How To Read Fender Serial Numbers
The Ultimate Guide to Fender Serial Numbers & Guitar Dating
Table Of Contents
- Where to Find the Serial Number of Your Fender Guitar
- What Are The Different Formats of Fender Guitar Serial Numbers?
- Dating Your Fender Guitar with a Four or Five Digit Serial Numbers on the Bridge Plate
- Fender Broadcaster, Esquire and Telecaster
- Fender Precision Bass
- Dating Your Fender Guitar with a Four or Five Digit Neck Plate Number
- What Is the Date of My Fender Guitar If It Has an L Serial Number?
- When Was My Fender Guitar Made If It Has a 6-Digit Serial Number & an ‘F’ Logo Underneath?
- How to Date Your Fender Guitar Using Headstock Serial Numbers
- What Does It Mean When My Fender’s Serial Number Leads with a ‘V’?
- How Can I Check My Imported Fender Serial Number?
- How to Determine the Age of Your Japanese Fender Using Serial Number Prefixes
- How to Date Your Mexican Fender Using the Serial Number
- Decode your Fender’s Past with Joe’s Vintage Guitars
Getting the date of your Fender guitar right is crucial to finding out its true value! Moreover, it can be quite fun to decipher the serial number to learn other details like the year it was made, even if you have no intention of selling it.
To help you date your Fender guitar, we have compiled this brief guide with a list of Fender serial numbers. This way, you’ll probably decipher valuable info about your Fender. Remember that Fender serial numbers are not necessarily the most accurate way to date your Fender guitar. That being said, they are a good starting point.
Where to Locate Your Fender Guitar’s Serial Number
If your instrument is from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, you can find its serial number either on the bridge or neck plate. On later instruments, you can see the serial number on the front or back of the headstock. Check out the photos below for help identifying where your serial number is!
Location of Serial Number
What Are The Different Formats of Fender Guitar Serial Numbers?
- Four or five digits on BRIDGE plate (1950-1954)
- Four or five digits on the NECK plate (1954-1963)
- Serial numbers that start with the letter “L” on the NECK plate (1963-1965)
- 6 digit NECK plate serial numbers with large “F” logo underneath (1965-1976)
- Serial numbers on the front or back of the headstock (1977-present)
- Serial Numbers on the NECK plate that start with a “V” (1982 and up “reissue” models)
- Import guitars made in Japan and Mexico
Dating Your Fender Guitar Using a 4- or 5-Digit Serial Number on the Bridge Plate
Fender serial numbers from this time period are particularly tricky because they use different serial numbers for different models. Below are the serial number ranges for each model from this period that include a serial number on the bridge plate.
Fender Broadcaster, Esquire and Telecaster
The Stratocaster’s debut in 1954 marked a landmark in guitar history. Since then, Fender has been strongly associated with high-quality guitars all around the globe.
- 0001 – 1300: 1950 – 1952
- 1300 – 3000: 1951 – 1954
- 3000 – 5000s: 1952 – 1954
Fender Precision Bass
- 100 – 600 = 1951 or 1952
- 0001 – 0900 = 1952 and 1953
- 0900 – 2000 = 1954
Dating Your Fender Guitar Using a 4- or 5-Digit Number on the Neck Plate
Four or five-digit serial numbers on the back of the neck plate apply to all Fender models from this period, including the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Precision Bass, Jazz Bass, Coronado, and others.
As always, if you would like help dating, identifying, or selling a Fender guitar from this period, feel free to contact me.
- 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
What Date Is My Fender Guitar If It Has an L-Series Serial Number?
If your Fender guitar has an L serial number, then it was probably manufactured between 1963 and 1965.
- L00001 – L20000 = 1963
- L20000 – L55000 = 1964
- L55000 – L99999 = 1965
When Was My Fender Guitar Made If It Has a
6-Digit Serial Number with an ‘F’ Logo Underneath?
These guitars were made between 1965 and 1976. During that era, Fender transitioned from the L series serial numbers to the 6-digit F plate. That era is also known for larger headstocks and new models like the popular Telecaster Custom.
- 100000 – 110000 =1965
- 110000 – 200000 =1966
- 180000 – 210000 =1967
- 210000 – 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
Front of The Headstock | 1976 – 2000s
76 Prefix
76 prefix = 1976
Overlap in 1977
“76xxxxx” = 1976
N Prefix
N prefix = 1990s
1st Digit = Year
“N1xxxxx” = 1991
S prefix
S prefix = 1970s
1st Digit = Year
“S8xxxxx” = 1978
MN Prefix
M = Mexico
N Prefix = 1990s
1st Digit = Year
“MN0xxxxx” = 1990
E Prefix
E prefix = 1980s
1st Digit = Year
“E4xxxxx” = 1984
MZ Prefix
M = Mexico
Z Prefix = 2000s
1st Digit = Year
“MZ0xxxxx” = 2000
How to Determine the Age of Your Fender Guitar Using Headstock Serial Numbers
Since 1976, the serial numbers started with a letter that denoted the DECADE of manufacture. S=Seventies, E=Eighties, N=Nineties, and Z or DZ=2000s. The first number following the letter indicates the exact year.
For example:
- S958010 = 1979 because S=70s and 9=1979
- E212355 = 1982 because E=80s and 2=1982
- N975436 = 1999 Because N=90s and 9=1999
- Z504999 = 2005 Because Z=2000s and 5= 2005
What Does a ‘V’ at the Beginning of My Fender’s Serial Number Indicate?
These guitars have a serial number on the neck plate that starts with a V. Unfortunately, these numbers are not accurate, meaning that the guitar must be disassembled first to check the neck heel date.
How to Verify the Serial Number of Your Imported Fender Guitar
How to Determine the Age of Your Japanese Fender by Its Serial Number Prefix
Fender began making guitars in Japan starting in the early 1980s. The Japanese-made Fenders are generally regarded as top-quality instruments. However, their collectability and value do not come close to American-made instruments (except for a few models). Japanese-made Fender guitars are dated using the letter prefix that comes before the numbers in the serial number. The serial number can be found either on the headstock or at the base of the neck.
- JV = 1982, 1983, 1984
- SQ = 1983, 1984
- D = 1982
- E = 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987
- A, B, C, = 1985, 1986
- F = 1986
- G = 1987
- H = 1988
- I, J = 1989, 1990
- K = 1990
- L = 1991
- M = 1992
- N = 1993
- O = 1994
- P = 1995
How to Date Your Mexican Fender Using Its Serial Number
Fender started producing guitars in Mexico in 1990. Guitars and basses made between 1990 and 2000 have “MN” prefix serial numbers. The “M” tells us that the guitar is made in Mexico, and the “N” means it was made in the 1990s (N for Nineties.) The digit directly after the “N” tells us the exact year.
Note that there is a little bit of a margin for error on Mexican guitars. For example, MN0 can overlap into 1991, and MN1 can overlap into 1992.
SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES:
- MN0 + 5 or 6 digits 1990-1991
- MN1 + 5 or 6 digits 1991-1992
- MN2 + 5 or 6 digits 1992-1993
- MN3 + 5 or 6 digits 1993-1994
- MN4 + 5 or 6 digits 1994-1995
- MN5 + 5 or 6 digits 1995-1996
- MN6 + 5 or 6 digits 1996-1997
- MN7 + 5 or 6 digits 1997-1998
- MN8 + 5 or 6 digits 1998-1999
- MN9 + 5 or 6 digits 1999-2000
Towards the tail end of 1999, Mexican Fender serial numbers transitioned from an “MN” prefix to an “MZ” prefix, with the “M” designating Mexico and the “Z” designating the 2000s.
SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES:
- MZ0 + 5 or 6 digits 2000-2001
- MZ1 + 5 or 6 digits 2001-2002
- MZ2 + 5 or 6 digits 2002-2003
- MZ3 + 5 or 6 digits 2003-2004
- MZ4 + 5 or 6 digits 2004-2005
- MZ5 + 5 or 6 digits 2005-2006
- MZ6 + 5 or 6 digits 2006-2007
- MZ7 + 5 or 6 digits 2007-2008
- MZ8 + 5 or 6 digits 2008-2009
- MZ9 + 5 or 6 digits 2009-2010
A new serial number system was implemented in 2010. This new system used the letters “MX”, followed by an eight-digit number. The first two digits of the number following the prefix tell us the year the instrument was made, (11 for 2011, 12 for 2012, etc.). This system of serialization continues today with Mexican-made Fender instruments.
SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES:
“10” prefix followed by a space and eight digits Late 2009 through approximately March 2010
- MX10 + 6 digits 2010-2011
- MX11 + 6 digits 2011-2012
- MX12 + 6 digits 2012-2013
- MX13 + 6 digits 2013-2014
- MX14 + 6 digits 2014-2015
- MX15 + 6 digits 2015-2016
- MX16 + 6 digits 2016-2017
- MX17 + 6 digits 2017-2018
- MX18 + 6 Digits 2018-2019
- MX19 + 6 Digits 2019-2020
- MX20 + 6 Digits 2020-2021
Fender Serial Number Lookup Resources
If you’re trying to determine the authenticity, production year, or origin of your Fender guitar, using reliable lookup resources is crucial. While serial numbers can sometimes be tricky due to overlapping sequences and inconsistencies, there are still valuable methods to verify your instrument’s history.
Fender’s Official Serial Number Lookup Tool
Fender offers an official Serial Number Lookup tool on their website, where you can enter your guitar’s serial number to retrieve manufacturing details. This is one of the most reliable ways to verify the authenticity and date of your instrument.
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Online Fender Serial Number Databases
There are several online resources where enthusiasts and collectors like us have compiled extensive databases of Fender serial numbers, including The Guitar Dater Project, GuitarHQ, and The Fender Forum.
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Joe’s Vintage Guitars
Last but not least, you can always contact us at Joe’s Vintage Guitars for more information about your Fender! We’ll give you trusted details about your guitar so that you can learn all about it, especially if you’re planning to sell it!
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Frequently Asked Questions About | Fender Serial Numbers
What does my Fender serial number tell me?
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Does the serial number tell me the exact model of my Fender guitar?
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Can I use a Fender serial number to determine the value of my guitar?
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Are Japanese and Mexican Fender serial numbers different from American-made ones?
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Why isn’t my vintage Fender guitar’s serial number showing up in Fender’s database?
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Decode your Fender’s Past With Joe’s Vintage Guitars
Looking over the history behind your Fender or considering its market value? Joe’s Vintage Guitars, specialized in collecting vintage guitars in Mesa, offers expert evaluations.
Reach out for a no-obligation assessment!
Contact us today for more help!
