Fender Guitars Serial Number Decoder

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DATING FENDER GUITARS BY REFERENCE OF SERIAL NUMBERS

Fender's production methods from the early fifties had the effect the numbers may not be consecutive. Also overlap of serial numbers and dates come with regularity.

Where to find the serial number
The serial numbers on the guitar are provided through the years on various places. At the top of the neck plate, at the front or at the back of the head or on the cover plate of the vibrato. (Stratocaster)
Between 1973 and 1981 there were periods that this is not consistently done.

If you want to know the production year of your Fender guitar, you can decipher it with the serial number decoder, or find it in the tables below.

Fender serial number date decoder

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Although a serial number is helpful for roughly determining the age of a guitar, this is often not the exact date. Usually, the production date is stamped or written is on the heel of the neck. To read this it is necessary to unscrew the neck from the body.

Most specifications for the Fender guitars are hardly changed. Although there have been periods in which major changes occurred as the acquisition of Fender by CBS, and the transition from CBS Fender to the current owner (Fender Musical Instruments Corporation), most models are in general not changed.

At the Stratocasters from the early fifties the serial numbers were stamped on the back vibrato cover. On some Telecasters at the bridge between the pickup and the saddles.

Patent numbers
Between 1960 and 1977, were added several patent numbers to the models. These became in the head under the Fender logo stamped.

e.g.
PAT, 2,573,254 2,968,204 3,143,028 2,976,755 DES 187304

2,573,254 for pickup and bridge combination.
2,968,204 for the single coil pickup patent awarded in 1961 under other for Jaguar, Stratocaster, Duosonic.
3,143,028 the patent granted in August 1964 for Fender's adjustable neck construction.
2,976,755 for the split coil pickup design. (Used since 1957 to the Precision Bass)

The DES is the serial number.

Esquires, Broadcasters and Telecasters 1950-1954.
The serial number for these three models can be found at the bridge plate and is used until about early 1954. Fender then switched to a serial numbering on the neck plate for all models.

SERIAL NUMBERS	PRODUCTION YEAR
0001 - 0999	1950 - 1952
1000 - 5300	1952 - 1954

Precision Basses 1951-1955.
There is some overlap of serial numbers and dates. Until 1955, the serial number is applied to the bridge plate. 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.

SERIAL NUMBERS	PRODUCTION YEAR
100 - 400	1951 - 1952
0001 - 0999	1952-1954
1000 - 2000	1953 - 1955

All models

The table below shows the Fender serial numbers as they were used from 1950 to 1964.
The serial numbers in principle chronological, but as already mentioned, as a result of Fender's production, there are a several serial numbers that overlap.
The only way to try to figure out the date is to remove the neck from the body and check the butt end of the heel of the neck. If the date is unreadable, it can also be written on the body under the pickguard or cavity form the pickups.

SERIAL NUMBERS	PRODUCTION YEAR
> 6000	1950 - 1954
> 10.000	1954 - 1956
10.000	1955 - 1956
10.000 - 20.000	1957
20.000 - 30.000	1958
30.000 - 40.000	1959
40.000 - 50.000	1960
50.000 - 70.000	1961
60.000 - 90.000	1962
80.000 - 90.000	1963
90.000 - L10.000	1963
L10.000 - L20.000	1963
L20.000 - L50.000	1964

January 1965 Fender was acquired by CBS Corporation.
Although it is not be traced back directly to the serial numbers. CBS continued to make the guitars using the existing tools, parts, and the numbering system. The table below shows the serial numbers as they were used from 1965 to 1976.

Again, there are a several serial numbers that overlap.

SERIAL NUMBERS	PRODUCTION YEAR
L50.000 - L90.000	1965
100.000	1965
100.000 - 200.000	1966 - 1967
200.000	1968
200.000 - 300.000	1969 - 1970
300.000	1971 - 1972
300.000 - 500.000	1973
400.000 - 500.000	1974 - 1975
500.000 - 700.000	1976

The next table shows the most common Fender serial numbers schemes from 1976 to the present.
Here is the S first introduced as a prefix to the serial numbers.
The S stands for the decade of the seventies. The E stands for the decade of the eighties, and was introduced in 1979.

As you can see by the overlap of numbers and years, the reference to the actual date of manufacture is rather vague.

SERIAL NUMBERS	PRODUCTION YEAR
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

In 1982 teh U.S. Vintage Series was introduced with the V as prefix to the serial number.

SERIAL NUMBERS	PRODUCTION YEAR
E1 + 5 digits E2 + 5 digits E3 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1982 (For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year)
E2 + 5 digits E3 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1983 (For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year)
E3 + 5 digits E4 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1984 (For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year)

In March 1985, CBS Corporation sold Fender to a group of private investors led by William Schultz, where the company get the current name Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

The changeover to the new owners can not deduce the serial numbers, because they continued the numbering at the same way.

SERIAL NUMBERS	PRODUCTION YEAR
E3 + 5 digits E4 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1985 (For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year)
V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1986 (For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year)
E4 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1987 (For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year)
E4 + 5 digits E8 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1988 (For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year)
E8 + 5 digits E9 + 5 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1989 (For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year)

In 1990, the N came as a prefix to the numbers, which stands for the nineties. The numbers and decals are produced far in advance.
Due to a mistake at the factory in 1990 N9 decals (which were intended for use in 1999) applied to a several instruments that were built in that year. As a result of this mistake, you will be able to get a guitar with a serial number N9 that was built in 1990.
The guitars from 1990 have the serial number on the front of the headstock. Fender moved the serial number to the back in 1996.

SERIAL NUMBERS	PRODUCTION YEAR
N9 + 5 digits N0 + 5 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1990 (For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year)
N1 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1991
N1 + 5 or 6 digits N2 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1992
N3 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1993
V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1994
N4 + 5 or 6 digits N5 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1995
N6 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1996
N6 + 6 or 6 digits N7 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1997
N8 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series)	1998
N9 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecasters)	1999

In 2000 the Z was added for the numbers.
A Z0 prefix dates back to 2000, a Z1 to 2001 etc. The U.S. Deluxe Series have the same standard but with the addition of a D for the Z, eg. DZ1, DZ2 etc.

Also here some overlap of numbers, prefixes and year.

SERIAL NUMBERS	PRODUCTION YEAR
N9 + 5 or 6 digits Z0 + 5 or 6 digits DZ0 + 5 or 6 digits (Am. Deluxe) V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecaster)	2000
Z0 + 5 or 6 digits Z1 + 5 or 6 digits DZ1 + 5 or 6 digits (Am. Deluxe) V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecaster)	2001
Z1 + 5 or 6 digits Z2 + 5 or 6 digits DZ2 + 5 or 6 digits (Am. Deluxe) V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecaster)	2002
Z2 + 5 or 6 digits Z3 + 5 or 6 digits DZ3 + 5 or 6 digits (American Deluxe Series) V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecaster)	2003
Z3 + 5 or 6 digits Z4 + 5 or 6 digits DZ4 + 5 or 6 digits (Am. Deluxe) V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecaster) XN4 + 4 digits	2004
Z4 + 5 or 6 digits Z5 + 5 or 6 digits DZ5 + 5 or 6 digits (Am. Deluxe) V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series excluded '52 Telecaster) XN5 + 4 digits	2005
10 + 7 digits (Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number)	End 2009 - March 2010
US + 8 digits First two digits of the number identify the year of manufacture. (Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number)	Starting March 2010

The following serial numbers stay somewhat outside the well-known Fender numbering.

If you have doubts about an odd serial number check the chart below, maybe you can find the number composition here.

SERIENUMMER	DESCRIPTION
AMXN + 6 digits	California Series electric guitars and basses, '97 en '98
DN + 6 digits	American Deluxe serie instruments, '98 en '99
NC(6 digits)	Squier Strat Bullets (dating unclear)
FN(6 digits)	US-made guitars and basses destined for export. Some are not exported or sent back.
I(7 digits)	A limited number of these I-Series were made in '89 and '90. Made for the export market and have 'Made in USA' stamped on the heel of the neck.
LE(6 digits)	Blonde Jazzmasters and Jaguars made in 1994. Sold as a promotional 3 piece set with a Blonde Deluxe Reverb Amp.
CN(6 digits) VN(6 digits)	Produced in Korea, Fender/Squier guitars. (dating unclear)
CA(5 digits)	Gold Strat 1981, '82 and '83
CB(5 digits)	Precision Bass Special from 1981, CB(5 digits) Gold Jazz Bass from 1982
CC(5 digits)	Walnut Strat 1981, '82 and '83
CE(5 digits)	Precision Bass Special from 1981, Black and Gold Telecster from 1981 and 1982
CD(5 digits) CO(5 digits)	Precision Bass Special (Walnut) from 1982
GO(5 digits)	Precision Bass Special (Walnut) from 1982, Gold Strat 1982 and 1983
D(6 digits)	Jazz Bass from 1982
SE(6 digits) SN(6 digits) SZ(6 digits)	Signature Series Instruments SE8(5 digits)-'88, SE9(5 digits)-'89 SN0(5 digits)-'90, SN1(5 digits)-'90, SN2(5 digits)-'92, etc. SZ0(5 digits)-'00, SZ1(5 digits)-'01, SZ2(5 digits)-'02, etc.
3 digits or 500	35th Anniversary Strat from 1989-1990
G(6 digits)	"STRAT" from about. 1980, (Gold hardware, 2 position rotary tone switch)
4 digits stamped on bridge plate	U.S. '52 Vintage Telecaster 1982-1988 (Check neck for specific year)
5 digits stamped on bridge plate	U.S. '52 Vintage Telecaster 1988-present (Check neck for specific year)
T(6 digits)	Tribute series instruments
C(6 digits)	Collectors Series
XN(5 digits)	FSRs and '52 Telecasters

If you can not find a serial number (unreadable, worn of), you can approximate the age of a semi/electric guitar on the basis of the potentiometers.
The code on potentiometers gives information about the manufacturer and the year and week when it is made. See: Dating potentiometers

The Fender logo that was used can also be an indication from which period the guitar originates.
Whether it is an original model or a vintage (also the old logos are used again) depends on your own estimation of the age of the guitar.

spaghetti-logo 1950-1965

transition logo 1960-1967

CBS era logo 1967-

Fender has used 3 different logos for guitars. The original logo, also called "spaghetti logo", the transition logo and the CBS era logo.
The spaghetti logo was used in the 1950s and is so named for its thin silver-colored letter with a thin black line. This logo was used in the fifties until the mid-sixties.

At the end of 1959 a new logo was designed by designer Robert Perine and Leo fender himself. The logo has fatter golden letters with a thicker black border. The logo was later named transition logo, because it bridged the period between the thin spaghetti logo and the CBS era. The first guitar to be branded with this new logo was the Jazz Bass in 1960. All new models got the new logo from that moment on.

In 1967 after the takeover of Fender by CBS, the design remained the same but the letters became black with one gold-colored border.