How old is my fender strat

After a short period of overlap with the old system, the post numbers will start with a letter that indicates the decade, followed by a number that indicates the year of that decade. In the s, you'll also see serials starting with a DZ which indicates the Deluxe series, but the format is otherwise the same. For example, a serial number with N4 would be from One starting with Z5 would be from This is particularly pronounced in the transitional period of the mid-'80s, though the system has been pretty much on point since about After , the letter changed to a format starting with US then two digits that tell the year of the current decade.

American-made signature series instruments follow a very similar scheme to the above, but use a prefix S before the decade letter. For example, a Signature Series guitar from would have a serial starting with SN8 followed by five digits. These have serial numbers starting with V and do not strictly correlate to years. The neck dates on these guitars, however, are usually reliable. Fender Japan serial numbers can usually be found on the back of the neck near the neck joint.

Though examples also exist with the number on the headstock or the neck-plate in the case of certain early reissue models. Up until , the serial was paired with the words "Made in Japan. In , Fender expanded operations with a series of instruments produced in Japan by the Fuji Gen Gakki company. Like the US serial numbers, MIJ made in Japan serials start with a letter or pair of letters that indicate the rough year of production.

This system, however, is notoriously inconsistent and incomplete, which makes dating by serial number even less reliable for MIJ Fenders. After , Fender Japan switched back to marking Fenders as "Made in Japan" though for a few years instruments with both decals were made.

Serial numbers since this transition have continued the same sequence as the "CIJ" era. Fender opened a factory in Ensenada, Mexico in the late '80s and instruments started coming off the line in The MIM serial number scheme is actually very straight-forward. For Mexican Fenders made in the s, the serial will start with an MN followed by a number that indicates the year of the decade. Instruments made in the s follow the same form but start with MZ. The potentiometers are the variable resistors that allow the player to adjust the volume and tone of the guitar through the amplifier.

Potentiometers are made with manufacturer codes that indicate the manufacturer and what week of what year it was made. The problem with vintage Fender guitar serial numbers is that they are often found on an easily replaceable part.

Not only that, but these plates were not applied to guitars in a consecutive order. A lower serial number does no necessarily indicate an earlier guitar. There is a general pattern to the serial numbers so that's why I've included them here:. For Fender guitars with serial numbers with 6 digits or less on the neck plate.

I'm looking to purchase guitars from this time period. Six digit serial numbers with a large stylized F on the plate. I'm looking to purchase guitars from this time period:. This guitar is an excellent example of why Fender serial numbers can be misleading.

This Fender Stratocaster exhibited a lot features that indicated it was made in The serial number "", however, is from a range that indicates that it was made in 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 , , and Fender decided to place zero or a dash in front of ID numbers periodically.

He was nearing his ,th guitar. This time all the identification numbers under 10, fill the empty digits with zeros. It was L 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 These 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. In , 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 S would be a guitar produced in In about Fender started making import guitars from Japan and around 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:.

The new serial number system was a little complicated, but it does make it relatively easy to tell the date of the guitar. 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.

To get the exact date on guitars made between and , 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. 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 Throughout the years, Fender has run many limited edition, reissue, and custom 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.

Japanese Fender Serial Numbers. Mexican Fender Serial Numbers. Korean Fender Serial Numbers. You can also find more information on the Fender site. I have a fender stratocaster original custom body with the serial number JC and i cant find the date, could you help me? Period, NO exception. 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. 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. Hi — We are a music shop who also does repairs. We have a Fender Tele a customer has brought in for repair. It has made in the USA on the back of the headstock. On the neck plate it has Fender. One website I went to said it was made in Mexico in 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. Can anybody help me with that? Z7 , I understand that the Z stands for being manufactured starting at the year , the first digit, in this case 7, documents that it is built in , followed by the digits of the real serial. So you have the same on your back of the Can you also kindly advise of what you paid for your guitar?

Which year was built. 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 been to several websites including Fender but cannot get the answer. I have a brand new never ever been played, the sticker still covers the whammy Bar insert. My question is, is it American Made, How old is it? A potentiometer is a variable resistor that can vary the output of the signal in such a way as to control the volume or tone of an electric guitar. The part that's visible from the outside is the volume or tone knob, but the potentiometer inside is what's doing the work.

Potentiometers or "pots" were made with EIA codes that indicate the manufacturer who made it, and the year and week in which it was manufactured. Since potentiometer codes were assigned when the pot was made, they don't indicate the year and week of the year that the guitar was made. They can indicate that the guitar is no older than the potentiometer code, as long as they are original to the guitar.

Fender guitar experts like me! The general style of each model of Fender guitar changed slightly throughout the s, s, and s. Vintage Fender guitar experts can look at a guitar and have a good idea of about when it was made without seeing a serial number, neck heel date, or potentiometer codes.

For example, a Telecaster with a Maple fretboard is likely to have been made from ; a slab Rosewood fretboard on a Telecaster neck would likely have been made between and ; and a thin veneered Rosewood fretboard would have to have been made in or later.

There are so many of these small feature tells that help an expert date a vintage Fender guitar. There are too many to list here, so if you would like some help with Fender guitar dating, click the contact me button and send me some pictures. I'd love to check it out. If you're looking for model specific Fender guitar dating, check out these posts: How to date a vintage Fender Stratocaster guitar How to date a vintage Fender Jazzmaster guitar How to date a vintage Fender Jaguar guitar Knowing how to date a Fender guitar is important to help establish its value.