I remember back in the 90s (I think, maybe early 00s) Fender made some basses with diamond plate style pickguards. I know I saw 4 of them hanging on the wall of my local music store, and remember seeing advertisements for them. Does anyone remember them? what model were they? I guess the memory is the first thing to go?
I've only seen these as an aftermarket replacement part. It could be that your local seller tried to pimp a few Fenders to get them out the door?