Have I been scammed?: American Original neck plate upside-down

[Wrighty]

Am I the only one who finds it funny that the neck plate is upside down and the OP is in Australia?!

No, I had the same daft thought!

 

[Craig Thomas]

Or, you could send an email to Fender Customer Service, with the plate serial number, neck serial number (if there is one), and ask for any information they may have on this guitar. I've done this many times to check on what I'm buying.

Doh...never thought of that.

I doubt it's a scam. I think the upside down plate was an oversight.

 

[3-Chord-Genius]

Yeah if you didn't just last week learn about the internet, you've seen all the threads starting with "just scored an awesome deal" and ending with "that's a GFS body and no name Chinese neck with a counterfeit decal, worth $100".

FYI: Last year I sold exactly what you described for $200.

 

[John C]

I checked the SN with the Fender tool and it came up:
V1850175
Production year: 2018
Vintage Series - Made in Corona, USA
and then it said:
The only way to correctly date "Made in USA" models with the prefix "V" is to check the end of the neck heel on a production date.

To me this is enough weird to check the neck...I would't be able to get it out of my head.

If you got this on eBay $2k is still a lot to shell out and should be under a buyer protection....even if the seller accepts no returns. Do not spend this kind of money without "Buyer Protection." PayPal, credit cards all have systems in place to terrorize sellers that commit fraud. Also, if you expose something's up with the guitar, like it had a neck swap [the decals can be bought], it may not hurt the sound but definitely affects the value..maybe worth another 1k off the price. Did you check the pictures the owner posted in the auction? Even if SN is blurred is the plate upside down? Have you emailed the owner to ask him? Believe me he would have noticed and if he says he didn't he's lyin'

Lesson learned here...buy from big, reputable sellers who won't risk a bad sale and will make it right. As a rule there are no bargains anymore. If it is reduced a significant amount then something's up. There has to be a very special reason [like custom shop] this was ever 3k.

I thought these sold for 2k. Custom one would have a C in the serial number.

The OP is in Australia - he's talking about the normal retail price there, not here in the USA.

And just as an FYI: Fender did start "coding" in the year on serial numbers with the "V" prefix when the AV series replaced the old AVRI series in August 2012. So prior to that you are correct, the only way to date the USA models with V prefixes is to remove the neck and check the dates. But on the AV models and the current American Originals you get the same "approximate" year as you do with the other Fenders that use the headstock decal serial numbers.

 

[lepaulo]

He told me that he had taken the guitar to a reputable store in the city called “Guitar Factory” to get it setup and change that strings twice in the 2 years he’s had it.

That’s probably Guitar Factory in Parramatta. They’ve been around since the 70s - long enough to know better but offer heavy discounts so run pretty lean. They actually hold a solid range of guitars but from what I’ve seen of the staff in that store, it’s entirely plausible that the tech (assuming it was actually a tech doing the job) accidentally flipped the plate in the rush to do a job, especially if they put the plate face down when it was removed. When they go to pick it up again, they notice nothing because the stamp is underneath. Easy enough mistake.

 

[austintechsaudio]

So I recently bought a second hand American Original Jaguar on eBay which I won on auction for $2000 AUD (they usually retail for $3,000 AUD). I paid via PayPal and picked it up from the seller myself.

I’ve had it for a little over a week and have been over the moon with it. However I was just polishing it right now (as I always do after playing it) and I realised something strange about it: the metal neck plate on the back with the serial number has been mounted upside-down, or at least compared to pictures of it I’ve seen on the Internet... do you think I got scammed or some sort of foul play is involved?

Here’s a link to the neck plate in question along with a few extra pics of guitar itself just got you guys to see what’s going on with it.

https://imgur.com/a/B3wusyS

What are y’all thoughts on this strange incident?

 

[austintechsaudio]

Maybe the plate is right side up. Looks like you got yerself an upside-down Jaguar sir.

 

[hydra19]

It's a unique model from Fender, if you ever decide to sell it, you could claim it's a 'prototype' and from the exclusive club of fender craftsman who mark the guitars they setup by putting the neck plate upside down

 

[HoodieMcFoodie]

Am I the only one who finds it funny that the neck plate is upside down and the OP is in Australia?!

No but what I do find funny is the number of posts here from members with less than 10 posts, including first posts. And some of them have been members here a loooong time.

 

[firstbase]

So I recently bought a second hand American Original Jaguar on eBay which I won on auction for $2000 AUD (they usually retail for $3,000 AUD). I paid via PayPal and picked it up from the seller myself.

I’ve had it for a little over a week and have been over the moon with it. However I was just polishing it right now (as I always do after playing it) and I realised something strange about it: the metal neck plate on the back with the serial number has been mounted upside-down, or at least compared to pictures of it I’ve seen on the Internet... do you think I got scammed or some sort of foul play is involved?

Here’s a link to the neck plate in question along with a few extra pics of guitar itself just got you guys to see what’s going on with it.

https://imgur.com/a/B3wusyS

What are y’all thoughts on this strange incident?

The neck plate is on correctly. The rest of the guitar is upside down. Newbies. I tell ya.

 

[radiocaster]

Special batch made for Australia.

Seriously though, the guitar could have been imported neck off and they guy screwed it in upside down.

 

[PCollen]

So I recently bought a second hand American Original Jaguar on eBay which I won on auction for $2000 AUD (they usually retail for $3,000 AUD). I paid via PayPal and picked it up from the seller myself.

I’ve had it for a little over a week and have been over the moon with it. However I was just polishing it right now (as I always do after playing it) and I realised something strange about it: the metal neck plate on the back with the serial number has been mounted upside-down, or at least compared to pictures of it I’ve seen on the Internet... do you think I got scammed or some sort of foul play is involved?

Here’s a link to the neck plate in question along with a few extra pics of guitar itself just got you guys to see what’s going on with it.

https://imgur.com/a/B3wusyS

What are y’all thoughts on this strange incident?

I think it is a custom shop feature, or something similar to a double-heads quarter that should be left as is .....

 

[Elbell]

I'm glad to see he got an ok deal when it is in AUD numbers. I never post anywhere but like reading on here enough to join and get the no-ads upgrade. I love this guitar. I'd be worried if the plate came upside down because I'm a fanatic...paranoid. Good to know the V vs AV info. After having a bunch of vintage Fenders I do appreciate the "like the old" but a new guitar with new electronics..sweet nitro or poly to shine up.

 

[bigdaddy]

Wow, I had no idea Fender was putting serial numbers on neck plates.it is so easy to swap neck plates, I understand your concern.

Is the serial number also on the back of the headstock? If not, Google for other placed they may be found. If you can find a second SN, on the guitar, check to see that it matches.

Also, Fender has a website where you can decode their SSN. I’d check that out t9make sure the results match the actual guitar.

Some other things you could do, includes checking out the size of the pots. Chinese guits traditionally use cheap, small (dime sized) pots, where American Fenders have high quality, bigger pots.

As someone mentioned earlier, the seller may have removed the neck and replaced it, accidentally putting the plate on backwards. I’d definitely send a message to the seller asking what the deal is. Good luck.

 

[telemnemonics]

FYI: Last year I sold exactly what you described for $200.

Well of course Chinese manufacture produces a range of dollar value guitars, but when a new owner joins the TDPRI to show off their $2000 USA Fender and it turns out to be a Chinese GFS based partscaster worth $200 or $100; they are pretty unhappy!

Hard to tell from here if the GFS you sold for $200 is as nice as a $450 Chinese CV Squier.
Many here will say their $450 Squier is as good as a USA CS Fender, and "I think it's great" is not the same as dollar value.

I doubt I'd ever pay $2000 for a guitar and in general think $1000 is the most a bolt on F style can really be worth, aside from the vintage collector guitars. $200- $400 is my price range.

 

[telemnemonics]

No but what I do find funny is the number of posts here from members with less than 10 posts, including first posts. And some of them have been members here a loooong time.

I noticed that and thought it was funny too!

Also over in the exciting new cable capacitance thread: Members that joined over ten years ago, finally decided to post for the first time, because CABLE CAPACITANCE!

When upside down neck plates and cable capacitance are that important, we may be in trouble...

 

[3-Chord-Genius]

Well of course Chinese manufacture produces a range of dollar value guitars, but when a new owner joins the TDPRI to show off their $2000 USA Fender and it turns out to be a Chinese GFS based partscaster worth $200 or $100; they are pretty unhappy!

Hard to tell from here if the GFS you sold for $200 is as nice as a $450 Chinese CV Squier.
Many here will say their $450 Squier is as good as a USA CS Fender, and "I think it's great" is not the same as dollar value.

I doubt I'd ever pay $2000 for a guitar and in general think $1000 is the most a bolt on F style can really be worth, aside from the vintage collector guitars. $200- $400 is my price range.

The guitar I sold (I've posted photos of it on this forum - there may be a way to search for it) was an off-white cheapo GFS body, white pickguard, no-name Chinese neck with a Fender decal. GFS Rail pickups. Not as nice as a high-end Squier, but the guy who now owns it uses it as his gigging instrument.

 

[Thenewguy11]

Well of course Chinese manufacture produces a range of dollar value guitars, but when a new owner joins the TDPRI to show off their $2000 USA Fender and it turns out to be a Chinese GFS based partscaster worth $200 or $100; they are pretty unhappy!

Hard to tell from here if the GFS you sold for $200 is as nice as a $450 Chinese CV Squier.
Many here will say their $450 Squier is as good as a USA CS Fender, and "I think it's great" is not the same as dollar value.

I doubt I'd ever pay $2000 for a guitar and in general think $1000 is the most a bolt on F style can really be worth, aside from the vintage collector guitars. $200- $400 is my price range.

good luck buying a any fender guitar for under $1000 in Australia lol.

$400 wont even get you an affinity. Or it just scrapes by.

 

[telemnemonics]

good luck buying a any fender guitar for under $1000 in Australia lol.

$400 wont even get you an affinity. Or it just scrapes by.

Yeah I certainly get the availability issue and how that effects the prices we have to pay if we want to play!

At the same time as I'm cheap as a spender of my money, I don't really play any of the budget line Fenders below some nicer MIM necks I got deals on, more USA necks and some MIJ necks, USA pickups but always used and never boutique, bodies either aftermarket or used Fender from the same three countries.

If I was in your market where there was just not a ton of deals, I'd pay more to get what I really want.

Funny thing,I read many state that this time right now is great for buying guitars because there are so many great guitars for under $500 and even under $200.
But when I shop, that's not what I see, and in fact I feel that CV Squiers are too expensive compared to what I could buy 15-20 years ago for $300- $500.
Being cheap, I really want to like one of the billion Squiers hanging in shops, but they just don't tug at my money, just don't satisfy, just don't seem like the great deals I read about on the net.
I used to buy Squiers when they were MIJ, loved those guitars, within reason for the price range, fine players with a little work.

Now my (former) $100 mid '80s Squier Strat is more like a $1000 collectors item!

 

[vintageampz]

So I recently bought a second hand American Original Jaguar on eBay which I won on auction for $2000 AUD (they usually retail for $3,000 AUD). I paid via PayPal and picked it up from the seller myself.

I’ve had it for a little over a week and have been over the moon with it. However I was just polishing it right now (as I always do after playing it) and I realised something strange about it: the metal neck plate on the back with the serial number has been mounted upside-down, or at least compared to pictures of it I’ve seen on the Internet... do you think I got scammed or some sort of foul play is involved?

Here’s a link to the neck plate in question along with a few extra pics of guitar itself just got you guys to see what’s going on with it.

https://imgur.com/a/B3wusyS

What are y’all thoughts on this strange incident?

That's an Australian / New Zealand model where everything is "down under" upside down.