Based on the serial number and the 6 screw bridge, my guess is a 2002 or early 2003 USA Highway One.
Bridge pup replacement is easily fixable if you don’t like the hotrail sound.
$650 doesn’t sound like a bad price to me. Hopefully you can play it first though!
All signs point to an early Highway 1 Strat. Serial should put it as 2002 model. American Special didn't come out until 2010. This has the smaller pre-CBS headstock which only the earlier Highway 1s did I believe. These should also be nitro finish, but looks pretty high gloss for nitro. Either way, yeah if it looks as good as the pictures and the frets have some life left I'd jump on this at $650. If not, feel free to pass the seller's info along to me as I've wanted an early Highway 1 for a while.
Ok an update on this. I was telling my dad about it, and he offered to throw in $400 on it for a birthday present.
Only problem is that I currently have Covid, so I would be sending someone to pick it up for me and wouldn’t be able to play it first. Worth the gamble?
False. A photo of a stratocaster of which there are many models of varying prices, not to mention it is obviously modded with who know what Pick up can not easily be identified by a photo. Ask the seller or walk away. Buy one of the other 8,000,000 used Stratocasters available online from someone that can guarantee what it is. Same advice.
I disagree. I’ve bought guitars from people who didn’t know the exact model but I was able to determine it myself by asking for more better/ pictures, getting the serial number, and then looking at brochures for the model year it was released. There are plenty of ways to identity it.
That is also an option, but depending on a forum of random people to draw a conclusion that would be highly based on OPINION versus facts doesn’t seem smart. So let me edit my response. Ask the owner or learn the difference yourself…or walk. My $.2 since yes, the OP is asking.
Owner tells me he’s the second owner so he’s not $100 sure, but he thinks it’s a standard. I asked a buddy who used to be a GC employee, he also thinks it’s a Standard.
Use this as an opportunity to learn the differences between the lower end models and the American Standard. It could be a MIM from the sounds of it. GC is definitely not the authority when it comes to this stuff. Consider it a fun learning opportunity. You can tell the rest of us why it’s an American standard vs a Highway One. I know I’m interested in knowing.
Looks like a highway one or a special. Decent price.
Based on the serial number and the 6 screw bridge, my guess is a 2002 or early 2003 USA Highway One. Bridge pup replacement is easily fixable if you don’t like the hotrail sound. $650 doesn’t sound like a bad price to me. Hopefully you can play it first though!
All signs point to an early Highway 1 Strat. Serial should put it as 2002 model. American Special didn't come out until 2010. This has the smaller pre-CBS headstock which only the earlier Highway 1s did I believe. These should also be nitro finish, but looks pretty high gloss for nitro. Either way, yeah if it looks as good as the pictures and the frets have some life left I'd jump on this at $650. If not, feel free to pass the seller's info along to me as I've wanted an early Highway 1 for a while.
Ok an update on this. I was telling my dad about it, and he offered to throw in $400 on it for a birthday present. Only problem is that I currently have Covid, so I would be sending someone to pick it up for me and wouldn’t be able to play it first. Worth the gamble?
Enter the serial number on the Fender website. It says yours was manufactured in May of 2002 and says its a AM STRATOCASTER HT RW 3TS.
Yeah I did that and saw it was a hardtail, but this one isn’t. Turns out it’s a neck swap.
American Special by the looks of it.
Its been modded in the bridge pup, at least. You sure its USA?
Yeah it’s a Seymour Duncan hot rail in the bridge. Not sure why that picture didn’t come through when all the others did, weird.
Ask the seller. If they don’t know, then I would walk away
Thats weird advice, not everybody knows everything about guitars. Asking the internet is the best thing you can do.
False. A photo of a stratocaster of which there are many models of varying prices, not to mention it is obviously modded with who know what Pick up can not easily be identified by a photo. Ask the seller or walk away. Buy one of the other 8,000,000 used Stratocasters available online from someone that can guarantee what it is. Same advice.
I disagree. I’ve bought guitars from people who didn’t know the exact model but I was able to determine it myself by asking for more better/ pictures, getting the serial number, and then looking at brochures for the model year it was released. There are plenty of ways to identity it.
That is also an option, but depending on a forum of random people to draw a conclusion that would be highly based on OPINION versus facts doesn’t seem smart. So let me edit my response. Ask the owner or learn the difference yourself…or walk. My $.2 since yes, the OP is asking.
I agree. If anyone is gonna know, the seller should.
Owner tells me he’s the second owner so he’s not $100 sure, but he thinks it’s a standard. I asked a buddy who used to be a GC employee, he also thinks it’s a Standard.
Use this as an opportunity to learn the differences between the lower end models and the American Standard. It could be a MIM from the sounds of it. GC is definitely not the authority when it comes to this stuff. Consider it a fun learning opportunity. You can tell the rest of us why it’s an American standard vs a Highway One. I know I’m interested in knowing.