Want to know how to date your Fender guitar by serial number? Then you’re in the right place.
Just enter the number below, hit the ‘Decode’ button and our lookup tool will tell you the year your guitar is from, which country it was manufactured in, and even the plant it came from.
You can add any model of Fender guitar: Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar, Mustang, Jazzmaster, you name it! (scroll down below if you need help finding the serial number).
Note: This tool is based on our own research and has not been provided by Fender.
Where to Find the Serial Number on Your Fender Guitar?
The location of the serial number has annoyingly changed from model to model over the years. So where do you find it?
Locations include:
- At the top of the neck plate
- On the front or at the back of the headstock
- On the cover plate of the vibrato (on Stratocasters)
- On the back of the vibrato cover plate (on early ’50s Stratocasters)
- At the end of the heel of the neck
- Between the pick-up and the saddles (some Telecasters)
Some General Rules
The naming convention is a bit haphazard (it’s no different with Gibson serial numbers), but here are some general rules that should ring true 99% of the time – but beware, there are plenty of exceptions:
- The prefix ‘L’ at the beginning of a serial number indicates a guitar from the early ’60s
- The prefix ‘S’ at the beginning of a serial number stands for the decade of the seventies
- The prefix ‘E’ stands for the decade of the eighties
- The U.S. Vintage Series (launched in 1982) uses ‘V’ as a prefix for the serial number
- The prefix ‘N’ at the beginning of a serial number stands for the nineties
- The prefix ‘Z’ stands for guitars made in the noughties (2000 – 2010)
Note that made in Mexico Fender guitars (MIM) and made in Japan guitars (MIJ) have their own unique serial number system.
Pre-1976 Model? Check the Heel Too
Before 1976, frustratingly they often randomly assigned serial numbers. If you want to double-check the year of production year, it’s often a good idea to look at the heel of the neck (which entails removing the neck). Sometimes the potentiometers are worth checking too.
That’s all for now. We’ll keep adding more info as and when we find it.
Good luck!
FAQs
DATING YOUR U.S.-MADE FENDER STRINGED INSTRUMENT
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.
How old is my guitar by serial number? ›
As of 2000, the serial number expanded to 11 digits to accommodate the four-digit year designation. Reading left to right, the first two digits (or four starting in 2000) represent the year; the second pair of digits represent the month; and the third pair of digits represents the calendar day that work was begun.
How do you decode a Fender serial number? ›
The letter prefix is followed by an eight-digit number, the first two digits of which identify year of manufacture, (i.e., 97 for 1997, 98 for 1998, etc.). The remaining six digits are the unit identifier, but they are not sequential and do not provide further identification information about the instrument.
Where was my Fender Stratocaster made? ›
Location: Usually found on the back of the neck near the neck joint. Though some examples have the number on the headstock or the neck-plate in certain reissue models. In 1997, Fender changed the "Made in Japan" decal to say "Crafted in Japan" and then after 2007, Fender Japan switched back to the "Made in Japan".
What year is my serial number? ›
For the serial number the typical format is to have the 4th, 5th, and 6th characters to reference when the product was built. The first character is the year date (Y) and the next two (WW), the week in that year it was made.
How do you decode a guitar serial number? ›
The five digits of the serial number encode the day and order of manufacture for the guitar. The first group of three digits represent the days remaining in the year on the day the guitar was completed. The last two digits indicate the build order on that day.
What date was the guitar made? ›
The original shape of the guitar in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. A plucked string instrument that was first called a guitar appeared in Spain around the turn of the fifteenth century.
How do you date an old guitar? ›
The most accurate way of finding out the age of any Heritage guitar is through the serial number on the back of its headstock.
How do you date a vintage guitar? ›
How old is my Vintage guitar? Locate the serial number on the rear of the headstock. Ignore the letters of the serial number if they have any. The first and second number indicates the year of manufacturer, ie 99 = 1999, 07 = 2007.
What does the serial number start with MN on a Fender? ›
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.
Most manufacturers have online databases where consumers can enter the serial number and receive instant information about the product. These databases are often accessible through the manufacturer's website or through third-party platforms that aggregate multiple manufacturers' data.
How do you use a Fender code? ›
How do I enter a promo code?
- Sign Up for a Fender account or Sign In with an existing account.
- Choose the Plan your code is associated with.
- Enter your promo code in the Promo Code field and click "Apply."
- Complete checking out.
To make sure no one missed the point, the new instrument would be called “American Standard” and would have a “MADE IN U.S.A.” decal on headstock.
How do you read a Fender serial number in Japan? ›
JD Serial Numbers
New-style 10-digit code was introduced, with a basic “JD” prefix (which probably stood for “Japan Dyna”), followed by two numbers indicating the year and 5 digits in numerals for the identification of the guitar.
What years were fenders Made in Japan? ›
Fender picked the Fujigen workshop for their production, and from 1982-1996, this is where all Fender Japan guitars were made. The quality remained as exceptional as it had been before, but this time it was Fender's name on the headstock.
Can you date a Fender amp with a serial number? ›
Dating early Fender amplifiers is sometimes quite challenging. While dating Fender amps made before 1994 by serial number is all but impossible (as records of these numbers were never kept), all hope is not lost—the charts below should prove helpful in dating your Fender amp.
How can I tell when my Fender amp was made? ›
DATING CONTEMPORARY FENDER AMPLIFIERS
All Fender amplifiers manufactured from 1990 to the present include a date code, printed on the quality assurance (QA) sticker on the back of the amp chassis. This black-and-silver sticker contains several lines for “sign-offs” on completion of sound and electrical testing.
How do I tell what year my vintage Fender amp is? ›
Dating Fender Amps
1951-1967 – Tube chart on the inside of the amp is stamped with two letters (A – Q): The first letter designates the year and the second letter designates the month.
