Fender guitar serial number search

Need help with your serial number?

One way to find out how old is my Fender guitar is check the serial number against the Fender serial number records. The following is a nearly comprehensive list of Fender guitar serial numbers for Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jazzmasters, and Jaguars made from until the s. Keep in mind that Fender serial numbers are not necessarily consecutive and the plates are easily swapped out using only a screwdriver. You can begin to date your Fender guitar by checking the serial number, then move on to the model specific pages for a more thorough view on the year your guitar was made. How to use the Fender serial number lookup to find out how old is your Fender guitar: First find the location of the serial number.

Fender guitar serial number search

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Made In Japan

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Most notably, production dates have been penciled or stamped on the butt end of the heel of the neck of most guitars and basses, although there were periods when this was not consistently done to , for example or simply omitted. Neck-dating can be useful in determining the approximate age of a guitar, but it is certainly not definitive because the neck date simply refers to the date that the individual component was produced, rather than the complete instrument. Given the modular nature of Fender production techniques, an individual neck may have been produced in a given year, then stored for a period of time before being paired with a body to create a complete guitar, perhaps, for example, in the following year. Therefore, while helpful in determining a range of production dates, a neck date is obviously not a precisely definitive reference. Most specifications for a given Fender instrument model change little if at all throughout the lifetime of the model. While there have been periods of dramatic change—such as the transition periods between the Leo Fender years and the CBS years or the transition between the CBS years and the current ownership—most models are generally feature-specific and do not change from year to year. For years, serial numbers have been used in various locations on Fender instruments, such as the top of the neck plate, the front or back of the headstock and the back of the neck near the junction with the body. The chart below details Fender serial number schemes used from to Notice that there is quite a bit of overlap in numbers and years. Fender was sold to CBS in January

Fender guitar serial number search

One way to find out how old is my Fender guitar is check the serial number against the Fender serial number records. The following is a nearly comprehensive list of Fender guitar serial numbers for Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jazzmasters, and Jaguars made from until the s. Keep in mind that Fender serial numbers are not necessarily consecutive and the plates are easily swapped out using only a screwdriver. You can begin to date your Fender guitar by checking the serial number, then move on to the model specific pages for a more thorough view on the year your guitar was made. How to use the Fender serial number lookup to find out how old is your Fender guitar: First find the location of the serial number. Check the back of the body on the metal plate in the middle this is the neck plate. If nothing, then look on the front of the guitar in the center of the body where the strings attach this is the bridge plate. If nothing, look on the front or the back of the headstock near the tuners. Second, decide if the serial number begins with a letter prefix. You'll need both the location of the number and the letter prefix or lack thereof to use the serial number lookup below.

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Fender opened the Ensenada, Mexico factory in the late s. Despite these limitations, the serial number is still a useful tool for dating a guitar and can provide valuable information about the age and model of the guitar. In some cases, the serial number may have been altered or tampered with, either intentionally or accidentally. These may include the type of wood used, the shape of the headstock, the type of pickups, and the type of hardware. Remember that the plates are easily swapped for another plate using only a screwdriver, so it's only the first step in dating a vintage Fender guitar. November 2 nd Beta 1. Crawling Fender databases. The reliability of a guitar serial number in dating a guitar can vary depending on the manufacturer and the specific guitar. If nothing, look on the front or the back of the headstock near the tuners. Each guitar manufacturer has their own unique serial number system, and the format of the serial number can vary depending on the model and the year of manufacture. The quality of imported guitars rose quickly so Fender began marketing less expensive Fender branded guitars manufactured in Japan. Made In Japan But yes during that time the made E number at Japan to. Check the bottom of the guitar for a label or sticker.

Need help with your serial number? Learn more. Could you please let me know the production year?

Hi Wollmar. Serial numbers may be missing or difficult to read. The s were a strange decade for the Fender company. The serial number is usually located on the back of the headstock on electric guitars, and may be stamped or written in ink. Thank you, Robert. I recommend dating these guitars with the neck date and potentiometer codes. How reliable is the guitar serial number in dating a Fender guitar? The first digit after the prefix usually indicates the year but there is plenty of overlap. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Fender began applying the serial numbers to the headstock instead of the neck plate in Click here to get started! Despite these limitations, the serial number is still a useful tool for dating a guitar and can provide valuable information about the age and model of the guitar.