How to Spot a Fake Fender Strat in Seconds

At some point, Kennis Russell bought a used Stratocaster at his local guitar shop. Within a few seconds, however, Russell—a guitarist who provides backing tracks, gear demos and reviews on YouTube—realized it was a fake.

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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.

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