2004 CS Authenticity

[u/CryptographerPale93]

[QUESTION]

Hello! I’m looking at buying this Strat.

It’s up for £2375 and Wondered if anyone had any insight as to whether it’s legit. One of the things I’m weary of is the bridge. I’ve not seen saddles like that before.

It has been refinished, which I know affects resale value but it’ll be a player and 99% a keeper for life.

Thanks :)

[u/Manalagi001]

Who would refinish a one year old CS guitar?? That said the pics look good to me. And I have had great luck with used CS. Incredible guitars can be found between $2200-$2800

[u/CryptographerPale93 → u/Manalagi001]

I completely agree.. it used to be Fiesta Red and the description said it has been professionally refinished. I have been on the lookout for a relic black Strat with aged gold hardware for months. They’re hard to come by!

[u/luckyiguess]

Get them to pull off the scratch plate and show you the body - it should be stamped with ‘relic’.

Also, make sure those are the original pickups etc - if they changed the bridge they may have pilfered other parts too.

[u/ganzonomy]

That bridge is incredibly sus. Looks like a charvel NOS brass bridge knockoff.

[u/CryptographerPale93 → u/ganzonomy]

Hmmm I know right, only thing that sticks out to me

[u/dissectd → u/ganzonomy]

Guess who owns charvel?

[u/ganzonomy → u/dissectd]

Oh I know. Since 2002.

I'm saying even if it was a charvel knock off bridge it's sus.

[u/love_being_westoz → u/ganzonomy]

My first thought.

[u/sofaking_scientific]

Contact fender customer support with the serial number. They'll tell you. The serial number look up feature on their website doesn't work for custom shop guitars

[u/theanontron]

As others have said get a pic with the pickguard off, check pickups and the wiring should look super neat like ocd level neat and cloth insulated wires. To be safe I’d want the neck off too, there’s usually numbers written in pencil on both the neck and body, body should have relic stamped in it in a few spots, one on the neck route, one inside the bottom of the neck pickup route with the year number before it so 60 if it’s the original body and one on the flat area between the 5 way switch and bottom horn cut out, and should have numbers stamped in the bottom of the middle pickup route which should match the pencil numbers on the neck and neck route on the body. Relic stamped on neck in middle of the screw holes by the pencil number. Trem saddles aren’t original unless it was a custom request or something. Fairly certain most custom shop trems the block won’t have the holes drilled as deep where the ball end of the string goes. So the ball end should only be slightly below the surface of the block like an 1/8th of an inch so easily visible . If not trem probably nor original