How to Date your Fender Guitar: Serial Number Guide and More!

How To Date Your Fender Guitar:

Checking the date range can be done by removing the neck of the guitar and checking the butt end of the neck heel for a stamped or written date (See picture for an example). Also, another good way to properly date Fender guitars is to check the components (pots, pickups, body dates). Fender neck plates were selected from large bins and it's difficult to properly date Fender's by neck plate alone. Please refer to an experienced guitar tech or luthier if you are not sure about doing so.

(Handwritten Fender Neck Date Example on a 1956 Fender Precision Bass)

(Handwritten 1962 Fender Neck Date: Fender Jazzmaster March '62)

(Stamped 1963 Fender Neck Date: Fender Jazzmaster September '63)

(Fender Neck Date Example: 1971 Telecaster Bass)

(8th week of '74 Pot Codes on a 1974 Fender Stratocaster)

(Fender Body Date 4/59: 1959 Fender Jazzmaster)

 

Manufacturing Date Identification of Fender:

Fender serial number schemes from 1950-1964 contain overlap in numbers and years. Remember these serial number plates were just taken from the pile and 

Fender Telecaster (Early Esquire and Broadcaster) Serial Numbers from 1950-1954:

The Telecaster was introduced in 1951. It was originally called the Broadcaster and it was the first solid body mass produced electric guitar.

Telecaster Serial Numbers (1950-1954)	Years
0001 - 0999	1950 - 1952
1000 - 5300	1952 - 1954

 

Fender P Bass Serial Numbers from 1951-1955:

Fender also introduced the Precision Bass (P Bass) in 1951.

P Bass Serial Numbers (1951-1955)	Years
100 - 400	1951 - 1952
0001 - 0999	1952 - 1954
1000 - 2000	1953 - 1955

 

Fender Serial Numbers 4-6 Digits:

Serial Numbers (1950-1963)	Year
0001 - 8000	1954
6000 - 10000	1955
9000 - 16000	1956
16000 - 25000	1957
25000 - 30000	1958
30000 - 40000	1959
40000 - 58000	1960
55000 - 72000	1961
72000 - 93000	1962
93000 - 99999	1963

 

(1958 Fender Serial Number Example: 1958 Fender Musicmaster)

Fender L-Series Serial Numbers:

(Fender L-Series 1963 Serial Number Example: 1963 Fender Jazzmaster )

L-Series Serial Numbers (1963-1965)	Year
L00001 - L20000	1963
L20000 - L55000	1964
L55000 - L99999	1965

 

Fender was sold to CBS in January of 1965. Serial numbers of instruments did not change immediately as they continued using existing production tools and parts.

Fender F-Series Serial Numbers:

(Fender F-Series Serial Number Example: 1967 Fender Coronado II Bass)  

 

F-Series Serial Number (1965-1976)	Year
100000 - 110000	1965
110000 - 200000	1966
180000 - 210000	1967
220000 - 250000	1968
250000 - 280000	1969
280000 - 300000	1970
300000 - 330000	1971
330000 - 370000	1972
370000 - 520000	1973
500000 - 580000	1974
580000 - 690000	1975
690000 - 750000	1976

(Fender F-Series Serial Number Example: 1973 Fender Precision Bass)

(Fender F-Series Serial Number Example: 1974 Fender Stratocaster w/ 3-bolt neck design)

Fender Peghead Decal Serial Numbers:

In mid-1976, Fender began putting serial numbers on the peghead for U.S. made guitars. (See picture below). "S" Serial Numbers = 1970's, "E" Serial Numbers were started in 1979 to denote the 1980's, "V" Serial Numbers were introduced in 1982 for U.S. Vintage Series. “N” Serial Numbers denote the 1990’s. “N” and “E” Serial Numbers can also denote Japanese-made instruments. CBS sold Fender in March 1985 and serial numbers of instruments stayed the same. There are overlap with numbers and years.

“Z” Serial Numbers denote the instruments made in the USA starting in 2000. “DZ” denotes American Deluxe Series instruments.

 

Serial Number (1976-2009)	Year
76 + 5 digits (Bold 76)	1976
1000000 - 8000000	1976 - 1981
S6 + 5 digits	1976
S7 + 5 digits	1977 - 1978
S8 + 5 digits	1977 - 1980
S9 + 5 digits	1978 - 1983
E0 + 5 digits	1979 - 1981
800000's	1979 - 1981
E1 + 5 digits	1980 - 1982
E2 + 5 digits	1982 - 1983
E3 + 5 digits	1982 - 1983
E4 + 5 digits	1984 - 1985, 1987 - 1988
E8 + 5 digits	1988 - 1989
E9 + 5 digits	1989 - 1990
N9 + 5 digits	1990
N0 + 5 digits	1990 - 1991
N1 + 5 or 6 digits	1991 - 1992
N2 + 5 or 6 digits	1992 - 1993
N3 + 5 or 6 digits	1993 - 1994
N4 + 5 or 6 digits	1994 - 1995
N5 + 5 or 6 digits	1995 - 1996
N6 + 5 or 6 digits	1996 - 1997
N7 + 5 or 6 digits	1997 - 1998
N8 + 5 or 6 digits	1998 - 1999
N9 + 5 or 6 digits	1999 - 2000
DZ0 or Z0 + 5 or 6 digits	2000
DZ1 or Z1 + 5 or 6 digits	2001
DZ2 or Z2 + 5 or 6 digits	2002
DZ3 or Z3 + 5 or 6 digits	2003
DZ4 or Z4 + 5 or 6 digits	2004
DZ5 or Z5 + 5 or 6 digits	2005
DZ6 or Z6 + 5 or 6 digits	2006
DZ7 or Z7 + 5 or 6 digits	2007
DZ8 or Z8 + 5 or 6 digits	2008
DZ9 or Z9 + 5 or 6 digits	2009

 

(Fender Peghead Decal "Z6" Example: 2006 Fender American VG Stratocaster)

A new serial numbering system was used starting towards the end of 2009 with a “10” prefix with a space and 7 digits. The “10” prefix denotes instruments made in 2010. This numbering system was used for a few months, then it was replaced with serial numbers with “US” as a prefix and an 8-digit number with the first 2 digits denoting the year (US11 for 2011).  

Serial Number (2010-2017)	Year
“10” prefix followed by a space + 7 digits	Late 2009 - March 2010
US11 + 6 digits	2011
US12 + 6 digits	2012
US13 + 6 digits	2013
US14 + 6 digits	2014
US15 + 6 digits	2015
US16 + 6 digits	2016
US17 + 6 digits	2017
US18 + 6 digits	2018

 

(Fender 2018 US Serial Number Example: 2018 Fender Limited Edition Parallel Universe Jazz Telecaster)

 

Fender Made in Japan Serial Numbers:

Japanese Fender Serial Numbers (1982-1996)	Year
JV + 5 digits	1982 - 1984
SQ + 5 digits	1983 - 1984
E + 6 digits	1984 - 1987
A + 6 digits	1985 - 1986
B + 6 digits	1985 - 1986
C + 6 digits	1985 - 1986
F + 6 digits	1986 - 1987
G + 6 digits	1987 - 1988
H + 6 digits	1988 - 1989
I + 6 digits	1989 - 1990
J + 6 digits	1989 - 1990
K + 6 digits	1990 - 1991
L + 6 digits	1991 - 1992
M + 6 digits	1992 - 1993
N + 6 digits	1993 - 1994
O + 6 digits	1994 - 1995
P + 6 digits	1995 - 1996