Tele?

[chuckb]

I received a made in the USA Tele today. It's got a contour back,maple neck,and what seems to be a maple body? It has a serial# Z5019818. Somehow I don't believe this is an American Tele. I opened up the control plate cavity and all the components seem to be china,japan,components. The switch is one of those square box types and the pots are mini pots.I took the neck off to see if there was any dates on the heel but there was nothing. The neck has a Maple cap fretboard and you can clearly see the outline of it from the rest of the neck.The tuners have Fender stamped on the back of them but they are small round tuners with a small screw attached to the back otf the headstock to help secure them.Have I purchased a knock off? Do knock offs come with american serial#'s and decals? Anyone that can determine or help me determine if it's a real tele or a knock off would be greatly appreciated.

Chuck

[chuckb]

tele?



Here are some pics of the tele. Iknow that the electronics are crap. they are probably out of a MIM, squire,etc. I'm not to sure about the body. It's very light looking in color, maybe maple? The neck seems to be genuine but the tuners are suspect. They are similar to those found on Japan strats, they any fender stamped on them but they also have the individual screws as well? The bridge also only has three bolts that secure it to the body. All Ive seen in fender tele bridges were four acrews. I believe what I'm dealing with here is a mim body possibily, and a usa tele neck. any help would be appreciated. The guitar sounds like crap, but i can work on that with some new pickups( lindy fralin stock) and upgrade the electronics as well.what do you guys think.

Chuck.

[Easto]

Do you have any pictures that are in focus?

A countoured body usually means a deluxe model but that neck has solid black fret dots and the deluxe's usually have MOP. The headstock seems to have a funky cut to it too. Again, it's hard to say without some better pictures but at the very least it looks like some sort of partscaster.

[big_teee]

Do you have any pictures that are in focus?

A countoured body usually means a deluxe model but that neck has solid black fret dots and the deluxe's usually have MOP. The headstock seems to have a funky cut to it too. Again, it's hard to say without some better pictures but at the very least it looks like some sort of partscaster.

If your camera has macro mode, try that.
T

[Daver]

I don't even think the body is a Fender. The cut on the body next to the neck on the upper bout is too wide. The bridge looks too long. Can you send it back for a refund? Clearly it was misrepresented.
Dave

[jrfrond]

Is it a knockoff? Hey, anything is possible! A parts guitar is more like it.

Very convincing decals can be created in inkjet printers, and clones are easy to build. Some are virtually undetectable to all but the most experienced eyes.

[big_teee]

I think this is a PartsCaster, or a Doctored Squier.
I found a Squier that looks similar, but with a different bridge.
The bridge is the most suspicious looking Item.
Ebay is full of those type of Bridges.
Later,
Terry

[ferret]

Sorry, you haven't even bought a MIM or a "partscaster". You've got a made-in-China blatant knock-off. That exact serial number shows up on a lot of dodgies. It's fortunate that the Chinese factories are too lazy to use unique serial numbers.

Go back to whoever sold you the guitar and string them up by their sphincter.

[ferret]

Sorry, you haven't even bought a MIM or a "partscaster". You've got a made-in-China blatant knock-off. That exact serial number shows up on a lot of dodgies. It's fortunate that the Chinese factories are too lazy to use unique serial numbers.

Go back to whoever sold you the guitar and string them up by their sphincter.

Just to confirm, you'll also find:

Weird white residue in the pickup cavities
Pickups use red and yellow wiring
An extra large hole in the middle of the usual 4 screw holes of the body between the neck plate and the neck
Plasticy cheap laquer layer over the entire neck, including the fretboard, except at the very end where you'd normally find a date written which is bare.
Unwrap the cheap tape around the bridge pickup. You'll find more white waxy residue (real Fender pickups don't have this)
In many but not all cases you'll find a shim (really thin piece of wood) stuffed between the neck and the body to fix the neck height

In addition to the signs you've already covered.
100% confident here you've got a Chinese fake.

[spud1950]

Yes,the guitar is a 100% Chinese made counterfeit. Phony serial number and the headstock shape is way off from any real Fender American, Mexican or Squier Telecaster. If you want conformation, email about it Fender at:

fenderconsumerrelations@fender.com

Include the serial number and I am sure they will confirm this is not any sort of Fender product.

[ferret]

Plus another really obvious one: no Fender logo embossed on the bridge.

[jrfrond]

Another subtle, yet key point are the heel blend lines at the base of the neck. Too short, too straight and stubby. Anything currently made with Fender specs will sport much more graceful blend lines. Plus the headstock shape is hideous. Lastly, Fender USA models employ Schaller cast tuners which do not have a mounting ear, but rather have locating pins cast into the machine housing that mate with holes bored into the back of the headstock, to hold the tuner in place. The body looks like soft maple, a popular wood with some "upscale" cheap guitars. Look at a pic of the Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass for comparison.

Before you invest in Lindy Fralin pickups, which are clearly worth more than the guitar, listen to how it sounds and feels acoustically. If it's "dead" or nasal-sounding, boutique pickups won't help a bit. You'll just more accurately reproduce a bad guitar.