2011 VM Strat question

[mboyer]

I just bought this guitar from an 80 year old guy who had it as a decoration, never been played. The plastic was still on the pick guard. I have a Schecter Banshee Mach 6 with stainless steel frets so I'm familiar with them, and I swear, this guitar has SS frets. They're just as when I bought it, I didn't polish them, and they look brand new bright shiny silver. I seriously doubt they really are but everything about them tells me they are. Does anyone know what's going on with these frets?
I bought this guitar because I wanted a strat and I couldn't believe how gorgeous the figuring in the neck is. The fingerboard is stunning as well. And the faux stripe figuring on the body will fool most non guitar people too. Everything is like brand new, not even a scratch on the headstock clear coat. The best thing is I absolutely love how it sounds and plays. I bought SD vintage rail and cool rails for strat pickups, used off CL but haven't changed a thing, no need to. I'm super impressed with this made in India Squier Strat!!

 

[Eddd]

Nice ,that’s one sexy fretboard.

 

[mboyer]

Thank you
Any idea on the frets? Do they look like typical standard fret material being all shiny like that?

 

[mboyer]

The figuring right above the nut is crazy The way the grain goes, it seems that the headstock would just shear right off, but it hasn't in 11 years so I'm sure it's okay. The shielding paint and the routes are so clean, and it's got full size pots. This thing has some nice stuff!

 

[Radiotech]

They are not stainless, it’s possible the frets were polished with polishing compound, that really keeps them shiny for ages, especially if not played.

 

[mboyer]

I highly doubt they are, but I can't imagine the previous owner applied some type of polish or product to protect the frets. And the way they are in the pictures is the way they were when I bought it. I just found a nickel test kit, for people with nickel allergies to test jewelry and such. I'm actually going to spend $20 to find out. I'll make a video of the test, if they are SS, I'll post the video, if not, I'll just update this thread.

 

[FrieAsABird]

No stainless steel frets, but still a nice guitar

 

[MichaelD]

Bump this old thread but I used to have one I got on CL ! Really nice quality. The VM series made some really great stuff!! Neck was very “American” feeling and pickups were great. The owner didn’t disclose tho that the truss rod nut was stripped ☹️. Not the end of the world but a great lesson - definitely something to check for when you buy a used guitar !

 

[HSH Classic Vibe]

This was among the best VM guitars ever made, and was a cut above the Chinese ones. They only made those VMs in India for a short time around 2007-11 (though Fender previously made some Squiers there in the late 1980s). They featured Seymour Duncan Designed SC-101 pickups and the body was made from Indian Cedro (a cedar relative). Hardly anyone who bought one ever sold them, which is why you never see them on eBay or Reverb.

"And the faux stripe figuring on the body will fool most non guitar people too."
That's not faux. That's 100% real! Only those cheap Fender Japan guitars from around 1994 had the "photo flame." The Squiers have the real thing (as does the one in my avatar).