56 NOS strat model stamp *HELP*

[keithmantle]

Hi All, i am in negotiations to buy one but the neck pup rout is stamped 56 NOS, but the neck pocket and under the scratch plate is stamped 'RELIC' and unfortunately there is only a photo copy of the COA available, Any Help please , Fender forum not much help

[dave robinson]

If it's genuine there shouldn't be any anomalies and if there's only a photo copy of the COA I would be wondering why . . . . . . . . aren't you ?

[OLDEREK]

Hi Kieth mine was stamped the way you describe, seems genuine to me, even the Yuri Shishkov I owned had Relic under the scratch plate, it seems Fender stamp Relic on the good sounding bodys before they are sprayed.............

[kipper]

in money terms its not worth the same without a genuine coa. might be a great guitar but without the coa its not worth as much. peter

[alanbakewell]

Mine's the same Keith. I do have the original COA though.

Cheers, Alan.

[keithmantle]

If it's genuine there shouldn't be any anomalies and if there's only a photo copy of the COA I would be wondering why . . . . . . . . aren't you ?

Yes Dave, I am concerned, the guitar was purchased from a deceased guitarists estate, so i realise it could have been mislaid, obviously as stated it does alter the asking price. Cheers Keith

[kipper]

fender only issue copy`s to the oridginal buyer, even then it difficult getting one. peter

[cygnetshadow]

I rather think that all these "Time Machine" Custom shop guitars, "New Old Stock", "Closet Classic", "Relic", are lumped together under the banner of "Relic". They all have, I believe, an "R" (for Relic) serial number.

I've never taken one to pieces (wisely I think!) so this is partly conjecture and partly half remembered guitar salesman-speak but I'm sure there's a grain of truth in this.

Best wishes, Stephen

[David Martin]

They've been stamped RELIC since the start of this program when the original parts were distressed by a contractor (Cunetto) then brought in house for assembly. Because these originals were so convincing, and bearing in mind the ease of replacing the R serial number neck plate with a fake, the body blanks were deep stamped with the word RELIC to prevent later passing off...

I had an original Cunetto aged Custom Shop Strat and I wish to heck I hadn't sold it now...

[alanbakewell]

They've been stamped RELIC since the start of this program when the original parts were distressed by a contractor (Cunetto) then brought in house for assembly. Because these originals were so convincing, and bearing in mind the ease of replacing the R serial number neck plate with a fake, the body blanks were deep stamped with the word RELIC to prevent later passing off...

I had an original Cunetto aged Custom Shop Strat and I wish to heck I hadn't sold it now...

Now then, that makes sense.

Stephen, would I be right in the assumption that you do not have one of these guitars?

Cheers, Alan.