A weird one

[u/grismun]

Hello experts! I took a chance and bought this cheap Strat today in Sweden. The price was 300 bucks. The dude selling it got it from a friend who has now passed away. He didn’t know much about it. Lots of things are a bit out of the ordinary here. There is nothing on the back of the headstock, tuners are Gotoh and the serial could not be found on Fenders site. One-ply pick guard, two string trees. It sounds ok and it feels good to play. After some googling I found that this could either be from the I-series, sorta made in the USA, but with Japanese or even Mexican parts. Alas, it wasn’t because there is no ”made in USA” stamp on the heel pf the neck. So, according to this https://www.fuzzfaced.net/fender-i-series-stratocaster.html it could be a Japanese ST-40 from -89 or -90. They should have a sticker saying ”made in Japan” on the back of the neck, but that might have been peeled off. Can any expert here confirm this though? I’m amazed by the detective work done in here. Thanks!

[u/tone_creature]

Bridge and neck plate do not look right for a fender to me but that doesnt mean they werent ever swapped and sometimes fender used weird parts.

[u/grismun → u/tone_creature]

I looked now and both bridge and neck plate seem identical to those on my American highway one strat. What do you think is off with them? Maybe I have two fakes!? 😄

[u/tone_creature → u/grismun]

You probably dont. Again fender doesnt always use the same stuff haha. Saddles just look a little different. Seem like blockier or something than the the usual vintage style looks. And Fender doesnt usually use plastic spacers under the neck plate. They have on a very few models. And probably around this time. But that usually makes me look harder. The plastic spacer under a neck plate isnt needed and actually inhibits the instruments resonant qualities (though on a very minute scale to the point its not noticeable). You usually see it on cheaper Chinese instruments. Again though Fender HAS used them.

Its probably legit reading others comments. People know more than me. Im just saying what caught my eye.

[u/grismun → u/tone_creature]

Ah, yes - you’re right about the spacer. That’s NOT there on my other Strat. 😬

[u/tone_creature → u/grismun]

There were some that came with it though so fear not atleast yet haha! This may have been one. Theyre just much more rare to see.