Help identifying Fernandes strat

mateo69 · Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2012 5:17 pm Post subject: Help identifying Fernandes strat

Hey everyone, I just picked up what is labeled as a MIJ Fernandes Strat...but I have a few questions about it.

The heel of the neck is stamped LE-1,97

Can I assume this is a LE-1 from 1997?

The body was sanded down and sealed...the original color appears to have been seafoam green.

When I did an internet search for "LE-1 green" I find a LE-1Z in seafoam green but it has a Rosewood fingerboard, not Maple like this one.

There is a stamp in the neck pocket which is slightly smudged and looks like "ST-36"...but I also think there is the top of a "5" maybe right after...so "ST-365"...does that mean anything? Color code possibly?

Here's a pic of the electronics if that helps identify if it is original as well. It's an 8-hole, single ply white pickguard with a YM-50 5-way switch and small pots.

I just want to figure out if this is the original Fernandes body for this neck.

Any help is appreciated!

bluesyrat · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 11:23 am Post subject:

could you post headstock and tuners pics?
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mateo69 · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 12:50 pm Post subject:

Here is the front of the headstock -

...and the back of it -

jacco · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 1:15 pm Post subject:

Looks like a post 2000 model, do you have a close up of the pots?

mateo69 · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 1:41 pm Post subject:

Here are the pots...I don't recognize the logo on them...and Yes...someone unsoldered the ground lead on the volume pot -

bluesyrat · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 1:45 pm Post subject:

Could be a Limited Edition of late '90's (or early 2000); it seems, basing on headstock shape, gotoh tuners and sticker serial number. It has been renamed retrorocket after early 2000's i think.
The stamp on the neck pocket make me think to a a slightly earlier (mid '90's) model. Anyway the guitar is legit and there is a very high probability that neck an body are correctly matched.
Fernandes often shows up strange models on strats...
Probably Jacco could help better... especially if you post pots pics...

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mateo69 · Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 1:55 pm Post subject:

Thanks bluesyrat!

I've seen the 'retrorocket' but they seem to have a modified strat body and this one appears to be an exact strat copy like the 'limited edition' models.

bluesyrat · Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 2:41 am Post subject:

Yep. I should have said transformed ...
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fusion music make me puke