How Old is My Fender Guitar?
Contents
- 1 How Old is My Fender Guitar?
- 2 Fender Serial Number Guide & Database Explained
- 3 1950-1954 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
- 4 1954-1963 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
- 5 Late 1962 – Early 1965 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
- 6 1965-1976 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
- 7 1976-Present USA Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
- 8 Fender Anniversary, Reissue, Special Edition, and Signature Series
- 9 Related Guides
I often get asked, how old is my Fender guitar? Most of the time this question can’t be answered specifically. The Fender numbers tell the story of the company over the years. Unfortunately, the serial number placement is sporadic and many ID numbers over lap between years and models.
In many instances, there is no exact known date for a specific guitar. That is why I decided to write this article. I want to help you understand how to tell the age of your Fender as well as any Fender you see.
Fender like Gibson has been producing guitars for many years. Certain styles and colors have come and gone over the years, but there is no real obvious way to tell how old a Fender is other than the identification number.
Unfortunately, Fender decided not to simply write the date of manufacture on the guitar. They decided that it would be easier to decipher the serial number code than just write the year on the guitar. I say this only joking.
Most manufactures don’t actually write the production dates on the guitar in plain view. First let’s take a look at where to find ID numbers on a Fender guitar.
Where do I find my Fender Serial Number?
This article is intended to help you date your Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, and Precision Bass guitars all the way back to the early 1950s. In order to tell how old your Fender is you will have to find the identification number or neck number. The serial number location has changed a few times of the years. From 1950 to 1954 Fender guitar unique numbers were stamped in the bridge cavity cover plate. From 1954 to 1976 Fender stamped its guitar’s serial number on either the top or bottom of the neck plate.
Modern Fender production guitars, 1976 to the present, have their ID numbers on the front or back of the headstock near the Fender decal. In 1982 Fender decided to start making reissued vintage guitars. These guitars were replicas of the early 1950 and 1960s era guitars. True to form the reissue guitars have their identification numbers stamped in the neck plate.
The serial numbers on the outside of the body are not the only way to date a Fender guitar however. Fender also dated the neck when it was manufactured. After the neck was finished, a Fender employee would either stamp or handwrite the date on the end of the guitar neck on its heel. This marking is only visible when the neck is removed from the body because it is covered in the neck pocket.
Almost all Fender guitars have a dated neck. Some Fender guitar bodies and pickups also have dates written on them. Few Fender guitars have dates written on the bodies under the pickups, in the routed out cavities, and near the wiring harnesses. Fender only decided to write dates on the bodies for a few years here and there. They never really did that consistently.
What does the date on the neck mean?
Many people think that the date on the heel of their Fender neck is the production date of the guitar. After reviewing the ID number, you might find out that the two corresponding dates don’t coincide. Why is this? It all has to do with how Fender produced guitars. Leo Fender was a genius with minimizing the costs of production.
Unlike Gibson, Leo found did everything the cheapest and fastest way possible. He made a bolt-on neck, so the neck and the body could be manufactured at the same time. He wired the pickguard with pickups, so all the wiring could be finished before the body was even dry from finishing. That’s how the Fender production line worked.
The number and date on the neck is simply the date that the neck was finished–not the date that the guitar was completed. Necks could sit for days, weeks, or even months at a time before being matched with a body. After the entire guitar was assembled, the identification number was stamped in place. Being many months later, the serial number date and the neck date might not match.
Remember, these serial and neck numbers were never really intended for historical dating. They were simply internal numbers to help with production. Unfortunately, learning to play a Fender guitar is sometimes easier than figuring out how old it is. 🙂
Fender Serial Number Guide & Database Explained
Now that we have talked about where to find your Fender guitar ID number and what it means, here is the Fender serial number database that I have compiled. It includes most of the Fender serial numbers issued along with the corresponding dates and a short history of Fender Guitars through the years.
- 1950 – 1954
- 1954 – 1963
- Late 1962 – Early 1965
- 1965 – 1976
- 1976 – Present USA
- Fender Anniversary, Reissue, Special Edition, and Signature Guitar
- Made in Japan
- Made in Mexico
- Made in Korea
- Made in China
1950-1954 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
When Leo first started putting identification numbers on his guitars, he segregated them by model. Each models unique numbers started at 1 or a number close to it. That means that there could be a Tele, Strat, and Precision bass with the exact same serial number. He didn’t stop doing this until after 1954.
| Numbers | Years |
|---|---|
| 33-860 | 1950-1952 |
| 0005-0746 | 1950-1952 |
| 0748-1331 | 1951-1952 |
| 0161-0470 | 1951-1952 |
| 2911-5368 | 1951-1954 |
| Numbers | Years |
|---|---|
| 0-6000 | 1954 |
| Numbers | Years |
|---|---|
| 161-357 | 1951 |
| 299-619 | 1952 |
| 0001-0160 | 1952 |
| 0161-0470 | 1951-1952 |
| 0475-0840 | 1952-1953 |
| 0848-1897 | 1953-1954 |
1954-1963 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
At some point in 1954, Fender decided to stop grouping the guitar ID number by model. He started using one sequence of serial numbers for all the guitars coming off of the Fender production lines including Teles, Esquires, Strats, and P-basses. Some of these identification numbers are still out of sequence, jumbled up, or missing. You may notice that there is a great deal of over lapping numbers in these nine years.
The only way to verify an over lapping date is to check the corresponding neck date and body date. This list is a little convoluted because there are so many over lapping serial numbers. The number column represents the general number grouping that Fender and most experts agree on.
The low and high columns show the range of identification numbers that have been positively matched to specific years. As you can see, there is quite a bit of overlap.
For some reason during 1955, 1957, and 1958 Fender decided to place zero or a dash in front of ID numbers periodically. Some guitars in these years have them and some don’t.
| Numbers | Low | High | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0001-6999 | 0001 | 10146 | 1954 |
| 7000-8999 | 3152 | 10798 | 1955 |
| 09000-16999 | 7895 | 16957 | 1956 |
| 17000-24999 | 10604 | 28522 | 1957 |
| 25000-33999 | 022878 | 51593 | 1958 |
| 34000-43999 | 022878 | 51593 | 1959 |
| 44000-58999 | 39993 | 66626 | 1960 |
| 59000-70999 | 55531 | 77754 | 1961 |
| 71000-93999 | 69520 | 96203 | 1962 |
| 94000-99999 | 81977 | 99924 | 1963 |
Late 1962 – Early 1965 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
Toward the end of 1962 Fender’s success kept on building. He was nearing his 100,000th guitar. Instead of adding another digit on to his 5-digit ID numbers, Leo decided to add an “L”, presumably for his first initial, in front of the serial numbers and start the sequence all over again. This time all the identification numbers under 10,000 fill the empty digits with zeros.
For example, the 989th guitar’s ID number would not be L989. It was L00989. Since this change wasn’t until the end of 1962, only a few true 1962 Fenders have an “L” serial number.
| Numbers | Low | High | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| L00001-L19999 | L0001 | L60330 | 1963 |
| L20000-L59999 | L08825 | L92560 | 1964 |
| L60000-L99999 | L23537 | L99944 | 1965 |
1965-1976 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
In early 1965, Leo Fender sold Fender Musical Instruments, Inc. to CBS for $13 million. A lot of changes happened to the company as well as the guitars themselves under the new ownership. The identification number sequences were no exception.
CBS came up with a new numbering system to take advantage of the fact that Leo did not use 6-digit ID numbers. CBS continued the sequence Fender started in 1954.
These 1965-1976 era guitars are commonly referred to as the F series because of the neck plate design change. The new neck plate only had the Fender F logo stamped in place.
| Numbers | Low | High | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100000-119999 | 100173 | 158977 | 1965 |
| 120000-179999 | 100173 | 158977 | 1966 |
| 180000-219999 | 112172 | 261343 | 1967 |
| 220000-251999 | 156657 | 263115 | 1968 |
| 252000-291999 | 204352 | 262774 | 1969 |
| 292000-298999 | 224160 | 290835 | 1970 |
| 290000-344999 | 278916 | 304089 | 1971 |
| 345000-379999 | 261863 | 331031 | 1972 |
| 380000-539999 | 258495 | 654030 | 1973 |
| 540000-599999 | 316987 | 602615 | 1974 |
| 600000-656999 | 417024 | 677199 | 1975 |
| 657000-669999 | 595121 | 717257 | 1976 |
| 670000-799999 | 1971-1976 |
1976-Present USA Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
In 1976, Fender decided to stop stamping ID numbers in guitar parts and started making decals for the guitar peghead or headstock. Along with the new location a new series of serial numbers were instituted. Fender apparently was thinking long term because they developed a serial numbering system with one-letter codes preceding the indentification numbers.
The letters referred to the decade that the guitars were produced. Most guitars then had a number following the one-letter code that designated the specific year. For instance, ID number S76823 would be a guitar produced in 1977. In about 1982 Fender started making import guitars from Japan and around 1990 Fender started importing from Mexico.
These guitars have a completely different set of serial numbers that I will talk about later in the article. This section only deals with USA made Fender guitars. Here are the decade numbers:
| Letters | Decades |
|---|---|
| S | 1970’s |
| E | 1980’s |
| N | 1990’s |
| Z | 2000’s |
The new serial number system was a little complicated, but it does make it relatively easy to tell the date of the guitar. Like all Fender’s previous systems, they are problems with this one.
Fender mass-produced the headstock decal without matching them with the annual production schedules of the guitars–meaning they made more decals for a given year than guitars. See the problem?
There were a few years where excess headstock ID number decals were produced and held over to the next year, the some guitars are actually dated with a previous year decal.
It wasn’t until 1991 that Fender actually got this system straighten out. To get the exact date on guitars made between 1976 and 1991, it is important to cross-reference the dates on the neck written on the heel. Here are a list of dates and codes that overlap years.
| Letters | Decades |
|---|---|
| S7 | January 1977 – April 1978 |
| S8 | December 1977 – December 1978 |
| S9 | November 1978 – August 1981 |
| E0 | June 1979 – December 1981 |
| E1 | December 1980 – January 1982 |
| E2 | December 1981 – January 1983 |
| E3 | December 1982 – January 1985 |
| E4 | December 1983 – Early 1988 |
| E8 | 1988 – 1989 |
| E9 | 1989 – 1990 |
| N9 | 1990 |
| N0 | 1990 – 1991 |
Aside from all of the errors and overlapping serial numbers, this system was quite improved from the previous ID number systems. If Fender would have executed the indentification numbers as planned, USA Fender guitars would be numbered as the following without any exceptions. You can use this table to lookup your Fender serial number after 1976.
| Numbers | Years |
|---|---|
| 760000-799999 | 1976-1977 |
| 800000-899999 | 1979-1981 |
| 1000000-8999999 | 1976-1981 |
| S100000-S699999 | 1979-1982 |
| S700000-S779999 | 1977 |
| S740000-S899999 | 1978 |
| S810000-S879999 | 1979 |
| S880000-S989999 | 1980 |
| S950000-S999999 | 1981 |
| E000000-E199999 | 1979-1982 |
| E110000-E129999 | 1980-1983 |
| E200000-E299999 | 1982 |
| E300000-E319999 | 1983 |
| E320000-E399999 | 1984-1985 |
| E400000-E499999 | 1984-1985, 1987 |
| E800000-E899999 | 1988-1989 |
| E900000-E999999 | 1989-1990 |
| N900000-N999999 | 1990 |
| N000000-N099999 | 1990 |
| N100000-N199999 | 1991-1992 |
| N200000-N299999 | 1992-1993 |
| N300000-N399999 | 1993-1994 |
| N400000-N499999 | 1994-1995 |
| N500000-N599999 | 1995-1996 |
| N600000-N699999 | 1996-1997 |
| N700000-N799999 | 1997-1998 |
| N800000-N899999 | 1998-1999 |
| N900000-N999999 | 1999-2000 |
| Z000000-Z099999 | 2000-2001 |
| Z100000-Z199999 | 2001-2002 |
| Z200000-Z299999 | 2002-2003 |
| Z300000-Z399999 | 2003-2004 |
| Z400000-Z499999 | 2004-2005 |
| Z500000-Z599999 | 2005-2006 |
| Z600000-Z699999 | 2006-2007 |
| Z700000-Z799999 | 2007-2008 |
| Z800000-Z899999 | 2008-2009 |
| Z900000-Z999999 | 2009-2010 |
| 1000000-1099999 | Early 2010 |
| US1000000-US1099999 | Late 2010 |
| US1100000-US1199999 | 2011 |
Fender Anniversary, Reissue, Special Edition, and Signature Series
Throughout the years, Fender has run many limited edition, reissue, and custom guitars. All of these guitars’ ID numbers do not follow the unique number sequence of the regular production guitars.
These guitars usually have a special two to four letter prefix before the serial number. Each prefix is unique to that model guitar. Here is a guide to lookup all of the different types of special Fender guitars with their own serial number pattern.
| Prefix | Number of Digits | Example Serial Number | Guitar Model | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 5 | 2500001 | 25th Anniversary Stratocaster | 1979-1980 |
| AMXN | 6 | AMXN000001 | California Series | 1997-1998 |
| C | 6 | C000001 | Collector’s Series | Up until 1965 |
| CA | 5 | CA00001 | Stratocaster Gold | 1981-1983 |
| CB | 5 | CB00001 | Precision Bass Special and Jazz Bass Gold | 1981, 1982 |
| CC | 5 | CC00001 | Stratocaster Walnut | 1981-1983 |
| CD | 5 | CD00001 | Precision Bass Special | 1982 |
| CE | 5 | CE00001 | Precision Bass Special, Black and Gold Telecaster | 1981-1983 |
| CN | See Korean Guitars | |||
| CO | 5 | CO00001 | Precision Bass Special | 1982 |
| D | 6 | D000001 | Jazz Bass | 1981-1982 |
| DN | 6 | DN000001 | American Deluxe Series | 1998-1999 |
| DZ | 1 year digit + 5 or 6 | DZ100001 | American Deluxe Series | 2000-present |
| FN | 6 | FN000001 | USA Guitars made for export | Can’t be determined from SN |
| G | 6 | G000001 | The Strat | 1980-1983 |
| GO | 5 | GO00001 | Precision Bass Special and Stratocaster Gold | 1982, 1982-1983 |
| I | 6 | I00001 | USA guitars for export stamped USA on heel | 1989-1990 |
| LE | 6 | LE000001 | Blonde Jaguar and Jassmaster sold as set with Blonde Deluxe Reverb Amp | 1994 |
| MN | Mexican Fender Serial Numbers | |||
| NC | See Squire Guitars | |||
| SE | 6 | SE000001 | Signature Models | 1980’s – 1st digit designates specific year |
| SN | 6 | SN000001 | Signature Models | 1990’s – 1st digit designates specific year |
| SZ | 6 | SZ000001 | Signature Models | 2000’s – 1st digit designates specific year |
| T | 6 | T000001 | Fender Tribute Series | Check Heel of Neck |
| V | 4, 5, or 6 | V000001 | Vintage Reissue Guitars Except Tele ’52 | Introduced in 1982 Check Neck for Year |
| VN | Korean Fender Serial Numbers | |||
| XN | 5 | XN00001 | FRS and Telecaster ’52 | More variations of serials may exist |
| XXX of 500 | 3 | 001 of 500 | 35th Anniversary Stratocaster | 1989-1990 |
| XXXX on Bridgeplate | 4 | 0001 | U.S. ’52 Vintage Telecaster Reissue | 1982-1988 Check Neck for Year |
| XXXXX on Bridgeplate | 5 | 00001 | U.S. ’52 Vintage Telecaster Reissue | 1988-present Check Neck for Year |
| XXXX on Back of Headstock | 4 | 0001 | Custom Order | 1987-present Check Neck for Year |
Related Guides
Japanese Fender Serial Numbers
Fender Squire and Chinese numbering and dating guides are coming soon.
You can also find more information on the Fender site.
Help…I have a Fender Styrat “Squier”, USA made, serial ¿0920?, can anyboby tell me the dating of this guitar.
All Squires are made in the far east. They never made them in the US.
Possibly 1954 but have no idea why you placed ? before and after the numbers. ?
I have a fender stratocaster original custom body with the serial number JC127 and i cant find the date, could you help me?
Have a fender strat original contour body neck serial is SLH10JG made in the USA any help appreciated thanks
Mauro Fallas –
There is NO SUCH THING as a USA Made “Squier”!
ALL Squier’s were and are IMPORT models made OUTSIDE of the USA. Period, NO exception
Keith
I worked for Fender from 1970 to 2000, Custom Luthier and Import Production Manager.
Keith; Hate to burst your bubble, but I’ve personally seen very early (’89) Squire Strat’s that WERE made in the U.S.A. and were plainly identified as such in the headstock decals with the serial numbers. This totally blew my mind because up until I actually saw one I was under the impression that the very first Squier Strats were manufactured in Japan due to Fender’s lack of manufacturing facilities after Bill Schultz and partners bought Fender from CBS! And NO; the instrument had NOT been altered in any way, was in great shape (although a bit dirty), and the quality level was impressive. Just so you know my qualifications, I worked in Sales, Purchasing, and Guitar repairs for Casper Music from 1992 to 1998, we were a Fender dealer and I was a Silver level Fender Repair Tech.The following thread came from Fender’s own “Stratocaster Forum” dated Jan. 25th 2016 strattalk.com/threads/usa-squier.380037/
Hi I have a Genuine Fender SUPER 250’s Stratocaster , custom shop designed made in Mexico serial no MZ6260940….it has a little round silver badge with 60 on it.
On the face of the headstock it says original custom body and under Fender it says @with synchronized Tremolo. Australian purchased and is in top condition.
Can anyone tell me when it was made and or what it might be worth please.
Thanks.
Pete
Hi – We are a music shop who also does repairs. We have a Fender Tele a customer has brought in for repair. It’s a ‘leftie’ and has the serial number MZ5129709. But, it’s not made in Mexico! It has made in the USA on the back of the headstock. On the neck plate it has Fender. Underneath in upper case it has CORONA, and underneath CORONA it has CALIFORNIA.
One website I went to said it was made in Mexico in 2005. But, the customer said her Dad had it at least 30 years ago that she remembers, and she believes (well) before that. It has a lovely burl top. It is now back in very good condition.
Can a possible date be established for it? Thanks Keith
Hi!
I have a Fender Telecaster (made in USA) with serial number Z7030984. I know that it’s dated in the year 2007-2008 (am I right?), but I have no idea what type of Telecaster this is. Can anybody help me with that?
Cheers, Pieter
hi Peter, just read your text here, I just traded a Telecaster with the Ser. # Z7 030839, I understand that the Z stands for being manufactured starting at the year 2000, the first digit, in this case 7, documents that it is built in 2007-2008, followed by the digits of the real serial #.
I am a little nervous, coz there is on the back of the headstock written #ORIGINAL Contour Body“ (which was covered by a sticker) which I never saw before, just be familiar with „ORIGINAL Custom Body“, hope it is not a fake. So you have the same on your back of the
Can you also kindly advise of what you paid for your guitar?
thanks so much,
best John
I have a fender mustang that doesn’t say anything about where it was made. A bunch of pat numbers on front/face of head. 196690 on neck backplate.
hi, i have a fender strat made in usa, i have had it for over 22years ,i would like to know how old it is ,serial no. 9082813 mmm cheers
hello i have a fender stratocaster 57 vintage reissue and the serial numper is V166961 on neck backplate .Which year was built
We found a Fender Precision Bass in a neighbor’s basement.
Serial 586674,
I cannot find any reference in your “charts” to a Precision Bass.
the guitars, with that range of numbers are dated in 1976. How about the Precision Bass.
If you take the neck off you should find at the base of the neck by the truss rod adjuster the date stamped there. At least that is how mine is.
I have a Fender Musicmaster bass guitar S826725 that I can’t figure out the date on. I purchased it new in 1970 at Parker Music Store in Houston Tx. I have been to several websites including Fender but cannot get the answer.
Please help if you can and I’d like to know what it is worth please.
Kenney
I have a brand new never ever been played, the sticker still covers the whammy Bar insert. as new as new could be be with all the items that come with a new Fender Guitar.
Serial Number US12310432 – Corona California – Made in the USA
AM STD STRT MN BLK, found another factory sheet inside with this information on it along with this number and all the signatures signed by employees once completed???
My question is, is it American Made, How old is it? and what is this guitar with case worth?
Thanks for your help.
Its a USA made in 2012 . It clearly tells you that on the information listed above . US = USA made . US12 + the year 2012 the rest is the serial number . Worth about $1000 us dollars
I have a black Stratocaster HSS I think. serial number 10002715, can’t find this anywhere why?
I am looking at similar one, 10050505. Cant find anything on it. It seems a bit custom, with a black headstock to match the body.
10029162 Cant find anything on it.
Tengo una Fender Squier Stratocaster serial nombre E 908692 made in USA , se dice que estas modelos fueron fabricados antes del incendio de la fábrica de California,
I have a Squire Strat s/n 1C0405140622 It looks to be in good condition. It is Deep Red (Maroon) & white. It has the Fender amp with it. I got this out of a storage unit & want to find out it’s worth. Can you help me?
Thanks
I have a fender strat… I cannot find, on the search can u help..
Serial number is ICO41042362
Ty….
I have ’73 Fender Precision Bass. I bought a new one in 1975.
Serial number : 608286
I’m sorry. Correct the year.
I checked the date of the neck, my Precision Bass was the 30th week of 1974.
It was not 1973.
Neck Dating print : 010? 304?
F plate serial number : 608286
Hi I have Squier Precision CH 04 2049, could you tell me where it’s made.thanks
I have a Fender Stratocaster Gold Serial# CA 11541. Bought it new around early 80. Don´t know if it has any special name, but it sure is Gold everywhere.
Any idea whats the date? Or year? I have only played it at home, Its nearly untouched and someone told me it was perhaps a collectors item. Is it?
Thanks
Hi I really want to know more about my guitar. Is a Fender Stratocaster Gold Custom Shop USA Serial CA15706.
If someone knows something special about it I would really appreciate it.
Hello, I’m thinking of buying a Fender Stratocaster (USA) serial number 7675676 but can’t find any serial numbers which correspond. Can anyone help please? Thanks
i have a left-handed (strung for a right handed player (which i am not) Squire Strat that indicates it was crafted in Indonesia… with the Number SN IC00072536 there is also a small sticker just below the tuning keys that say CE (if that helps) got this at a pawn shop so i do not have any history or provenance apart from that…it’s in fairly good shape apart from missing one nob on the front and one that seems a bit noisy when adjusting…it’s black fleck finish but i cannot tell if it’s real wood or pressed particleboard (if they ever did that sort of thing)
I bought some fender guitars in a storage auction. I can’t figure out what years they are. Please help
Fender telecaster serial number 62259
Fender Stratocaster serial number V182664
Telecaster and Strat are both mid 80s re-issue. Probably worth $300 each in mint condition with original paperwork and case.
I’ve got a Chinese Fender Starcaster s/n CXS 080850880. I’ve read that the 1st 2 numbers give the year it was made, making it a 2008 Starcaster. Black body, white/black/white pickguard, sss pickups, 70’s maple neck & fretboard, CBS headstock, matte finish. Plays well. I’m working on modifying it to look & sound better. Any response it welcome.
I still can’t find my guitar. It was purchased new in 1997 or 1998. The serial number is
N7214363. It is an American made Stratacaster.
It’s an American standard made in 1997. You can google “Fender serial number look-up” and look it up by serial # on Fender’s website. I own a N72XXXXX and it’s a Fender American standard made in 1997. I can’t figure out why it starts with “N72” instead of “N + 5 or 6 digits” though…
Who is Henry Ferry anybody knows? And did he work for fender in fullerton?
Can anyone please help me to date my fender please.its a squire stratocaster, number CY01084316.
can anyone help date my Squier Stratocaster, Standard Issue, Serial Number. CY 03027094
cheers
Ian
How old is a strat. with a serial no.of V008580
I have a strat with the number S923605 do you know any page where i can check it?
with the great info from your article i can see that my guitar was made in 1980
Hi Mike here asked a question earlier still no news on it ????
Hello, my guitar is an fender E series 1984-1987. It has a Khaler bridge spyder on it and string clamp by the headstock. It has made in Japan printed on the back of the neck near the body end, under the neck it said ST 577. Can anyone help me to identify if this is original from Fender. Any information would help. Many Thanks Mike.
Just to add it said ST 557F, and in red print it is stamped US. Thanks Mike.
I just bought a Chinese Stratocaster and I’m trying to find out how old it is the serial number is Cgf 1301615
Well, I too am stumped and am in need of some guidance or suggestions… I can not find—for sure—the linage of this Telecaster but I need to verify the existing paint/finish, so I can repaint and touch up some damage.
A long time guitar buddy of mine passed away a couple years ago and I acquired one of his Fender Telecasters. This one does not have any serial info on the head stock but I did find two different dates in 1995, on the neck heel and one 1995 date on the body under the neck. Also located on the body there is a 5 digit serial number – no letters, just 5 numbers.
The twist is: along with the single coil at the neck it has a big humbucker in the bridge pickup location; not the diag single coil common to most telecasters.
Along with this info I should add that the body seems to be made of Mahogany with what might be an overlay of a different wood on the front for the sake of the semi transparent candy apple red finish which shows off the wood grain underneath—which then feathers out to solid red around the edge. There is a very slight metalic to the deep red finish.
Any ideas if this was made in Japan, USA or Mars? The red finish is kind of Mars-like 🙂
Sorry! I ended up writing a small novel trying to explain this instrument…
And thanks in advance for any advice… DWrightB
Hello everyone, I own Fender Precision Special Bass guitar, 24 carats gold plated, active one, the number starts with G 0257667, made in USA. How can I find out in which year it has been produced?? And to find certificate about it?? Thanks in advance
Hello,
I have a 70’s tele custom: natural finish, rosewood fingerboard. It has a fender ‘bigsby’ trem. The serial number is 572021, the stamp on the heel of the neck looks like 0701 2321. There is also a name stamp on the neck housing that looks like D. REED. I bought it in Los Angeles in 1993 at a store called Guitar Guitar (?), but I have often wondered if it came from the Fender factory with the trem or if it was retro-fitted? Any help you can offer would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Still can’t find what it means s00000423 gemini ll help
Hi there
I’m in the UK and have a left handed strat, serial number S767303
I think I’ve managed to work out using your info that it was made 1976 – 1977.
Would you have any idea how much it’s worth?
Thanks
I have a Fender Strat – Serial No. G029263. It says it is Made in USA. Cherry Red with brass controls and bridge. White plastic pickups. The neck is amber colored wood and I bought it in London in the late 80s. Can anybody tell me what year it is and what it might be worth? It is in very good condition but not in the original case.
Only number I got is 304077 on the rear tag of the body and the fender F symbol. I think it’s a 70’s but not sure as the neck was changed it’s a light wood colour teli
Help! Found a fender (thinking an esquire) with the serial number 155457 on the back of the neck plate with NO F symbol. Would this be a 1966? Unfortunately I can put my hands on it cause it’s in a different state. Or any other way to tell? Thanks so much for your time!
if a neckplate has a serial stamped (say 51593 dating 1958) how can we tell it hasn’t been removed from another guitar, therefore the guitar could be much newer?
I have a fender jaguar serial number 76591. I think it’s a 1962 would like to confirm also what would it be worth today ? I’m in Canada 🇨🇦
No one cares about you garbage squires !!! They are worthless . Sorry but true
I have a 25th anniversary with serial 255775. I have owned since 1991 and I do not have the Certificate. Was this made in the USA? And do you know how I can get the Certification? Thanks
mine is a fender squire with a big head stock it is made in Indonesia s/n 1c011001881 if you know year it was made plese let me know thanks
hello, I have a Fender Stratocaster “original body” with the neck plate no. V042126, it´s cream yellow with original old type case, I know it must have been made before 1990 for the Swedish band “The Creeps”, the guitarist could chose as an offer from the record company between this guitar and a light-blue, he took the light-blue as you can see on their video “Oh I like it”, I bought it from a friend who was the guitar-technician for Europe, Roxette and many other bands and so on, so can you help me with this? pre-90 I think, or must I take the neck of to check? or can I say it´s Vintage Reissue Guitar between 1982-1989,
best regards, and I hoping for an(or more answers)
yens
Hi there, I’m after a beautiful Fender Eric Clapton “Blakie”, looking absolutely genuine, but there is no stated the origin of manufacturing and serial № is SZ2 108139, which doesn’t match any known serial. Have someone got any idea how I can identify that guitar, please? Thanks
Hello.
I just purchased a fender thin line guitar thru Guitar Center New Orleans. The ad said it was a 1972 fender thin line Telly!?
I just received the guitar, in Cincinnati and first it does not say on the guitar were it was made? The add said made in the USA!
The only serial number I can find is on the back plate for the neck. Vo6993 is all that is there. It also has engraved Fender mirror neck adjustment and patent number
3550496
The guitar looks to new to be a 1972.
Please let me know what year this guitar actually is?
Your help is GREATLY APPRECIATED!
THANK YOU SO MUCH JIM GRADY
Hi all, have a fender strat with serial number V115650.
Can anybody share any info with me regarding this.
I cannot find any info dating it. Searches I’ve used say no record.
Many thanks
Hi Guys. I’m getting frustrated. I purchased my Strat somewhere around 1980. Serial number is S940891. SO according to all the charts I’ve seen, I can narrow it down betweeen 1978 and 1981. Can’t I get 1 year out of al this? WHT YEAR IS IT???
Hi Y’all,
I bought a Tele at an estate sale for $100. Very rough but good bones so I thought I would just tinker with it. No serial number on the back plate. Just the Fender F. No number on the headstock either. The heel of the neck big red L then FL59-75 a capital V near the screw hole and a red dot. Date in pencil on the heel next to the truss rod screw 10-20-88 written in pencil.
In the neck pocket on the body the same FL59-75. So the body and neck numbers match. Any ideas? By the way. Plugged it in and sounds awesome!
Z3162792 is my serial number Is this bass an American Vintage series 2002 reissue of a 1975 jazz bass?
I have what was sold as a Fender Thin Line Telecaster. It has a Bigsby with pearl white pick guard. The serial number is Z01061261. It also has two string rollers on the headstock, two strings each roller assembly. The tailpiece has nothing stamped on it. Looking into the cutout area of the guitar the routing seems to be a little rough and not finished at all. I am beginning to think that this is not a true Fender. Anyone have any information on the serial number or thoughts on if this is a true Fender Thin Line Telecaster? I am getting ready to sell it but don’t want to provide false info. That being said it frets great and sounds great.
Could anyone tell me when my starcaster guitar was made? Mdl# 0910104126. Sn# csro803265.
Thanks