Korean Squier Strat?

[DaveC]

Well, I did a little looking around and found some Squiers that the sellers are claiming were made in Korea. My confusion is that what I understood was that the Korean Strats had a large Fender and a small Squier on the headstock and a "C" serial number. These have the large Squier and small Fender on the headstock? One is a Squier II and perhaps that makes a difference? I don't know if there is a serial number site like Ibanez has to identify a guitar, but I asked one of the sellers for the serial number which was M1133811. Anyone know if that could be a Korean number?

[Bytor1975]

Can you post a link to that auction?

Not all Koreans have the C serial number, just the ones made at the Cort factory. There were other manufacturers there as well.

[DaveC]

Found this on identifying a MIK Squire. Don't know if it is accuarte or not. The question really nagging me that i have not seen a explanation of..is WHY MIK guitars are much better than the others? Do they have different components? Upgraded electronics? different construction/craftsmanship? Just what makes them better? Also, for one a very good to excellent shape, would $240 be a reasonable price ($200 for the guitar and $40 for shipping).

Korean Squiers:

CN/VN: C = Cort, V = Saehan(Sunghan), S was already taken by Samick so Saehan(Sunghan) used V instead (Saehan(Sunghan) made the Vester guitars), N = Nineties (1990s), the first number following the serial number prefix is the year. For example "CN5" = made by Cort in 1995. For example "VN5" = made by Saehan(Sunghan) in 1995.

KC/KV: KC (Korean Cort) and KV (Korean Saehan(Sunghan)), the serial number prefix is followed by a 2 number year. For example "KC97" = made by Cort in 1997. For example "KV97" = made by Saehan(Sunghan) in 1997. KC and KV serial number prefixes are usually used on Crafted in Korea Squiers.

There were also Korean Squier serials with no serial number prefix and 6 or 7 numbers, and the first number is the year.

The S and E serial number prefix Korean Squiers seem to be from the late 1980s/early 1990s and not before 1987/1988 and don't seem to have a reliable serial number dating system. Fender was changing Squier production to different countries at the time.

[Bytor1975]

A lot of Korean made guitars just have great fit and finishes - but not just Fenders. Other Korean manufactured name brands (and many off brands) as well. They had a high standard that some of the later Chinese and Indonesian guitars didn't have.

Korea at one time was like the new Made in Japan... to an extent it still is. There used to be all the rage in buying up MIJ Fenders, even with the Squire name on it. It created a lot of inflated prices just because it had a MIJ. The thing was, alot of them are/were damned good instruments that rivaled what the US was putting out (or not putting out) at the time.

[Fenderchick]

Auh!!! I,m not touching that one.

[stratman-2007]

Hey I don't know about the korean squire strats, but I retired my vintage 1970 American strat and picked up an Indonisian Squire and an Obey
Squire Strat, each for about $ 200.00. I got to tell you they both play just
as good. Hey I'm not saying these are say like bytors Eric Johnson, not even
close, but then again wood is wood, and if they play good and sound good
then that's all that I care about. Not to say i would'nt die for Bytor's EC strat
that's the Real McCoy. I just have to save for two years and the thing would never leave my bedroom.

[Mystique]

Seems to me Shrinkme has one. I think it might even be the blue on I posted pic of tonight. But then again, I don't know my strats from my bra straps.

[shrinkme]

Telecaster. But good observation anyway!

[Mystique]

Then teles are different from strats. Ok, got it.