How to Spot a Fake Fender Strat in Seconds

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At some point, Kennis Russell bought a used Stratocaster at his local guitar shop. Within a few seconds, however, Russell—a guitarist who provides backing tracks, gear demos and reviews on YouTube—realized it was a fake.

"Someone had rubbed off the Squier logo from the headstock and put a fake Fender waterslide on it," Russell says. "In this video I compare this fake Fender Strat to two 'real' U.S. Fender Strats, a Mexican Fender Strat and a Squier Strat. Here are the things I identified as a fake: truss-rod opening, bridge, serial number, headstock, logo, tuners and more."

Basically, if you have any doubts about a recent purchase—or if you just want to be prepared for the future—this video is a must-watch.

For more videos by Russell, be sure to drop in on his YouTube channel, which you'll see when or if you click on these highlighted words.

Damian Fanelli
Damian Fanelli
Editor-in-Chief, Guitar World

Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.