Indentifing the Year of Production for Fender Guitars

Indentifying the Year of Production for Fender Guitars

Written by vintage on February 3, 2009 – 3:34 am -

Fender Serial Numbers, 1950 to Present

Serial numbers compiled from Guitar Info Guy.

Pre-1977 Fender guitars have a serial number on the bridgeplate or neckplate. Serial numbers are basically chronological, but there is some overlap amoung years. Fender serial numbers were assigned like this: bin with serialized plates/bridges. Assembler reached in and grabbed one (or many). Put them on the instrument(s). As you can see from this over-simplified example, serial number assignment was fairly random. Just keep this in mind. The only truely definitive way to date a pre-CBS fender is to look at all the dates on the instrument (body date, neck date, pot dates). The serial number can only generalized the age of the instrument within a few years.

Esquires, Broadcasters, Telecasters 1950 to 1954 (number on bridgeplate). This system of serial numbers is unique to these three models until about the early summer of 1954 (when Fender switched to a universal neck plate serial number system for all models):

Telecaster, Numbers On Bridge Plate

0001 to 0999 = 1950 to 1952

1000 to 5300 = 1952 to 1954

Precision Basses 1951 to 1955 (number on bridgeplate). Note there is some overlap. This system of serial numbers is unique to this model until about 1955 (even though Fender went to a universal neckplate serial number system on all instruments in 1954, some old style Precision Bass serialized bridges were still left over and used until 1955.)

Pbass, Numbers on Bridge Plate

100 to 400 = 1951 to 1952

0001 to 0999 = 1952 to 1954

1000 to 2000 = 1953 to 1955

All Models, summer 1954 to mid 1976
Serial number on neckplate. In 1957/1958 some serial numbers started with a minus sign ("-"), or had a "0" prefix before the number. Also in 1959/1960 some serial numbers were at the bottom of the neck plate instead of the usual top. Double stamped serial number plates were also produced (number on both front and back of the neck plate) in late 1957 to early 1959. As a good example of all four of these serial number oddities, click here. This shows a "double stamped" neck plate, one number with a "-" prefix and stamped on the bottom of the plate, and the other number with a "0" prefix! And yes there is some overlap in serial numbers between years.

4 to 6 digit Neck Plate Serial Numbers
No other letters or markings on the neck plate, except for the rare "-" or "0" prefix, as noted.

0001 to 6000 = 1954

6000 to 9000 = 1955

9000 to 16000 = 1956

16000 to 25000 = 1957 (some numbers with a "0" or "-" prefix)

25000 to 30000 = 1958 (some numbers with a "0" or "-" prefix)

30000 to 40000 = 1959

40000 to 58000 = 1960

55000 to 72000 = 1961

72000 to 93000 = 1962

93000 to 99999 = 1963

L-Series (1963 to late 1965)
Serial number on neckplate preceded with an "L". Considered Pre-CBS (even though CBS bought Fender in January 1965). Sometimes an "L" serial number can be seen on a late 1962 model.

L00001 to L20000 = 1963

L20000 to L55000 = 1964

L55000 to L99999 = 1965

F-Series (late 1965 to mid-1976)
Big script "F" on neckplate below serial number. Known as the CBS era.

100000 to 110000 = late 1965

110000 to 200000 = 1966

180000 to 210000 = 1967

210000 to 250000 = 1968

250000 to 280000 = 1969

280000 to 300000 = 1970

300000 to 330000 = 1971

330000 to 370000 = 1972

370000 to 520000 = 1973

500000 to 580000 = 1974

580000 to 690000 = 1975

690000 to 750000 = 1976

Serial Number on Peghead Decal.
U.S. made Fenders, starting in mid-1976 has the serial number on the peghead. Note the following number could be off as much as two years. Generally speaking, a "S" prefix equals the 1970's, "E" prefix equals the 1980's, and "N" prefix equals the 1990's. Note "E" and "N" prefix models are sometimes also Japanese-made (see below).

7600000 ("76" in bold) = 1976-1977

800000s = 1979-1981

1000000 to 8000000 = 1976-1981 (7 digits)

S1 to S5 + 5 Digits = 1979-1982

S6 + 5 digits = 1976

S7 + 5 digits = 1977-1978

S8 + 5 digits = 1977-1978

S9 + 5 digits = 1978-1981

E0 + 5 digits = 1979-1981

E1 + 5 digits = 1980-1981

E1 + 5 digits = 1982

E2 + 5 digits = 1982-1983

E3 + 5 digits = 1982-1984

E4 + 5 digits = 1984-1985, 1987-1988

E8 + 5 digits = 1988-1989

E9 + 5 digits = 1988-1990

In March 1985, CBS sold Fender to a group of private investors.
The serial numbers do not reflect this change - Fender continued to make instruments using existing serial number schemes. The new Fender did not acquire any physical assets of the old company, just the name "Fender". Hence during 1985 to 1987, production of Fender guitars was only done in Japan, while USA Fender created a new factory in California. The Japanese-made Fenders do have some slight serial number differences (typically a "J" serial number prefix).

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 + 5/6 digits = 2000

DZ1 or Z1 + 5/6 digits = 2001

DZ2 or Z2 + 5/6 digits = 2002

DZ3 or Z3 + 5/6 digits = 2003

DZ4 or Z4 + 5/6 digits = 2004

DZ5 or Z5 + 5/6 digits = 2005

Japanese Serial Numbers on Peghead Decal
Note the lack of S, E, N series. These are reserved for U.S. made Fenders in their corresponding decade. BUT note that the "E" and "N" series does sometimes appear on "made in Japan" models. I believe this was a mistake on Fender's part using the same prefix for both U.S. and Jap-made guitars. In any case, if it says "made in Japan", then it is...

JV + 5 Digits = 1982 to 1984

SQ + 5 Digits = 1983 to 1984

E + 6 Digits = 1984 to 1987

A + 6 Digits = 1985 to 1986

B + 6 Digits = 1985 to 1986

C + 6 Digits = 1985 to 1986

F + 6 Digits = 1986 to 1987

G + 6 Digits = 1987 to 1988

H + 6 Digits = 1988 to 1989

I + 6 Digits = 1989 to 1990

J + 6 Digits = 1989 to 1990

K + 6 Digits = 1990 to 1991

L + 6 Digits = 1991 to 1992

M + 6 Digits = 1992 to 1993

N + 6 Digits = 1993 to 1994

O + 6 Digits = 1994 to 1995

P + 6 Digits = 1995 to 1996

Other Fender Serial Number Schemes.
Fender has recently (in the last 20 years) introduced LOTS of different serial numbers schemes, depending on the country the Fender was made (USA, Mexico, Japan, Korea, etc). Not all schemes are covered here! Sorry, since I do not collect new Fenders, I don't really keep track of these things. Below are some examples of letter prefixes used in recent serial number schemes.

V + 4 to 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series) = 1982-1988 (neck date=exact year)

V + 5 to 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series) = 1989-present (model dependant)

AMXN + 6 DIGITS = California Series electric guitars and basses, '97 and '98