The Guitar Attic. Fender Serial Numbers and. The following chart details the Fender serial number schemes used from. The Fender Stratocaster 40th Anniversary. Check item availability and take advantage of 1-hour pickup option at your store. Change Store.
Serial #'s DATING YOUR MEXICAN-MADE FENDER INSTRUMENT from Fender began producing instruments in its Ensenada, Mexico, factory in 1990. Instruments made between 1990 and 2000 carry MN prefix serial numbers, with the M designating Mexico and the N designating the 1990s.
The numbers for each year typically overlap, as there is always a transitional period between successive years and as necks that are made and serial numbered late in any given year are used on instruments assembled in the early months of the following year. 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 At the end of 1999, the 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-numbering scheme was adopted toward the end of 2009 using the number 10 as a prefix, followed by a space, followed by seven digits. The 10 prefix was designed to identify the first year of the second decade of the new millennium, and while it appears on the instrument decals, it was not captured in Fender’s operating system. 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. This new numbering scheme was short-lived and was replaced only a few months later by an improved scheme that identifies an instrument's country of origin and year of manufacture in the body of the serial number. This new scheme uses the letters MX as a prefix to designate an instrument made in Mexico, followed by an eight-digit 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 Fender instruments made in Mexico, with certain exceptions. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES 10 + space + eight digits Late 2009 - March 2010 MX10 + 6 digits 2010-2011 MX11 + 6 digits 2011-2012 EXCEPTIONS The Jim Root Telecaster, James Burton Standard Telecaster, Buddy Guy Stratocaster (polka dot model), Robert Cray Stratocaster and Jimmie Vaughan Stratocaster use an MSN serial number prefix. Note: in October 2010, some artist models switched to the new MX10 numbering scheme. The Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster and Duff McKagan P Bass use an MSZ serial number prefix. The Reggie Hamilton and Frank Bello Jazz basses used an MX serial number prefix before the 2010 change. California Series electric guitars and basses from 1997 and 1998 use an AMXN prefix and share U.S./Mexico origin.
Guitar Serial Dating Pages.
DATING YOUR U.S.-MADE FENDER STRINGED INSTRUMENT For most of Fender’s U.S. Instrument production history, production dates have been applied to various components. 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. Serial numbers are also helpful in determining an instrument’s production 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.
Serial numbers were stamped on the back vibrato cover plate on early ’50s Stratocaster® guitars, and on the bridge plate between the pickup and the saddles on some Telecaster® guitars. But once again, due to Fender’s modular production methods and often non-sequential serial numbering (usually overlapping two to four years from the early days of Fender to the mid-1980s), dating by serial number is not always precisely definitive. 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. The only way to try to narrow the date range of your specific instrument is to remove the neck and check the butt end of the neck heel for a production date, which may be stamped or written there (if you’re uncomfortable doing this yourself, please refer to an experienced professional guitar tech in your area).
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. Serial numbering didn’t change immediately because instruments continued to be made using existing, tooling, parts and serial number schemes. 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. The only way to try to narrow the date range of your specific instrument is to remove the neck and check the butt end of the neck heel for a production date, which may be stamped or written there (if you’re uncomfortable doing this yourself, please refer to an experienced professional guitar tech in your area). Serial numbers with an “S” prefix denote the 1970s (signifying a CBS attempt to use serial numbers to identify production years); an “E” prefix was introduced in 1979 to denote the 1980s. 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.S.
Vintage Series instruments and “V”-prefix serial numbers. The only way to definitively date U.S. Instruments with “V”-prefix serial numbers is to remove the neck and check the butt end of the neck heel for a production date, which may be stamped or written there. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES EI + 5 digits E2 + 5 digits E3 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1982 (For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year) E2 + 5 digits E3 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1983 (For U.S.
Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year) E3 + 5 digits E4 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1984 (For U.S.
Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year) CBS sold Fender in March 1985. Serial numbering didn’t change because instruments continued to be made using existing tooling, parts and serial number schemes. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES E3 + 5 digits E4 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1985 (For U.S.
Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year) V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1986 (For U.S.
Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year) E4 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1987 (For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year) E4 + 5 digits E8 + 5 digits V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1988 (For U.S.
Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year) E8 + 5 digits E9 + 5 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1989 (For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year) “N”-prefix serial numbers denoting the 1990s were introduced in 1990. The numbers and decals were produced far in advance, and some N9 decals (denoting 1999) were inadvertently affixed to some instruments in 1990. Consequently, some 1990 guitars bear 1999 “N9” serial numbers. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES E9 + 5 digits N9 + 5 digits N0 + 5 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1990 (For U.S.
Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year) N0 + 5 digits N1 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 v (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1991 N1 + 5 or 6 digits N2 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1992 N2 + 5 or 6 digits N3 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1993 N3 + 5 or 6 digits N4 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1994 N4 + 5 or 6 digits N5 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1995 N5 + 5 or 6 digits N6 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S.
Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1996 N6 + 6 or 6 digits N7 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 v (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1997 N7 + 5 or 6 digits N8 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series) 1998 N8 + 5 or 6 DIGITS N9 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1999 “Z”-prefix serial numbers denoting the new millennium appeared on U.S.-made instruments in 2000. Z0 denotes 2000; Z1 denotes 2001, etc. American Deluxe Series instruments use the same dating convention, but with the addition of a “D” in front of the “Z”; i.e., DZ1, DZ2, etc. As always, there is typically some number prefix overlap and carryover from year to year. J Rosell.