Quote Originally Posted by fender3x View Post
I was thinking the same thing. You have something very rare: a truly unique Fender strat. Or a SUPER unique tele deluxe ;-) Either way there are two reasons I would not worry. First you have all your paperwork and can clearly document the history. Second, if they aren't responding now, what makes you think they'd be more responsive to a warranty issue. So why worry?
Considering that it's a large Strat headstock with 22 frets, says Telecaster Deluxe, and has the serial number on the back of the headstock makes it super rare. When I type in the serial number into the Fender.com site it does tell me it should be what it is, being a Vintage Blonde Maple fretboard Stratocaster Deluxe. And as far as I'm aware there are nil Tele's ever made with 22 frets and has the large Strat headstock... ever...certainly none visible in the 2017/18 year range... but I cold be wrong..

As far as warranty is concerned, in Australia in the first instance the customer is to contact the retailer, and it is up to the retailer to address any issues in a manner (within Australian law) that their supplier or the manufacturer sees fit. These days, for most items under about AU$1k, this often means total replacement of the faulty item, or full refund if the item is not fit for purpose. Over AU$1k typically the item will be required to be shipped to an authorised service centre for corrective action. I say this based on my first hand experience working in a electronics workshop that deals directly with companies like LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Hervey Norman, The Good Guys, ChangHong, Retravision, Beta Electrical, Kogan, Teac, Sharp, .... etc...etc...etc... to name just a few... Each individual manufacturer/supplier has their own rules on repair/replacement, but it's always the customer deals with the retailer first.

So I'll spill the beans.. If I need to claim warranty on the Fender Strat then I'll be calling Mannys music in Melbourne first, and they already have been advised of this headstock issue. Just like I did with Scarlett Music in April 2017 when I made a claim under warranty of a faulty selector switch in my Gibson LP through who I bought that guitar. The guys at Scarlett had the issue fully resolved within a few weeks, which isn't bad considering I'm in central Queensland and they are in Melbourne.

If handled right then claiming warranty isn't a problem. Being demanding from the get go most often only gets everyone's back up. Being polite, co-operative, reasonable and helpful goes a long way to getting a quick and positive end result.

Thankfully, if this Strat is like any or all of the other Strats I've ever owned, I doubt I'll ever claim warranty. And since in my mind I think only a warped neck is the only real need for a claim, and in 40 years I've never on any of my guitars have a neck warp on me, I doubt that this Strat will suddenly fall apart within the next 2 years.... but ya never know....