Is my AVRI62 strat a fake??? pics pics pcis

[delac027]

I recieved an AVRI 62 strat in a trade a couple of months ago but decided im more of a tele guy! Anyways, i tried posting it on my local craigslist to sell and recieved an email from someone saying i was a fraud and that my strat was very questionable.

the email read
"Shame on you....
You should be Flagged. Everything about your Guitar is Questionable. And it is obvious by your choice of words, that you are fully aware.
And ....That Neck Plate....Give me a break."

i deleted my thread on craigslist and now am seeking opinions and advice whether or not my strat is the real thing or real fake before or if i am able to re-list it. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!


Okay, from what i already know, the case is not original, the pickups have been changed to fender vintage noiseless pickups, and it has the 5-way switch installed rather than the 3-way. I emailed fender with the serial number, so we'll see if they respond with the history of the guitar. (is the fender consumer relations the correct email for this type of info?)

[delac027]

Oct. 10, 2001


Sep. 08, 2001

[delac027]

09-21-01

[delac027]

[BritishBluesBoy]

Nah.... That looks fine to me. As you say, a few things have been swapped (pickups, wiring, case) but the rest looks totally Kosher to me...

That's a sweet looking Strat. In fact if i was after another one I'd be making you an offer right now.

Good luck.

[Mightyaxeman]

Some things I see right off the bat are the missing Original Contour Body decal on the headstock, the placement of the string tree is a little off, Replaced pickups and selector switch and one tone pot. That doesn't mean it's not the real thing though. The neck plate looks ok to me.

[delac027]

Thanks for a quick reply! That's one positive opinion!

In general, What would be a fair asking price considering it does not have the original case or pickups?

[delac027]

Thanks for the input mightyaxeman!

[Guinness]

Everything points to a 62RI to me... although I'm not an expert in these things.

One item I did notice, there should be an "Original Contour Body" decal on the headstock that looks to be missing, or worn off.

Again, looks like its authentic to me.

~Randy

[delac027]

yah, if you look closely you can see the outline of where the decal used to be, i guess it was just removed.

[sa paine]

I think it looks right. I think what you have to look for is the markings on the Neck heal, Date and fender stampings, and the same thing on the body neck pocket. and it looks right to me.

Does everyone else on this forum agree with that ?

Scott

[longbow]

I don't know about the pups or pg but the neck and body look authentic to me for as many I have seen. I wouldn't have deleted the ad that is for sure. I would have taken the other guy to task too. Oh yea strats have 5 way switches unless it is a double fat strat me thinks. thanks

[delac027]

Thanks for the replies. I believe the standarad AVRI 62 came with a 3 way switch with a 5-way switch conversion included as an option and the AVRI 62 hot rod has a 5-way switch already installed from my understanding. Again thanks for everyones input!

I did email the guy back who called me out to get his input on why he thinks it is fraudulent, but no response yet. I'm thinking it was because of the non-original case and pups. I don't know why he pointed out the neck plate? Anything look fishy in that area?

[delac027]

So, i got a response from the guy who thought it was a fraudulent guitar and he thought that they only used the serial number beginning with the "V" up to 1982. Hence the reasoning behind pointing out the neck plate. He apologized for making immediate assumptions and i was understanding.

There are ALOT of bogus ads on craigslist and if something doesn't seem right with the knowledge you have, you can be quick to judge. But that is the nature of craigslist, it can be a place where great deals can be had, or a place where someone without alot of knowledge can get ripped off. Research is key!

So far, it seems like the strat is checking out to be legit, and i was positive from the beginning it was, but i just needed a second opinion from this fine community since i did recieve that email! It will be re-listed on the San Diego craigslist this week if anyone is interested! Thanks again!

[mellecaster]

No one has asked you yet if the Decal is over the finish, or under the finish, and does a magnet readily stick to the Tremolo Block ?....The stamped Fender on the saddles looks a tad large for a AVRI62, but it could be the camera angle...and I assume you know that is not a Fender 5-way switch.

[samuelutz]

Looks to me like an AVRI62 with some desirable upgrades. =D

[Orbit]

The tuners don't line up exactly, that bothers me...

[delac027]

Mellecaster, the decal is on top of the finish and yes, a magnet sticks to the tremolo block.

Here is the info i got from fender when i emailed them the serial #.

Hello,
Here is the information you requested:

Date: 11/16/2001
Model Name: American Vintage ‘62 Stratocaster®
Model Number: 010-0100-(Color #)
Series: American Vintage Series
Body: Comfort Contoured Alder Body
Neck: Maple, “C” Shape,
(Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Fingerboard: Rosewood, 7.25” Radius (184 mm)
No. of Frets: 21 Vintage Style Frets
Scale Length: 25.5” (648 mm)
Width @ Nut: 1.650” (42 mm)
Hardware: Nickel/Chrome
Machine Heads: Fender®/Gotoh® Vintage Style Tuning Machines
Bridge: American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo
Pickguard: 3-Ply Mint Green
Pickups: 3 American Vintage ‘62 Strat® Single-Coil Pickups with Aged White Covers
Pickup Switching: 3-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Middle Pickup
Position 3. Neck Pickup
(5-Way Switch Included in Kit)
Controls: Master Volume,
Tone 1. (Neck Pickup),
Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)
Colors: (800)* 3-Color Sunburst *add $50.00,
(805) Olympic White,
(806) Black,
(808) Ocean Turquoise,
(857) Surf Green,
(883) Ice Blue Metallic,
(Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Strings: Fender Super 250R, Nickel Plated Steel,
Gauges: (.010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046),
P/N 073-0250-006
Unique Features: Aged Knobs and Switch Tip,
Synthetic Bone Nut
Source: U.S.
Accessories: Deluxe Brown Hardshell Case, Strap, Cable, 5-Position Switch Update Kit, “Ash Tray” Bridge Cover
U.S. MSRP: $1,999.99

[delac027]

I guess the most important part of that information is the date, which matches up with the dates on the body and neck and the fact that it states it as an AVRI62.

[pengipete]

Do you think that the person that emailed you thought that you were selling a genuine 1962 - doesn't know what RI mean?

I'm trying to see what the person who emailed you was talking about. Playing devil's advocate I could maybe stretch to a couple of points (apart from the ones mentioned such as the missing decal) but I don't get his comment that "everything is questionable".

Not easy to see on the photos but it looks like the pickguard is missing the small notch near the trussrod end which I believe is normal for the 62RI. If that's the case and the pickgyuard was changed - probably the pickups and electics all tranferred to your guitar in one go - then I might question why the sticker on it shows the correct 2001 date that happens to be a match for the dates of the rest of the guitar.

The neck plate is that it looks very new - not a mark on it - which seem a bit out of place with the overall condition of the rest of the guitar.

[porgy]

Don't know a lot about strats, but a 62 model, Wow, I'd love to have it, but it is usually best to keep everything original, so the ad on's pickups and such, could bring the value down.

[sa paine]

It is true that an all original 62 RI is going to be worth more, or at the very least easy-er to sell. If you are good about pointing out all the changes it should be fine. If I were looking for one of those I'd want it to be all stock but seeing something like this one wouldn't turm me off, all the importand pieces ar there. I might be inclined to try to get it a bit cheaper though.

[thaus]

The P/G is correct; has the notch if you look carefully and one of the top screws is directly halfway between the neck and middle pups........it looks fine to me!

[delac027]

yah, i figured value would decrease with the changes made, but all in all it's still a great sounding/playing guitar! I wish it had the original pups, but i think the case is an improvement over the tweed case as far as protection. I think the way the economy is going, it's going to be hard to sell any guitar! Thanks for the input everyone!

[pengipete]

Originally Posted by thaus

The P/G is correct; has the notch if you look carefully and one of the top screws is directly halfway between the neck and middle pups........it looks fine to me!

I thought it looked like it had the notch on some photos but this one made me think again...

[delac027]

pengipete, when i first posted the ad, only the first 4 pictures were shown on craigslist and i included all the gut pictures for the this post. So he was only judging on the outside appearance of the guitar initially. But, everything is in order now :)

[pengipete]

Glad to hear it - like I said, I was playing devil's advocate and trying to see what the bloke could possibly have thought was out of order.