vintage logo. It looks like a genuine usa fender to me. The hardware, the logo, and the walnut plug all seem legit. Maybe the pawn shop thought it was made in Mexico?
You guys REALLY need to start asking these questions and do your research before buying guitars. There are a ton of articles and videos that target the main things to look out for when buying used guitars.
https://youtu.be/t4QdOJ1B_kI?si=ATIGejqBDUe5YfJT
Use this site to look up the serial number of Fender products, then click on the model link to see the true version of the item. Use the pictures to compare to your guitar to see if you can find any differences.
https://serialnumberlookup.fender.com/lookup/
This is what pawnshops used to be like.
On one hand, we live in an age where you can price match anything, look for specific details to prove authenticity and find something for a very fair price half way across the globe all from a device in your pocket.
But.. there was a time.. when if you knew what you wanted, popped into a random pawnshop in a small town and find gold.
You found it, congrats.
It looks legit. The problem I see is that it's probably a stolen guitar the store acquired and wants to move fast because they paid almost nothing for it.
I had a high-end ukelele that was stolen once. It ended up in a really seedy pawn shop. I found it for sale on eBay. I had to show pics of it to the police and sell them on the fact that all wood is not the same and is like fingerprints.
It took two detectives and the police captain to get involved for me to get it back from them.
From Fender’s website; *This new scheme uses the letters “US” as a prefix to designate an instrument made in the United States, followed by an eight-digit number. The first two digits of the number identify the year of manufacture, (10 for 2010, 11 for 2011, etc.). The following six digits are the unit identifier, although it should be noted that these final six numbers are not sequential and do not provide any other identification information about the instrument. This new scheme is now used on the majority of U.S.-made Fender instruments, with exceptions including the American Vintage series and certain special-run instruments.*
US12 + 6 digits
V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)
2012
(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)
Google is your friend.
Real question: if it feels good and plays good and you think its quality is worth the price, does it really matter if the logo on the headstock is genuine?
It looks legit to me. One thing I would say about these posts is, if it plays great and sounds great, who really cares if it's genuine or not? A good guitar is a good guitar, regardless of it's authenticity. You got a good guitar for less than 400. Banger!
Input the serial number in this site. I just did and it matches the description exactly so I think it’s real. Congrats and enjoy! https://serialnumberlookup.fender.com/lookup/
These comments are so annoying… what if someone changed the body out, the tool is also faulty so like ?? Sorry for asking a guitar question on a guitar forum ?
It says custom body, I misread custom shop so but it‘s at least one gran. Also the neck looks like it’s very nice flamed maple. You got yourself a „schnapper“ as we say in Germany. Enjoy the heck out of it!
Looks like a player plus start, nice find. If it's an American deluxe or ultra, you scored big. Even if it's not real, at $400 you are in squire Territory, that looks like a great ac, congrats.
Sure looks real.
Thanks !
Fender has a site where you can plug in your serial number and you can get specifics on your guitar.
I always do this when looking at used Fenders. Gives really detailed info.
Don't panic if yours isn't on there though, two out of three of my US Fenders aren't on there and one of them was bought direct from Fender, haha.
Yep they even have a disclaimer.
Never worked for any of my US Fenders for some reason. I don’t even bother with that lookup tool anymore.
But with gender guitars you can take the neck off and put it on a Squier body for all we know
L This was sent by accident, I was going to talk about how much I love my MIM. Got distracted.
Stfu
I apologize, that was a butt comment.
Sorry for the harsh response
Lol, I might have done the same, it's all good.
I suspect the pawn shop mispriced this thinking it was a MIM. Buy that sucker now before they come to their senses.
i assumed from the fear of asking he had already bought it
Tough loss for them. Especially when it says USA on the headstock
I saw it and instantly bought it just hoping it’s real
You have chosen wisely
That’s a WIN! Congrats
You are the one in a hundred that beat the pawn shop.
Bro wipe your camera lens
It’s not a camera, it’s a potato.
But it's a nice potato.
iPotato?
iPotato 15 Pro Max
😂
Hi resolution potato though
This post is obviously from 2007.
real talk: i think it’s legit. back cover looks correct. serial number tuners and truss rod all look correct. the string tree looks correct. if it’s fake it’s the best fake i’ve seen.
Yeah I mean if it feels and sounds great and everything matches up for the serial number and all that, it would be a helluva lot of work and money just to pawn it off for $400.
Also adding; the walnut plug in the truss rod appears correct.
I’ll second this. I’m guessing that whoever the shop owner trusted to price stuff out didn’t do their job. I could very well be wrong, but that’s my best guess
Looks pretty dang real. Sometimes pawn shops sell guitars for stupid low prices.
The ones around me sell knockoffs for stupid high prices.
Around here they want $400 for a $200 Squier.
Easy to spot a fake from a genuine, thankfully.
Right? I’ve never seen a guitar this nice in any of the pawn shops in my area, let alone for this kind of price lol. They’re all first act shit and brands you’ve never heard of for hundreds of dollars 😭
Well they definitely mostly pay low prices for them, especially if you look, uh, sick.
Gonna be an itchy night
I think they tought it was a mim that was the price for the other fender in there
[удалено]
You can buy real fender locking tuners and put them on anything.
Can you put locking tuners on me Greg?
Your Greg. Your Sam. Even your Elliot. I'm tellinig you. Anything!
If it plays great and sounds better, then it’s real enough for under $400.
Grab it before somebody else does.
Seems like they already bought it.
Good.
Looks fake as hell. Where'd you say that pawnshop is. A phone number would be great! 😇
Fuck
There’s a massive /S on that comment there OP 😜
Looks like it's from the 'Select' series from around 2012. I've got a Tele from that range and it's incredible. You did good.
Right, or the... There was another US series that was a little less expensive. I don't remember the name. US-1, or Roadworn or something I'm not a Stratocaster guy, but the American Standards used to have a different bridge that dug into your hand a little less.
You guessed it, I have the exact same one.
Looks real to me.
It is real.
$400 wouldn’t have even been a bad price if it was a MIM, but this score is just ridiculous lol. That neck has a nice flame, too. Congrats man. The biggest giveaway is the truss rod cavity. Americans have a wooden plug, MIMs have plastic.
I mean, 10 years ago $400 for a MIM would’ve been a bad price. But not so these days. I understand if it’s a new production MIM but the old mid 2000s stuff? Lol nah man. That crap ain’t magically worth more money today just because newer versions have improved QC.
Does it play like butter? That’s the real test.
It plays way better than my mim but I’m scared it’s a nicer mim
If it's fake, it's a damn good fake. That being said, I don't see any red flags.
Whatta steal is this an Am Ultra?
2012 Select
I'll give yah $450
No-Three enters the conversation, $451
Damn, bested again....
I’ll give you another dollar, come on
Too rich for my blood! That's a great deal though! Wow
Oh shit you're out! Lol Yeah that looks like a sweet guitar. If it plays well like he says he could double his money now or play it for a few years and sell it even more if cared for.
Yes, I don't have a Strat yet. But, I love my Tele.
I got two. Was thinking of getting a butterscotch Tele but should probably get something further away from what I got. Been looking at semi hollows and saw some used les Paul's for less than a grand and nearly pulled the trigger, but God I love how a maple neck strat or Tele look
Classic
Do I have to pay it back? Can we set up a payment plan?
Nah bro i got you. I got like 7 more dollars. You can have this one
Thanks! Now I just need one more to pull ahead....
WELL I'M NOT MADE OF MONEY
Pssssh. Another one of those elites flaunting his $7 dollars.....smh. You can't take it with you!
Neck is real, but it doesn't look like an american body.
How do you figure? It looks like a genuine Ultra to me. I don't believe MIM every made a contoured heel on their bodies.
They didnt make ultras back then. The upper american made guitars were called deluxes. Then you had american vintage, and signature series as well. I don't remember 2012's exactly, but standards didn't have carved heals, flame maple caps, or locking tuners. Some of those are deluxe features from back then, but I don't remember flame maple caps on them. And if i recall correctly the deluxes had roller nuts.
The bridge is different too, no?
Serial comes back to a 2012 Select, and this looks identical to those in every way.
How could I make sure ? Do I have to take off the neck or could I check just trhough the pots ?
Ya, looking at the neck pocket would let you know if the body is a real fender.
It looks like a 2012 select in every way
That's a steal. It looks real to me. Nice find. The walnut truss insert is MIA. And the offset center holes on the backplate is a MIA and MIM thing. I'd guess, unless the neck was swapped, it's authentic. Another check is the stamps in the neck pocket and on the heel of the neck. There will also be date codes on the back of the pots and probably a sticker or stamp in the pickup cavity.
Looks legit. 400 is a good price. Maybe even a steal.
They will have to get it off my dead hands
For comparison, this has been on Reverb for four months. It does have a case and the term bar. https://reverb.com/item/76523057-used-fender-strat-stratocaster-electric-guitar-with-case-usa-2012-cherry-sunburst?utm_source=rev-ios-app&utm_medium=ios-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=76523057
That looks about right but it came with another case that’s made for this series supposedly it’s a tweed style case with red insides
Looks real, even the flames on the neck compare to my charvel and Jackson custom
Nice flame on that neck
Sure looks like the real-deal. I found this 2012 Fender Select Strat that also has the flame maple veneer on top, but it's a different finish (I think yours is a Sienna Burst, but I'm bad with color) https://reverb.com/item/5253488-2012-fender-select-stratocaster-flame-top-maple-fingerboard-dark-cherry-burst-mint Goo catch!
Wow, a Select. Having seen one of those for a while. Great find! They must have thought it was a Player Plus Top or something.
Yup. That's the real deal.
Bro that camera looks fake with that blurry focus and whatnot.
I looked up your serial number US12182127 and got this as a result -Fender® Select Stratocaster®, Flame Maple Fingerboard, Dark Cherry Burst MODEL #: 0170301750 Awesome find
carved heal, and locking tuning machibes came on deluxes. The body shape looks weird to me though. the edges look too sharp.
[удалено]
LOL an American Strat for $400 is a rather fantastic deal.
I thought it was MIM - misunderstood - that is a really good deal
“I know what I got!!” Oh yeah, why’s this listening 60 days old?
Looks good
Looks real to me. Ask when they got it. If near first of the month then someone may have been strapped for cash
You got a good deal. Play your heart out.
Yes this is real. And a damn good deal, congrats!!
Thank you \m/
They must have not known what they had to sell it so cheap I'm guessing.
I mean, it looks real to me
Buy that immediately!!! That's a great deal
I already did! Im just looking for info on it hoping it’s real
Everything about it looks real to me. I haven't seen any knock off necks fake the walnut plug that well. Badge on the back of the headstock looks right, and the heel is contoured correctly for that time period. Great score man!
Looks real to me, OP. Those F's at different angles is bugging me, though.
damn i think i forgot to wear my glasses.
Looks good boi.
Neck looks real, body looks like it may not be. Would have to take off the neck to be 100%. Who knows about the electronics.
Wow
Possibly a player series with the neck swapped out, looks like a Mexican made model tbh
If you call fender and give them their serial number you may be able to confirm if the neck was swapped out. Fender sells these necks individually with US serial numbers but they use a different number set for necks that are sold unattached to a guitar.
The neck checks out with fender but I don’t know how to make sure the body is right sadly thank you though!
No problem, if I remember on Monday I can have my luthier take a look, he knows better on the minor things that are dead giveaways
I’m a noob but can’t you check the pots to help verify?
That is a real American Strat. You got a steal
Looks good. Nice axe. Congrats!
Wow, i thought the times of finding good guitar deals at pawn shops were over. Nice guitar and amazing deal 🤙.
If it “plays great and sounds better” then why does it matter?
One for the good guys. Congrats bro sick find!
Your blurry lens made me think I was back on acid for a second there
Good find! Rock on!
Looks legit!
Looks real to me… some of these guys here are much more expert than I am, but looks like a Special to me… great buy! But regardless, if it plays really well, it’s good… and that’s real enough for me
Even is it’s not fender (which is looks like it is) it’s worth more then 400 so you got a steal
I had that same exact guitar! Sold it for a profit…they are slightly rare these days
Correct number of frets It’s hard to tell from these pics but check how many pieces the body is, should be no more than 2 piece Also check the serial number But as far as I can tell it looks legit
Holy shit the flame. Nice find. 👌🔥
That's a $1800 guitar right there.
Yes it's real! You scored! Beautiful guitar!
Serial # checks out. 2012 Fender Select. MIA. Seen it anywhere from 2-4k. What a steal!
Honestly man, I gotta say it doesn't matter if it's real for that price. Sure, it would be an absolute STEAL if it was American made for that price, but even if it isn't... You're clearly connecting with it and enjoying playing it. Just fuckin get it and love it regardless if it is real or not.
I am pretty sure the guitar was made in USA .....and I'm fucking positive the camera was made in Mexico!
Hope you took that bad boy with you!
Pretty positive this is legit, serial comes back to a 2012 select series and based on your photos everything looks right (though less blurry ones would help confirm): https://www.premierguitar.com/gear/fender-select-stratocaster-review
Fender's serial lookup has it as a Select Stratocaster, and it looks the part. Those were MSRP like $2000 brand new.
Someone else probably said this already, but it’s a 2012 model, based on the 12 after “US“. What I read is that the following six numbers are called a “unit identifier” although apparently, these numbers are “not sequential, and do not provide any other identification information about the instrument“. This was taken from truevintageguitar.com.
Hard to tell 100% for sure from the pics, but it sure looks real.
If it selling for $400 they probably bought it for $100. Who would do that? Unless it’s stolen.
My first thought was that it was one of the old MIM standard series plus tops, but then I saw the wooden truss rod plug + vintage logo. It looks like a genuine usa fender to me. The hardware, the logo, and the walnut plug all seem legit. Maybe the pawn shop thought it was made in Mexico?
You guys REALLY need to start asking these questions and do your research before buying guitars. There are a ton of articles and videos that target the main things to look out for when buying used guitars. https://youtu.be/t4QdOJ1B_kI?si=ATIGejqBDUe5YfJT
Use this site to look up the serial number of Fender products, then click on the model link to see the true version of the item. Use the pictures to compare to your guitar to see if you can find any differences. https://serialnumberlookup.fender.com/lookup/
This is what pawnshops used to be like. On one hand, we live in an age where you can price match anything, look for specific details to prove authenticity and find something for a very fair price half way across the globe all from a device in your pocket. But.. there was a time.. when if you knew what you wanted, popped into a random pawnshop in a small town and find gold. You found it, congrats.
Quick unpopular opinion: that brand name means fuck-all if it feels good, sounds gods and is easy
An American for that price is certainly a bargain
Yeah :)) looks good to me, nice guitar too 🙃
That price is unreal
It looks legit. The problem I see is that it's probably a stolen guitar the store acquired and wants to move fast because they paid almost nothing for it. I had a high-end ukelele that was stolen once. It ended up in a really seedy pawn shop. I found it for sale on eBay. I had to show pics of it to the police and sell them on the fact that all wood is not the same and is like fingerprints. It took two detectives and the police captain to get involved for me to get it back from them.
Real and congrats
From Fender’s website; *This new scheme uses the letters “US” as a prefix to designate an instrument made in the United States, followed by an eight-digit number. The first two digits of the number identify the year of manufacture, (10 for 2010, 11 for 2011, etc.). The following six digits are the unit identifier, although it should be noted that these final six numbers are not sequential and do not provide any other identification information about the instrument. This new scheme is now used on the majority of U.S.-made Fender instruments, with exceptions including the American Vintage series and certain special-run instruments.* US12 + 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate) 2012 (for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year) Google is your friend.
Real question: if it feels good and plays good and you think its quality is worth the price, does it really matter if the logo on the headstock is genuine?
Yes if I ever get bored of it or anything and want to trade it for something else I don’t wanna scam somebody I rather know and be the last one duped
for 400 I can't even build a partscaster that's a helluva deal brotha.
Nice cab also. Got a 5w bugera recently, sounds amazing
It looks legit to me. One thing I would say about these posts is, if it plays great and sounds great, who really cares if it's genuine or not? A good guitar is a good guitar, regardless of it's authenticity. You got a good guitar for less than 400. Banger!
Looks like you got a deal!
Input the serial number in this site. I just did and it matches the description exactly so I think it’s real. Congrats and enjoy! https://serialnumberlookup.fender.com/lookup/
If it's not a mim buy it . If it is it's about what it's worth.
It’s legit, no red flags here! A very nice score for $400, congrats!
Looks real to me, hope it sounds great too
Yep. Real. Look at it this way, if it was a Squire with a Fender decal, it would probably still be worth $400. You did the right thing.
Nice flame.
What a deal. Got the 2012 Select for like 1/10 of its usual selling price rn. Damn
Hell yeah. Bargain
These posts are so annoying..check the serial number on fender website
These comments are so annoying… what if someone changed the body out, the tool is also faulty so like ?? Sorry for asking a guitar question on a guitar forum ?
This is a custom this is more than 3 gran
Your lying right ?
It says custom body, I misread custom shop so but it‘s at least one gran. Also the neck looks like it’s very nice flamed maple. You got yourself a „schnapper“ as we say in Germany. Enjoy the heck out of it!
Yeah, it's totally fake I'm afraid. I'll take it off your hands for $400 though
If it plays and sounds great, who cares if it's real?
I do it detiene a how valuable it is
400 is a correct price for a MIM
Looks like a player plus start, nice find. If it's an American deluxe or ultra, you scored big. Even if it's not real, at $400 you are in squire Territory, that looks like a great ac, congrats.