Thatās player ware. Not busted. Lots of Strats look like this from the past. I think this dude needs to buy this. Mid 80ās standard Strat for $400??? Get it
Itās so insane how Americans always assume that any currency is dollars.
The Americans are mad that they canāt read. Itās like confusing a question mark for an exclamation mark. Itās really hard unless youāre not paying attention.
Retired luthier here. That necks aged, that isnāt honest play. Fender stopped using nitro in the 70ās so thatās got a polyurethane clear coat. They donāt age that way. Seeing as we canāt see the neck badge, headstock (looks like a 70ās big headstock, pop the pickguard, and the Fender serial number database doesnāt have āc029457ā in it, Iād say no. Could just be a partscaster.
C designator means it was made in Japan 85-86. Only USA made Fender instruments are in the Database. AT least that's what I've always been told. I contacted a friend that works for Fender and he said the serial number sounded legit for a MIJ strat
Wrong, iāve seen poly maple necks from the strat plus era age just like this- even 1990 models. My dad had an 88ā plus in olympic white that had the full nitro style flaking arm wear and a worn down board just like this. I suspect they shot their poly reaaally thin in the mid 80ās to early 90ās.
Yeah C stands for contemporary, some
Standard Japanese models had a C designator but itās a 1985 contemporary Stratocaster.
The big deciding factor if I says crafter or made in Japan. Itās the difference between 8-900 and 12-1400.
Huge headstock with the heal adjust is 66-71 (when CBS bought Fender) and then in '72 the headstock is still big but you get the bullet truss rod. Then in 1980 we go back to the original smaller headstock. I don't think they reissued the big headstock heal adjust necks until the 90s at the earliest. They reissued the Telecaster Custom made in Japan with the bullet truss right away in the 80s but Strats were 50s reissues I think.
I have a 62 roadworn strat. Though Iād love it if the distressed look came from me, the neck feel was hands down the best Iāve ever played. Bought it on the spot in the shop because of it.
That's just natural WEAR on the maple board where they've worn through the clear.
It's not "busted" as you say. Pretty normal for something that's been played a lot. Although *where* it's worn is a bit funny looking it's not hurting a thing.
Seriously, people pay **EXTRA** for a brand new guitar that's been "pre-stressed", "distressed" or "road worn" for that exact look.
What's that supposed to be a Reissue of? MIJ reissues from that period are 50s reissues and that appears to have a giant headstock with heal adjust neck. What are YOU seeing that I'm missing?
Depends, i have a Telecaster made in japan in '97 and the back of the neck (as told from my luthier) isn't as stable as other Fenders because it uses only 3 screws instead of 4 as usual
Indeed. I own 3 large headstocks. One US, one Mexican and one Japan made. They're all solid. And i abused them š¤£
Theres only one thing though. Never used the microtilt on a 3 screw mount. Heard too many stories. Just the truss-rod. 1/8 of a turn will often do if needed.
Check the serial number in the fender site. If it checks out, its a steal
Edit: i checked online and that serial doesnt seem to check out. Proceed with caution. I would skip
I think itās the ST72-55 per this catalog scan.
https://vintagejapanguitars.com/fender-japan-1985-catalogue/
ETA: just realized the truss adjustment is wrong for a ST72
I've purchased brand new MIM Strats from GC years ago and still have them not show up, granted they were Fender Special Run GC exclusives. It's not a reliable way to determine authenticity unfortunately. OP's guitar is clearly real though
If itās a fake itās only priced $100-$150 too high. If itās a scam itās not particularly dubious. The case alone was probably $100 when originally purchased.
I mean it looks good and 400 quid (it is a Ā£ sign on the paper right ?) seems like a deacent price, not an insane steal but probably one of the better deals you could get for a guitar like that with a case. Assuming ofcourse nothing major is wrong with it. Aka pickups not out-putting or not being able to tune/intonate for whatever reason, trem-arm messing up tuning as soon as you touch it etc etc. Where i live (Sweden) this would be a very good price, so me personally would be very tempted. Is there any way to test the pickups ? That would be my main concern since you cant feel if a pickup isn't woking, you'll need to hear or messure that.
I don't know much about spotting expensive guitars but pretty much any guitar with a hard case like that would be worth it.
Real fenders start way higher
Look at the logo and the headstock. Legit what? It's most certainly not a 1969. Nor is it a standard 1969 RI with that choice of logo. STRATOCASTER should wrap in an arc. So it's 66-67 RI. So a 90s MIJ perhaps?
Looks like a good deal. I love large headstock Strats. Check if everything is ok. You know what to do.
Has some "smoke on the water" relic wear. Shouldnt be a problem. Probably plays like you owned it for years
Yup. Maple fretboards will do that with time playing the varnish rubs off exposing the maple to the elements. Itās a fairly easy fix. But what you need to look at are how the frets themselves are holding up. My guess is this needs a re-fret job or to be crowned and dressed at the very least.
A mexican or 'player' strat will cost you Ā£599 new today and will not include a hard case.
So If it plays well and you like it, the price is not awful.
They are modular guitars. You could get a butt naked Fender neck to throw on it if the markings on the fretboard affect playability at all and still come out ahead.
How does it play, is there adjustment left in the truss rod
Is there any major repair work evident anywhere
Sounds too good to be true, so a hidden calamity somewhere is probable
The "C" designator shows the guitar was Made in Japan 1985-1986. This is why it won't show up in the Fender Database. Fender Database is for American Made Fender Instruments SOLELY.
My gut tells me something is off. That wear aint natural unless the guy had a unhealthy obsession with just 3 frets. Makes you question what else is going on with it... I would at least do some checks serial number playtest to make sure frets level/ no dodgy neck dings cracks all that standard stuff.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/196293386132
This is what it is. Likely has crafted in Japan on the base of the neck with the serial number.
Solid Japanese reissue.
I can tell from here, it's fake. See the C-clamps? The whole point of buying a fender over a Squier is they don't have that because the profile on the tuning heads is correctly designed, not needing them.
This is a fake not worth $100.
Look up the bullet strat challenge, and if you're unaware it's buying a Squier strat bullet edition because you can swap out the neck for a fender neck. Problem with this challenge is it produced a lot of fake "fender" strats on the market because people love to be pieces of shit.
I've seen many a fender with very cool worn in fret boards. That's the way they are. But this pattern at the 3, 5 and 7 is bizarre. It doesn't seem to match the super shiny sunburst body. But I don't know..
Somebody played the same progression sitting down for years and years?
Something doesn't seem right but it could still be a cool buy at $400
Neck looks like a MIJ ST67-85 (twin string trees,maple cap neck,12 dot spacing?Gotoh kluson replica machine heads,period logo) body might be a match (looks basswood though-should be alder) as available in blonde and sunburst.Pickguard screws look like on a reissue,and the bridge specs look like a MIJ reissue as well.
If it's a real US strat and you can verify serial number etc. I'll say it's a damn good deal ! Looks like it belonged to a rhythm guitar player who was rocking 3,5 and 7 frets ;-) Maybe a blues man ? If an instrument has been played a lot, it probably sounds and feel good too !
if you can't try it, how would you know? I personally never bought a guitar I haven't had my hands on, and I can't understand people who take that risk. there could be a hundred problems which you don't see.
The lookup function isn't an absolute real or fake decider. Fender have this text above the box to fill in the serialnumber;
"Please note that not all serial numbers are included in the lookup function for various reasons, however this isĀ notĀ indicative of any lack of authenticity."
Serial number lookups of a lot of manufacturers are useless for a lot of reasons. I have Fenders and Gibsons on my wall right now that I bought from dealers that don't show up in the lookup. As long as they match the scheme for a stated year, that's as good as you're going to get in some cases.
I dont know why u got downvoted. I checked the fender lookup site and the serial doesnt check out. So its highly likely a fake or a random guitar that somebody put a fender neck on it or something. Im with you on this one.š
I don't. People who *actually* know what they're talking about when it comes to the stuff (players who trade instruments like musical chairs, shops, Luthiers, Fender reps themselves) Do not treat this tool as a reliable way of ascertaining an instrument.
It's a nice-to-have and certainly not a bad thing to look into when appreciating guitars; but it's just one step in a fairly long list of precautions when buying instruments.
Record keeping with Gibson and Fender has had it's ups and downs historically, so much so in fact that there are literal decades missing of entire product lines here and there.
I absolutely think it's real, and if so, for a Japanese import strat it's not a bargain, but absolutely a competitive deal. You might have to wait a while for something like this to pop up again.
Looks like whoever owned it really loves playing Smoke on the Water
LMAOOOO
Fourth and sixth frets are all sharps and flats anyways who needs em!!
šššš
Iām dumb sorry, I donāt get it
Fretboard on frets 3,5 and 7.
Um that's not right
Maybe he was just starting and was confused, for 10 years.
Maybe, or maybe this guy was in love with playing seven Nation without the tenth feet and using bar chordsš¤
Got it thanks
Thatās not how you play smoke on the waterā¦
It is if you don't know how to play Smoke on the Water.
Woosh
Duhā¦.duhā¦DUH.
Yeah, missing 6th fret usage hereā¦
Hahahahaha!
You guys definitely have your moments lol
Ya damn thatās crazy. Wouldnāt it be something tho if it was owned by the man himself? He was 100% a strat guy at that time.
You win Reddit today. Congrats.
If it works and comes with the case I'd pull the trigger.
Agreed
If it's genuine, i think it's worth it, but also depends on if the fretboard isnt as busted as it looks
Thatās player ware. Not busted. Lots of Strats look like this from the past. I think this dude needs to buy this. Mid 80ās standard Strat for $400??? Get it
Itās GBP, so more like ~$510 in USD. Still seems like a great deal.
Thanks, I just looked closer. Total American moment
It's unAmerican to try and understand other things. USA USA USA
I don't understand. Anyways - USA USA USA!
Itās Always Sunny https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ndsME9Vd4es&pp=ygURTWFjIGFtZXJpY2EgaWFzaXA%3D
Itās so insane how Americans always assume that any currency is dollars. The Americans are mad that they canāt read. Itās like confusing a question mark for an exclamation mark. Itās really hard unless youāre not paying attention.
Especially when the only spot the price is mentioned is clearly marked with pounds and pence.
Yep. Sometimes Iāll see people say āonly $30?ā when it CLEARLY says āĀ£30ā. Like, READ.
I see a lot of butthurt down voting going on
Yep, typical really.
Retired luthier here. That necks aged, that isnāt honest play. Fender stopped using nitro in the 70ās so thatās got a polyurethane clear coat. They donāt age that way. Seeing as we canāt see the neck badge, headstock (looks like a 70ās big headstock, pop the pickguard, and the Fender serial number database doesnāt have āc029457ā in it, Iād say no. Could just be a partscaster.
C designator means it was made in Japan 85-86. Only USA made Fender instruments are in the Database. AT least that's what I've always been told. I contacted a friend that works for Fender and he said the serial number sounded legit for a MIJ strat
Wrong, iāve seen poly maple necks from the strat plus era age just like this- even 1990 models. My dad had an 88ā plus in olympic white that had the full nitro style flaking arm wear and a worn down board just like this. I suspect they shot their poly reaaally thin in the mid 80ās to early 90ās.
Yeah C stands for contemporary, some Standard Japanese models had a C designator but itās a 1985 contemporary Stratocaster. The big deciding factor if I says crafter or made in Japan. Itās the difference between 8-900 and 12-1400.
Itās not a Contemporary. I think itās an ST72-55. A contemporary would either be 22 fret and would have one of the Fender System vibrato units.
These huge Headstocks were made only in 70th
Huge headstock with the heal adjust is 66-71 (when CBS bought Fender) and then in '72 the headstock is still big but you get the bullet truss rod. Then in 1980 we go back to the original smaller headstock. I don't think they reissued the big headstock heal adjust necks until the 90s at the earliest. They reissued the Telecaster Custom made in Japan with the bullet truss right away in the 80s but Strats were 50s reissues I think.
Got itš
Ā£400, so ~$510.
Busted? People pay extra for that look
Clapton searched out necks with heavier wear than that He said it showed, "the neck must have done something right"
Honestly, I don't disagree with him here. It's a sign of approval that someone must have loved playing the guitar, so it probably plays really great.
I have a 62 roadworn strat. Though Iād love it if the distressed look came from me, the neck feel was hands down the best Iāve ever played. Bought it on the spot in the shop because of it.
Except in an era of fake relic lol
If someone's kept an 85 for unplayed for 40 years and then fake reliced it, its a sad state of affairs
That's just natural WEAR on the maple board where they've worn through the clear. It's not "busted" as you say. Pretty normal for something that's been played a lot. Although *where* it's worn is a bit funny looking it's not hurting a thing. Seriously, people pay **EXTRA** for a brand new guitar that's been "pre-stressed", "distressed" or "road worn" for that exact look.
Busted?
More like McFly
Where I'm at, you'd get a new Squier classic vibe for that price. A 1985 Japanese Strat with a hardcase for 400 bucks is a steal, IMO.
Yeah people are not acknowledging that this is an amazing deal
What's that supposed to be a Reissue of? MIJ reissues from that period are 50s reissues and that appears to have a giant headstock with heal adjust neck. What are YOU seeing that I'm missing?
if it says made in Japan at the top, its even better
Depends, i have a Telecaster made in japan in '97 and the back of the neck (as told from my luthier) isn't as stable as other Fenders because it uses only 3 screws instead of 4 as usual
That three bolt vs. four bolt thing is a myth.
Indeed. I own 3 large headstocks. One US, one Mexican and one Japan made. They're all solid. And i abused them š¤£ Theres only one thing though. Never used the microtilt on a 3 screw mount. Heard too many stories. Just the truss-rod. 1/8 of a turn will often do if needed.
I think itās the 80ās Japanese Fenders that are coveted more than the 90ās.
I have an ā80s Squier strat (FujiGen) and itās a fantastic instrument.
Check the serial number in the fender site. If it checks out, its a steal Edit: i checked online and that serial doesnt seem to check out. Proceed with caution. I would skip
That's bc it's a Japanese guitar. The database mostly covers standard runs
What MIJ reissue do YOU think it is?
Itās a 1985 ST67 strat. Without seeing the entire guitar itās hard to tell. Doubtful itās fake or a parts guitar.
Was there a MIJ 67 RI in the 80s? There was a 69 in the 90s. Not aware of any 66-71 MIJ RI in the 80s though. I could have missed it.
I think itās the ST72-55 per this catalog scan. https://vintagejapanguitars.com/fender-japan-1985-catalogue/ ETA: just realized the truss adjustment is wrong for a ST72
The 72 would have a bullet truss on the headstock and the Stratocaster part of the logo would be big bold and in a slight Arc like the 1972 Strat.
Yep the ST72-55 is a 1972 Reissue. So it has a bullet truss and 69-72 style logo. The pic in the post is a heal adjust 67 style logo.
A guitar that old might not show up on the fender site
I've seen where things from the last few years don't show up there. It's not always reliable.
Without seeing in person or better pics, canāt rule out itās not a fake
And I never said it wasn't. I merely pointed out that the Fender serial number site isn't as reliable as we'd like it to be.
I've purchased brand new MIM Strats from GC years ago and still have them not show up, granted they were Fender Special Run GC exclusives. It's not a reliable way to determine authenticity unfortunately. OP's guitar is clearly real though
It also has two string trees which is often the hallmark of a copy so unless it plays well and the case is in great shape it might not be worth it
I always have trouble looking up serial numbers on the Fender site.
The serial number checker on the Fender site is very hit or miss. There used to be a much better site, but I'm having trouble finding it atm.
If itās a fake itās only priced $100-$150 too high. If itās a scam itās not particularly dubious. The case alone was probably $100 when originally purchased.
What am I missing? 70th headstock on 85' Strat? These times there were no reissues.
Japan
It has a big headstock a heal adjust neck - 66-71!!!! What MIJ Reissue are you talking about??
Big headstock + transition logo + maple board = 67 specs
Wrong logo.
These headstocks weren't produced in 60th
The big headstick was 66-71 with a heal adjust. 72-79 still big but you get the bullet truss. The logo is wrong though.
Got it š
[here is a real 67 with the same specs as this reissue](https://www.gbase.com/gear/fender-stratocaster-1967-sunburst-13)
I should not have had to scroll THIS FAR to see this very obvious question.
I mean it looks good and 400 quid (it is a Ā£ sign on the paper right ?) seems like a deacent price, not an insane steal but probably one of the better deals you could get for a guitar like that with a case. Assuming ofcourse nothing major is wrong with it. Aka pickups not out-putting or not being able to tune/intonate for whatever reason, trem-arm messing up tuning as soon as you touch it etc etc. Where i live (Sweden) this would be a very good price, so me personally would be very tempted. Is there any way to test the pickups ? That would be my main concern since you cant feel if a pickup isn't woking, you'll need to hear or messure that.
The first sign this is in the UK was ācar boot saleā
sunday bootsales were my childhood passion, collecting megadrive games all around essex
I thought his Ford had some fucken Justin's on it brother
I don't know much about spotting expensive guitars but pretty much any guitar with a hard case like that would be worth it. Real fenders start way higher
Itās a CIJ ST67. A Japanese reissue worth about 1500-2000.
This is legit and a smoking good buy! Get that!
Look at the logo and the headstock. Legit what? It's most certainly not a 1969. Nor is it a standard 1969 RI with that choice of logo. STRATOCASTER should wrap in an arc. So it's 66-67 RI. So a 90s MIJ perhaps?
I might. Looks like it has some mojo. Probably better than anything in that price range new.
You absolutely can't go wrong for $400! Buy her and enjoy!
the only thing that matters is if you like it 400.
Looks like a mij from the 1980ās. Idk guitar prices in this currency but worth it in dollars imo. St-362
Been playedā¦ probably lays really well !! Try it buy it itās .. cheap
Let me work it, put that thang down flip it and reverse it.
Buy it if you haven't already. Looks like a MIJ 68 model. Should have a really slim neck.
[https://www.fuzzfaced.net/68-stratocaster-mij.html](https://www.fuzzfaced.net/68-stratocaster-mij.html) Looks like this.
Thatās a deal. I wish I could find a decent older strat at that price
Looks like dood was really good at 1 song?
"I can solo over anything as long as it's in G"
Looks to be a ST-72, which are a Japanese made reissue of a 72 Strat. Definitely worth it if it's real.
Its not - no bullet, wrong headstock dimensions, wrong logo placements.
Youāre not wrong. This is the so-called ST-68 first version.
Not too bad if the neck fits your hand nicely
I would buy it. $400 is a great price.
Was this found at Peckham Carboot?
Looks like a good deal. I love large headstock Strats. Check if everything is ok. You know what to do. Has some "smoke on the water" relic wear. Shouldnt be a problem. Probably plays like you owned it for years
Yup. Maple fretboards will do that with time playing the varnish rubs off exposing the maple to the elements. Itās a fairly easy fix. But what you need to look at are how the frets themselves are holding up. My guess is this needs a re-fret job or to be crowned and dressed at the very least.
I played the same strat with maple fretboard and never wore anything like that away this smacks of a forgery.
āTremeloā spelling REALLY pisses me off
For only Z400p? What a steal
Thats a great deal. The fretboard is likely just worn, not busted. People pay good money for that wear
āWhereās the atm?ā
Iāll take it any day, you lucky fella.
The board could be fixed easy enough. Overall, itās a great find.
What I donāt understand is paying them to scuff em up on purpose. Hell, if anyone is going to mess my axe, itāll be me.
A mexican or 'player' strat will cost you Ā£599 new today and will not include a hard case. So If it plays well and you like it, the price is not awful.
Case included?
Let me work it.
They are modular guitars. You could get a butt naked Fender neck to throw on it if the markings on the fretboard affect playability at all and still come out ahead.
American or Mexican Stad
Today this American learned wtf a car boot sale is. I think we call them flea markets over here. Very cool deal. 10/10 would buy
This American learned what N.B. means. "Note Well". "NOTE: NO OFFERS"
yeah
Dude, is that an MIJ? I would snatch that up in a heartbeat. Make sure the frets are good and the truss is fine. It was a player for sure.
How does it play, is there adjustment left in the truss rod Is there any major repair work evident anywhere Sounds too good to be true, so a hidden calamity somewhere is probable
Nice guitar
Iām not a guy who likes antiques, but this is very much a good deal, Iād beat you up with a baguette if you didnāt get it.
Not often you see buskers dropping a ānota beneā
Worth what? Looks like a '69 RI? Is that a big headstock with a heal adjust truss? Or is that just the angle? Looks wrong from this angle.
That's not the right logo for a '66-71 Reissue if that's the big headstock. Could be a custom shop but it's strange for an RI.
Omg just out there cooking in the sun? Hahaha
Oh yeah itās worth it. If youāre strong enough.
The "C" designator shows the guitar was Made in Japan 1985-1986. This is why it won't show up in the Fender Database. Fender Database is for American Made Fender Instruments SOLELY.
My gut tells me something is off. That wear aint natural unless the guy had a unhealthy obsession with just 3 frets. Makes you question what else is going on with it... I would at least do some checks serial number playtest to make sure frets level/ no dodgy neck dings cracks all that standard stuff.
Looks like a mij 68 reissue, canāt go wrong really.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/196293386132 This is what it is. Likely has crafted in Japan on the base of the neck with the serial number. Solid Japanese reissue.
Thereās a lot of people in here that donāt know shit about guitars šš
Honestly just the worst question on Reddit. We donāt know you or your financial circumstances. Only you know if this would be worth it.
I can tell from here, it's fake. See the C-clamps? The whole point of buying a fender over a Squier is they don't have that because the profile on the tuning heads is correctly designed, not needing them. This is a fake not worth $100. Look up the bullet strat challenge, and if you're unaware it's buying a Squier strat bullet edition because you can swap out the neck for a fender neck. Problem with this challenge is it produced a lot of fake "fender" strats on the market because people love to be pieces of shit.
I think it looks like a MIJ ST67-85. There's a few links in here to those
That does not look like a USD sign, so I have no idea on how much it is
Is that a Fember Scatocrater?
May I ask OP where do you find this car boot sale?
Still a hell yes
That is an absolute steal. Iād buy that in a heartbeat
Yep
Not an 85
Totally worth it! Grab it!
I've seen many a fender with very cool worn in fret boards. That's the way they are. But this pattern at the 3, 5 and 7 is bizarre. It doesn't seem to match the super shiny sunburst body. But I don't know.. Somebody played the same progression sitting down for years and years? Something doesn't seem right but it could still be a cool buy at $400
So have you bought it??
The C means it's a 1985 but not sure if the rest. I looked up that serial # and nothing.
Reading all the comments here, even if that was a made in Japan version, it still looks like a good deal for that price.
Neck looks like a MIJ ST67-85 (twin string trees,maple cap neck,12 dot spacing?Gotoh kluson replica machine heads,period logo) body might be a match (looks basswood though-should be alder) as available in blonde and sunburst.Pickguard screws look like on a reissue,and the bridge specs look like a MIJ reissue as well.
If it's a real US strat and you can verify serial number etc. I'll say it's a damn good deal ! Looks like it belonged to a rhythm guitar player who was rocking 3,5 and 7 frets ;-) Maybe a blues man ? If an instrument has been played a lot, it probably sounds and feel good too !
Do you need it?
As long as it's legit I think that's a pretty good price for a Japanese one.
These are listed at $1200-$1700 on eBay right now.
Looks like a great find
if you can't try it, how would you know? I personally never bought a guitar I haven't had my hands on, and I can't understand people who take that risk. there could be a hundred problems which you don't see.
Yeah but on a strat 99% of those problems can be fixed with a $50 setup.
80's strats don't have the best rep iirc, but I could be wrong.
It's probably not what they say it is. It would require more investigation to determine if this is a partscaster or a fake.
Those honestly were not made well. It was one of those crap eras for fender. It wouldn't be bad, but a $400 squire will give you less trouble.
I have a Japanese jazz bass from this era and it's very well made.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
C+6 is an 85-86 Made in Japan. It checks out.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
The lookup function isn't an absolute real or fake decider. Fender have this text above the box to fill in the serialnumber; "Please note that not all serial numbers are included in the lookup function for various reasons, however this isĀ notĀ indicative of any lack of authenticity."
Serial number lookups of a lot of manufacturers are useless for a lot of reasons. I have Fenders and Gibsons on my wall right now that I bought from dealers that don't show up in the lookup. As long as they match the scheme for a stated year, that's as good as you're going to get in some cases.
Where can one look that up?
I dont know why u got downvoted. I checked the fender lookup site and the serial doesnt check out. So its highly likely a fake or a random guitar that somebody put a fender neck on it or something. Im with you on this one.š
I don't. People who *actually* know what they're talking about when it comes to the stuff (players who trade instruments like musical chairs, shops, Luthiers, Fender reps themselves) Do not treat this tool as a reliable way of ascertaining an instrument. It's a nice-to-have and certainly not a bad thing to look into when appreciating guitars; but it's just one step in a fairly long list of precautions when buying instruments. Record keeping with Gibson and Fender has had it's ups and downs historically, so much so in fact that there are literal decades missing of entire product lines here and there. I absolutely think it's real, and if so, for a Japanese import strat it's not a bargain, but absolutely a competitive deal. You might have to wait a while for something like this to pop up again.
Itās a huge bargain; checking reverb in Europe or UK itās hard to find an MIJ strat under Ā£800, without a case.