Here is a nearly comprehensive list of Fender serial numbers for Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jazzmasters, and Jaguars made from 1950 until the 1980s. 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 read Fender serial numbers: The most common place to find them is on the back of the guitar where the neck joins the body. The square metal plate is called the neck plate. The second most common place will be at the top of the neck called the head stock, or in the middle of the body where the strings attach called the bridge plate. Preceding V serial numbers are modern reissues beginning in 1982, not vintage guitars. L serial numbers were likely made between 1963 and 1965. Numbers with a preceding - or 0 were likely made during 1957 or 1958.
Fender serial numbers from 1950 until 1955 are different than later numbers in that they are model or style specific. The Broadcaster, Esquire, and Telecaster have one set, the Precision Bass its own set, and the Stratocaster an entirely different set. I am looking for nice examples of each model of Fender guitars made in the 1950s. Let me know if you're considering selling one a Stratocaster, Telecaster, or Precision Bass from this time period: Sell a Fender .
Squier Serial Number Lookup
Fender began stamping serial numbers on the metal plate on the back of the body in 1954. This serial number range is appropriate for dating Stratocasters, Telecasters, Jazzmasters from 1958 onward, and Jaguars from 1962 on. 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. If your neck plate has a serial number with more than six digits then it was not made in the 1950s or 1960s. Some of the earliest Stratocasters have a four digit serial number on the white plastic tremolo plate cover on the back of the body. I am looking for Fender guitars in the following serial number range so you can contact me here to sell a Fender guitar .
Fender serial numbers preceded by an L: Fender guitars made between 1963 and 1965 have a letter L preceding the serial number. The actual year of manufacture can range wildly during this time period, so it's important to check the model specific pages to accurately date Fender guitars with L serials.
Fender serial numbers with large F underneath: Leo Fender sold his company to CBS in 1965. The new owners instituted a mostly consecutive serialization system comprised of 6 digits and a large stylized F underneath. The F neck plate style was the location of Fender serial numbers from 1965 until 1976.
Fender Serial Number Lookup: Abbreviations & Acronyms
Fender began applying the serial numbers to the headstock instead of the neck plate in 1976. The serial number scheme usually began with a letter prefix to indicate the decade then a series of numbers. An S indicates 1970s, E indicates 1980s, and N = 1990s. The first digit after the prefix usually indicates the year but there is plenty of overlap. While the first two digits following the letter prefix is supposed to be the year it was made, some were made the following year or even 2 years after. I recommend dating these guitars with the neck date and potentiometer codes.
E.g. E2 xxxxx = 1982 . There is much overlap during this period, so the serial number is only a ballpark estimate. It's best to use potentiometer codes for a more accurate date.
Fender introduced a new US Vintage series in 1982 using a serial number system consisting of a letter V prefix and four or five following digits. We recommend dating these guitars using the neck heel and potentiometer codes instead of the serial numbers. Some of the earliest US Vintage series Stratocasters can be considered by many players to be vintage collectible guitars at this point.
Custom Serial Number Waterslide Guitar Headstock Decals
The 1980s were a strange decade for the Fender company. The quality of imported guitars rose quickly so Fender began marketing less expensive Fender branded guitars manufactured in Japan. Fender's parent company sold the brand in 1984 to a group of investors and closed the Fullerton factory. All Fender guitars were made in Japan from the Fullerton plant closing in 1984 until the Corona plant began operations in 1986.
Fender opened the Ensenada, Mexico factory in the late 1980s. Serial numbers for these guitars have an M prefix followed by a letter to indicate the decade. For more information on these guitars check out Ensenada from Fuzzfaced. 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.
Korean Stratocasters Serial Numbers
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.
Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster Serial Numbers
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.
Mexican Fender Serial Numbers
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.
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.
Fender Instruments Serial Number Dating Guide
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. 🙂
Now that we have talked about where to find your Fender
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