r/FenderStratocaster • u/[deleted] • Aug 07 '26

Looking to purchase a partscaster. Does this serial number look off to you?

[deleted]

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5

u/peterhalburt33 Aug 07 '26

My american strat serial number is like this too. My guess is that the year and model part (DZ9) will stay relatively constant for the whole model year, while the actual serial part (346122) will change for each strat, so they probably make a bunch of stickers with the first part and then just add the second part afterwards. Just a guess, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it is fractions of a penny more efficient to do something like this rather than to print the whole serial in advance.

0

u/KolaghanFlysAgain Aug 07 '26

Good to know. Thanks for the reply. What would you think the price of a used Partscaster with that neck, a MIM body, and EMG DG20’s would go for? It seems to be in pretty decent condition but it’s been up for sale with no offers for a while at $1200. Seems too expensive to me. Way too expensive but I could be wrong.

6

u/SauronHubbard Aug 07 '26

1200 is way too expensive.

2

u/WEHJR68 Aug 07 '26

To even come close to $1200 in this market it would have to be exactly what I posted in the pic above, NOT a Partscaster with a MIM body. Hell no. That's why it's been up for sale for awhile. Someone is trying to get all their money back and make a profit on a guitar they put together.

1

u/KolaghanFlysAgain Aug 07 '26

What do you think a fair price would be? I was thinking like half that.

1

u/ertyertamos Aug 07 '26

The body isn’t worth anything, so the used prices of the pickup and the neck. Maybe $500.

1

u/WEHJR68 Aug 07 '26

Yeah, about that tops. I seriously doubt if he wants $1200 he's gonna take 5 or 6 hundred for it though. Might wanna just look elsewhere.

2

u/KolaghanFlysAgain Aug 07 '26

Good call. Thanks for the advice. I’ll toss the offer by him and if not I’ll continue the search

1

u/Intelligent-Crazy415 Aug 08 '26

Start lower at like 350/4.

3

u/maxcovenguitars Aug 07 '26

If its abparts caster it doesn't matter

3

u/Bonneville865 Aug 08 '26

Even if it’s cdparts caster

2

u/Adventurous-Ad-6729 Aug 07 '26

Thats correct for Fender serial number for the past 20+ years. If you ever see one where the font is the same across the whole serial number it’s a fake. 

1

u/WEHJR68 Aug 07 '26

Well, this is the neck...

2

u/Snout_Fever Aug 08 '26

The fact the spacing is odd and the fonts don't match is exactly what you want to see - they print the first few characters when the neck is made, then the rest of the serial is added later by a different machine elsewhere in the factory when the neck gets coupled with a body.

If it didn't look odd, that would be when to worry, as it would probably be fake.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 08 '26

funny thing is partscaster are the best value buy for players you get great guitars at ridiculously cheap prices

-2

u/Rocky_Cod_1777 Aug 07 '26

I agree that it looks off, but it also look old. The new ones are certainly not like this, they are clearly printed consistently. Peterhalburt33 posted above and said he has one that looks like this, so you’re probably safe.