Home
History
Leo Fender
Orville Gibson
Les Paul
C.F. Martin
Fender factories
Gibson factories
Effect equipment
Guitar heroes
Tips
Video & tabs
Serial numbers
Squier serial number date decoder (v2.1)
Enter only the serial number.
(No type or model)
For example: CY 07365171 or 203651
Enter only the serial number.(No type or model)
For example: CY 07365171 or 203651
|
Fender-Squier history in short Jerome Bonaparte Squier and his son Victor Carroll Squier, two English immigrants who started a violin building and repair company in Boston in 1881. In 1890 Victor opened a store in Battle Creek, Michigan and a short time later a violin factory at 427 Capital Ave SW. (V.C. Squier Company). Violin, banjo and guitar strings were also produced here.  427 Capital Ave SW, Battle Creek In the early 1950s the company also started making strings for the electric guitars of Leo Fender and became in 1963 an official supplier for Fender Electric Instruments. In 1965, shortly before the acquisition of Fender by CBS, Fender purchased V.C. Squier Company. Before the Fender Squier line of guitars was introduced in 1982, Fender made cheaper guitars such as the Fender Lead series at its plant in Fullerton, California. Until the introduction of the Fender Squier series, Fender had never produced low-priced guitars based on the Stratocaster and Telecaster models. He had always used different model designs for the cheaper models. |
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Fender was faced with competition from cheaper Japanese guitars. Japanese labor and production costs were much lower than in America, and to compete with, Fender moved the cheaper Fender guitar production from America to Japan. Sales in Japan were disappointing, Fender could not compete with Japanese competitors such as T๖kai and Greco. Fender started negotiations with various Japanese distributors of musical instruments and reached an agreement with Yamano Gakki and Kanda Shokai to found Fender Japan. One of the conditions of the agreement was that Kanda Shokai stops producing its own Greco Fender guitars. Negotiations with T๖kai were interrupted and FujiGen Gakki was chosen. The first Squier models appeared in August 1982. Over time, the Squier series has slowly evolved and contains original model designs. The production has also been moved from Japan to various other Asian countries such as Korea, China, Indonesia and India.  Victor Carroll Squier |
|
USA
The Squiers "Made in USA" have been produced since 1985 in Corona, California."Made in USA" E = Eighties, 6 or 7 digits. "Made in USA" N = Nineties, 6 or 7 digits. Some USA Squiers had no serial number stamped on the headstock but a number without a prefix on the neck plate. A date with such a number is difficult to determine. Japan
The Japanese "Made in Japan" Squiers were made by FujiGen until 1997 and the Japanese "Crafted in Japan" Squiers by Tokai and Dyna from 1997.
The difference between Crafted and Made is not the quality of the instrument but has to do with contractual
agreements that Fender made with FujiGen Gakki Corp.
The guitars produced by FujiGen Gakki are "Made in Japan".
From 1992, other Japanese companies such as Yamano Gakki also produced for Fender.These guitars are "Crafted in Japan" because only FujiGen Gakki owned the rights to use "Made in Japan".
Example: K123456 is production year 1990-1991, serial number 123456.
Mexico
In 1987 Fender opened the plant in Ensenada, Mexico where built amps and combos.
The production of Squier guitars started here in 1991.MN - M = Mexico, N = Nineties MZ - M = Mexico, Z = 2000's On February 11, 1994 the Ensenada plant burned down and production was temporarily moved to Corona. China
CA C = China A = Axl (made by Axl).CD, CT en CJ C = China. Probably made by Yako (Taiwan). "Made in China" CAE 10 digits. NC 6 digits. YN Y = Yako (Taiwan) N = Nineties, 6 digits. "Crafted in China" CY C = China Y = Yako (Taiwan), 8 or 9 ditgits. CY appears on all models produced in China and is by far the most common form. CXS C = China X = Axl S= Squier, 9 digits. CGS C = China G = factory code S= Squier, 7 or 8 digits. CGRA, CGRB, CGRG, CGRH, CGRI, CGRJ, CGRK and CGRL - C = China. GR = Grand Reward (factory) - Last letter A, B, G, H, I, J, K, L = factory code , 8 digits. COS 8 digits. COB 9 digits. Serial numbers with COS or COB prefix are Crafted by Cor-Tek, China.  Samick factory, Korea |
Korea
The dating of the Korean instruments built before 1993 is uncertain because information about them is incomplete or missing.Korean Squiers with a black logo on the headstock always have a thin laminated body. They are the lowest quality Korean Squiers. They were built between 1992 and 1995. The serial numbers start with CN2, CN3 and VN4. Silver logos were used for models built in the late 80s and for the Fender Squier Series strats, built in 1992 and 1993. These serial numbers start with CN2, CN3 and VN3. Squiers with a gold-colored logo have an alder body or ash wood if it is from the ProTone series. The Squiers with a gold-colored logo were built from mid-1995. Stratocasters, Telecasters, Bullets, P-Basses and Jazz basses were built from 1987 to 1998. Stagemasters and Showmasters were built between 1999 and 2002. The models from the 24 series were built between 2002 and 2004. The Series 24 guitars were released by Fender in January 2002 in honor of Squier's 20-year anniversary. The Master Series models were built between 2004 and 2007. "Made in Korea" and "Crafted in Korea" CN - C = Cor-Tek (Cort) N = Nineties, 6 or 7 digits. KC en KV - KC = Korean Cor-Tek (Cort), 8 digit. KV = Korean Saehan(Sunghan), 8 digits. "Made in Korea" VN - V = Saehan(Sunghan) N = Nineties, 6 or 7 digits. S and E -S = Samick, 6 of 7 digits. E = Young Chang, 6 or 7 digits. Squiers with prefix S and E are from the late eighties and early nineties. E-letter serial numbers were used on Young Chang's Fenix brand guitars. M - 7 digits. Used in the early 90s, characterized by the high-gloss maple neck and plywood slim 40 mm body. Indonesia
"Crafted in Indonesia"IC - I = Indonesia C = Cor-Tek (Cort), 8 or 9-cijfers. ICS I = Indonesia C = Cor-Tek (Cort) S = Special Run, 8 or 7 digits. In 2009 and 2010, some Indonesian Squier's had an ICS serial number with 7 digits instead of 8 or 9. ISS I = Indonesia S = Samick S = Special Run, 6 digits. Typically, the S indicates a Factory Special Run or FSR guitar. FSR stands for 'Fender Special Run' of a limited edition. Many Fender FSR guitars are simple modified versions of existing models. Fender fits for example a Stratocaster with a Bigsby vibrato or change the headstock of a Telecaster. However, some models in the FSR range are finished in a separate color. This is often the case with Squier FSR models. IS I = Indonesia S = Samick, 8 or 9 digits. SI S = Squier I = Indonesia , 8 or 9 digits. India
Some Squier IIs were made in India around 1989-1990, with"MADE IN INDIA" on the headstock. The Squier IIs made in India seem to follow the numbering scheme in the USA. The serial number is on a sticker on the back of the neck, close to the attachment point with the body. Some more recent Squiers, including the Vintage Modified series (the serial numbers start here with SH), were in Introduced in 2007. The VM series has "Crafted in India" on the back of headstock. With this VM series the serial number is stamped on the headstock and therefore has no sticker.
Example: NSHD09123456 is production year 2009-2010, serial number 123456.
 Cort factory, Indonesia |
