Fender Japan serial numbers
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Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters 1996 N7 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits U. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year E3 + 5 digits E4 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits U. Deluxe V + 5 or 6 digits American Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecaster XN5 + 4 digits 2005 US + 7 digits 3rd en 4th digit, production year.
Therefore, while helpful in determining a range of production dates, a neck date is obviously not a precisely definitive reference. These became in the head under the Fender logo stamped.
Dating Fender Guitars - Although Fender had already switched in 1954 serialized for all models on the neck plate, is the serial number at some Precison's still affixed to the bridge plate.
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 1973 to 1981, 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. DATING CHARTS The chart below details Fender serial number schemes used from 1950 to 1964. Notice that there is quite a bit of overlap in numbers and years. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES Up to 6,000 1950 to 1954 Up to 10,000 1954 to 1956 10,000s 1955 to 1956 10,000s to 20,000s 1957 20,000s to 30,000s 1958 30,000s to 40,000s 1959 40,000s to 50,000s 1960 50,000s to 70,000s 1961 60,000s to 90,000s 1962 80,000s to 90,000s 1963 90,000s up to L10,000s 1963 L10,000s up to L20,000s 1963 L20,000s up to L50,000s 1964 Fender was sold to CBS in January 1965. The chart below details Fender serial number schemes used from 1965 to 1976. Notice that there is quite a bit of overlap in numbers and years. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES L50,000s up to L90,000s 1965 100,000s 1965 100,000s to 200,000s 1966 to 1967 200,000s 1968 200,000s to 300,000s 1969 to 1970 300,000s 1971 to 1972 300,000s to 500,000s 1973 400,000s to 500,000s 1974 to 1975 500,000s to 700,000s 1976 The charts below detail the most common Fender serial number schemes from 1976 to the present. Once again, there is quite a bit of overlap in numbers and years. As seen in the overlap of numbers and years, even these references to actual production dates are rather loose. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES 76 + 5 digits S6 + 5 digits 1976 S7 + 5 digits S8 + 5 digits 1977 S7 + 5 digits S8 + 5 digits S9 + 5 digits 1978 S9 + 5 digits E0 + 5 digits 1979 S9 + 5 digits E0 + 5 digits E1 + 5 digits 1980 S9 + 5 digits E0 + 5 digits E1 + 5 digits 1981 1982 saw the introduction of the U. The only way to definitively date U. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES EI + 5 digits E2 + 5 digits E3 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits U. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year E2 + 5 digits E3 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits U. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year E3 + 5 digits E4 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits U. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year CBS sold Fender in March 1985. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES E3 + 5 digits E4 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits U. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year V + 4, 5 or 6 digits U. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year E4 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits U. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year E4 + 5 digits E8 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits U. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year E8 + 5 digits E9 + 5 digits V + 5 or 6 digits U. The numbers and decals were produced far in advance, and some N9 decals denoting 1999 were inadvertently affixed to some instruments in 1990. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES E9 + 5 digits N9 + 5 digits N0 + 5 digits V + 5 or 6 digits U. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year N0 + 5 digits N1 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 v U. Z0 denotes 2000; Z1 denotes 2001, etc. As always, there is typically some number prefix overlap and carryover from year to year. Only the seven-digit suffixes were actually entered into the database. These serial numbers did not identify the country of origin in the body of the number. Instead, the instrument's country of origin appears on the decal on the back of the headstock, near the serial number. The first two digits of the number identify the year of manufacture, 10 for 2010, 11 for 2011, etc. The following six digits are the unit identifier, although it should be noted that these final six numbers are not sequential and do not provide any other identification information about the instrument. This new scheme is now used on the majority of U. If you have what you consider an odd serial number, it might appear here. NUMBER DESCRIPTION AMXN + 6 DIGITS California Series electric guitars and basses, '97 and '98 The California Series instruments with an AMXN prefix share U. MSN + 6 DIGITS Some Mexico made Artist model instruments DN + 6 DIGITS American Deluxe series instruments, '98 and '99 NC XXXXXX Squier ® Strat ® Bullets ® dating unclear FN XXXXXX U. Some may have stayed in the U. They were made for the export market and have Made in USA stamped on the heel of the neck. Serial numbers are on the front of the headstock. LE XXXXXX Blonde Jazzmasters ® and Jaguars ® with Gold hardware made in 1994. Sold as a promotional 3 piece set with a Blonde Deluxe Reverb Amp. Also used on many FSRs starting in the 2000s. CN XXXXX R XXXXX V XXXXXX Many US Custom Shop Instruments CA XXXXX Gold Strat 1981, 82 and 83 CB XXXXX Precision Bass ® Special from 1981, CB XXXXX Gold Jazz Bass from 1982 CC XXXXX Walnut Strat 1981-82-83 CE XXXXX Precision Bass Special from 1981, Black and Gold Tele from 1981-82 CD XXXXX CO XXXXX Precision Bass Special Walnut from 1982 GO XXXXX Precision Bass Special Walnut from 1982, Gold Strat 1982-83 D XXXXXX Jazz Bass ® from 1982 EE XXXXXX Some U. SZ0 XXXXX -'00, SZ1 XXXXX -'01, SZ2 XXXXX -'02, etc. We highly recommend each of them. They are detailed reference resources with a wealth of information on determining the production years of various instruments and on Fender history in general. Indeed, we use these same books here at Fender when researching historical and date-related issues. You can order these titles through your local Authorized Fender Dealer. TITLE PART NUMBER U. These markets operate completely independent of the new-instrument market. You might consider referring to Vintage Guitar magazine , a great and helpful resource for those who buy, sell and trade vintage instruments. You might also consider consulting one or more of the many instrument dealers who offer appraisals of vintage instruments, such as Elderly Instruments , Gruhn Guitars , Mandolin Bros. Other resources include the Orion Blue Book or Blue Book of Guitar Values , which might be found in your local library. Many pawnshops use this book and others like it to establish instrument values.
SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION YEAR E1 + 5 digits E2 + 5 digits E3 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits U. You will find the MADE IN JAPAN stamp on the heel of every guitar's neck, without variation. Date Range EI + 5 DIGITS E2 + 5 DIGITS E3 + 5 DIGITS V + 4, 5 or 6 DIGITS U. Vintage Series except '52 Telecaster 1983 For U. SERIAL NUMBERS and APPROXIMATE PRODUCTION DATES 1965 to 1976 Date Range L50,000s up to L90,000s 1965 100,000s 1965 100,000s to 200,000s 1966 to 1967 200,000s 1968 200,000s to 300,000s 1969 to 1970 300,000s 1971 to 1972 300,000s to 500,000s 1973 400,000s to 500,000s 1974 to 1975 500,000s to 700,000s 1976 There were numerous serial number schemes used after 1976. Though examples also exist with the number on the headstock or the neck-plate in the case of certain early reissue models. The first two digits of the number identify the year of manufacture, 10 for 2010, 11 for 2011, etc. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters 1985 For U. Until 1955, the serial number is applied to the bridge plate. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year E4 + 5 digits Fender jazz bass serial number + 4, 5 or 6 digits U.
