How to Spot a Fake Fender Strat in Seconds

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.