So you need to figure out the year of production for your guitar or bass. You're not alone. Fenders rank as the most frequently bought and sold instruments on Reverb, and finding a precise date of manufacture can be key to determining the value and specifics of an instrument.
The most important thing to keep in mind when dating a Fender is the highly modular nature of the designs. Like Henry Ford, part of Leo Fender's genius was in optimizing the company's production efficiency. His guitars were built en masse by an entire factory, not a single luthier toiling over one instrument at a time. Features like bolt-on necks and pickups wired into the pickguard all helped the Fender factory churn out guitar after guitar, day after day. This also means that various parts used on a particular guitar may have come from different points in time, so no single number can absolutely define when the instrument was built. Instead, the best approach to dating a Fender is to combine indicators from the design of the instrument, the dates found on the neck and body, along with the serial number.
Design Changes and Features Perhaps the best place to start when dating your Fender is to get an approximate idea of the era based on the instrument's design and components. This can be a tall order for someone less versed in guitar history, but we do have some resources here on Reverb to help you out. For starters, there's the Reverb Price Guide which has thousands of entries with pictures and details on various guitars and other gear.
Some browsing around the can definitely help you find which model you have. We also have some other blog posts related to Fender that can hopefully be of some help. There's and that follows the evolution of the most popular Fender guitar of all. Similarly, take a look at for general timeline of the history of everyone's favorite offset guitar. For Fender during the turning point era of the mid-'60s, check out Body and Neck Dates Through much of Fender's production history, Fender workers would print or write a production date on both bodies and necks where the two pieces meet. These dates will tell when the original part was manufactured, but are not exact indicators of when the guitar was actually put together and finished.
Here is what the neck date and body date look like from a 1952 Telecaster: If you're not comfortable removing the neck of a guitar to peek at the date marker, I encourage you to take it to a local tech or luthier. I will also mention briefly pot-codes as a resource (numbers on the internal potentiometers of the guitar). These can definitely be useful in cases where no other numbers exist, but just tell when the pot itself was made. Who knows how long it was waiting in the Fender factory before finding its way into a Tele? Serial Numbers Like the body and neck dates, using serial numbers to date a Fender is not a sure bet. At many points in Fender's history, serial number usage overlapped again owing to the modular manner of production. Below we'll go into detail about the various serial number schemes employed by Fender as far back as 1950.
There are certainly plenty of exceptions, so again, using serial numbers in conjunction with other dating methods is always the best bet. Click on the links here to jump directly to the serial number style that matches your instrument:. Post 1976 Starting in 1976, Fender transitioned to a new serial number scheme and moved the placement of most serial numbers to the headstock of the instrument.
Depending on the era and model, the number can be found on either the front or back of the headstock. After a short period of overlap with the old system, the post-76 numbers will start with a letter that indicates the decade, followed by a number that indicates the year of that decade. The decade letter codes break down like this: S = 1970s, E = 1980s, N = 1990s, Z = 2000s. In the 2000s, you'll also see serials starting with a DZ which indicates the Deluxe series, but the format is otherwise the same. For example, a serial number with N4 would be from 1994.
One starting with Z5 would be from 2005. This scheme is not 100% consistent due to a number of production factors, such as Fender producing more serialized decals than needed in a given year. This is particularly pronounced in the transitional period of the mid-'80s, though the system has been pretty much on point since about 1990. After 2009, the letter changed to a format starting with US then two digits that tell the year of the current decade. Here's the breakdown of Post-1976 American-made Fender serials. Made in Japan Fender Serials Fender Japan serial numbers can usually be found on the back of the neck near the neck joint. Though examples also exist with the number on the headstock or the neck-plate in the case of certain early reissue models.
Up until 1997, the serial was paired with the words 'Made in Japan.' In 1982, Fender expanded operations with a series of instruments produced in Japan by the Fuji Gen Gakki company. Like the US serial numbers, MIJ (made in Japan) serials start with a letter or pair of letters that indicate the rough year of production. This system, however, is notoriously inconsistent and incomplete, which makes dating by serial number even less reliable for MIJ Fenders.
Here's a breakdown of serials for the 'Made in Japan' era. Made in Mexico Fender Serials Fender opened a factory in Ensenada, Mexico in the late '80s and instruments started coming off the line in 1990. Mexican-made (MIM) Fenders carry a serial number on the headstock starting with an M. Some exceptions include a handful of special editions and signature models as well as the split US/Mexican-made California series which all have a 'AMXN' at the beginning of their serials. The MIM serial number scheme is actually very straight-forward.
For Mexican Fenders made in the 1990s, the serial will start with an MN followed by a number that indicates the year of the decade. Instruments made in the 2000s follow the same form but start with MZ.
For the 2010s, the prefix is MX1. For example, a serial number starting with MN2 would be 1992. Here's the serial number breakdown for a majority of MIM Fenders.
Exceptions There are a number of exceptions to all these serial number schemes. As mentioned above, many reissue models use serial numbers that don't really correlate to their age. Additionally, there have been plenty of artist models, limited editions and other rare models that use a unique serial number. Examples include the 35th anniversary series, many of the uniquely finished Strats from the early '80s, as well as various export-specific models which carry a serial number starting with FN.
Again, the serial number alone in any of these cases is not definitive and the best approach is to combine that with other methods like the neck and body dates, as well as just the features of the specific instrument. If you have any questions as to what Fender you're dealing with, I encourage you to seek out a local guitar shop or luthier to help figure it out.
I can see the serial numbers clearly but its really strange it doesn't have any Made in Japan stamp. Fender Japan ALWAYS put Made in Japan or Crafted in Japan. The serial number is also very strange.
Fender Japan never use the 's/n' for serial number. They use the whole words 'SERIAL NUMBER'. Are you sure its Japanese?
Perhaps Mexican (sorry but I'm not familiar with MIM). One more thing, Bacchus Japan released a few exact copies of Marcus Miller Signature. There could be a slim chance the logo was replaced. I can see the serial numbers clearly but its really strange it doesn't have any Made in Japan stamp. Fender Japan ALWAYS put Made in Japan or Crafted in Japan.
The serial number is also very strange. Fender Japan never use the 's/n' for serial number. They use the whole words 'SERIAL NUMBER'. Are you sure its Japanese?
Perhaps Mexican (sorry but I'm not familiar with MIM). One more thing, Bacchus Japan released a few exact copies of Marcus Miller Signature. There could be a slim chance the logo was replaced. Click to expand.I never thought s/n is also used since majority of Fender Japan instruments used the complete SERIAL NUMBER.
I haven't come across to those models yet personally. The OP bass has no Made in Japan or Crafted in Japan stamp which is really really really strange as well as the serial number which starts with 'B'. Can you post a photo of your '75 RI Jazz serial numbers? I am very interested to see the s/n stamp. Here is a new 'S' Marcus Miller with compete 'SERIAL NUMBER'.
When it comes to vintage, Fender immediately springs to mind. Even though you can easily find vintage Ricks, Gibsons and Hofners, Fender seems to own 90% of the vintage attention. Old Precision and Jazz basses are the holy grail to some bass players, and one thing that also keeps popping up in any Fender-related vintage discussion is the ‘magic’ L-serial number. So, back in early 1965, Leo Fender sold his company to CBS, who then changed a number of processes. It is widely agreed that the 1970’s was a bit of a ‘shaky’ period for Fender, and that’s probably why the instruments from before January 1965 – the pre-CBS bass and guitars – have become so sought-after and valuable. However, you can’t really say that any bass with an ‘L’ serial plate is necessarily pre-CBS as there was quite some plates in stock at the time Fender sold to CBS and they were used before the 100,000s serial numbers began. The same goes for bass parts and basses from the first half of 1965 are often considered as good as early 60s basses as the real changes occurred later than that.
But again that’s just one view. There are tons of signs to look after when trying to date a vintage bass, but of course the serial number is a good place to start.
So, why not go straight to the source and take a look at Fender’s own serial number guide.
How to date and identify your Fender instruments using serial numbers and production date stamps. No one likes it when you forget their birthday and neither does your Fender. Well, don’t despair.
For most of Fender’s production history they have applied serial numbers and production dates that can help you determine their production date (within a few years’ margin, at least). Determining the date can also be important from a collector’s perspective, since the pre-1966 vintage Fender guitars are generally considered the most valuable. Fender was sold to CBS in the first week of January 1965, but already in late 1964 mass production was slowly being introduced, which gradually lowered quality and ultimately collectibility. It is important to remember that Fender serial numbers are NOT conclusively chronological. Back in the day, Fender made their serial number plates in big batches and the assembler simply grabbed a decal or more from the crate and slapped it on the guitar. As a result, many numbers and dates overlap.
To get as close as possible to determining the age of your Fender, make sure to check all dates on both body, neck and pots. The locations of the serial numbers and dates change from model to model and in some cases they have simply been omitted. Also, labeling techniques have changed with Fender owners, slightly adding to the confusion. This article deals only with U.S.-made Fender guitars and basses from 1950 until today, since they are some of the predominant vintage guitars for sale on VintageandRare.com. How do I find the serial number on my U.S.-made Fender?
Typically the serial number is penciled or stamped on the butt end of the heel of the neck of most guitars and basses. Neck dating can be useful in finding the approximate age of your guitar. Since the neck is only a component of the guitar, it could have been produced a number of years before the actual instrument was assembled, hence the date on the neck is not necessarily the production date of the whole guitar. On early ’50s Stratocaster guitars serial numbers were stamped on the back vibrato cover plate. On some Telecaster guitars the serial number is found on the bridge plate between the pickup and the saddles. Fender neck dates from 1950 to today. From the production of the first solidbody Fender guitars and until 1976, Fender tagged a production date at the butt of the detachable neck of their guitars.
Only about half the guitars still carry any intelligible information here. Below is a list of date formats and how they were marked on the neck-butts: 1950-1954: Hand-written below the truss rod adjustment at the butt end of the neck. Date format is usually M-D-YY and often features the woodworker’s initials as well.
1954-1959: Same as above, only the format is M-YY, leaving out the day. First half of 1959: No markings for a period after a customer complained about an obscenity written on the neck butt. Markings start to appear again around mid-year. Mid-1959-March 1962: Same as ’54-’59. March 1962 to 1965: Dark blue or red ink stamps below the truss rod adjustment at the neck butt. Date format written as “XX MM-YY W”. The “XX” does not refer to the day; it is a code for the neck type (e.g.
“02”=Stratocaster, “3/4″=3/4 scale Musicmaster). The “W” stands for neck width: “A” is the narrower, “B” is normal width, and “C” wider and “D”, though rarely seen, is the widest. 1966: the model number (the number stamped on the neck before the month) change (for example, “13”=Stratocaster). 1969: A new type of neck stamp of six, seven or eight digits was used on some models. The new stamp was usually green ink. Example: “529129B” (more info on reading there in the “nack stamps” section below.) This new green stamp was used simultaneously with the earlier “XX MMM-YY W” format. Models from this period could have either code system.
1972: A new eight-digit neck stamp was introduced colored either green or red. Example: “02033923”, as found on a Jazz Bass. From 1972 to around March 1973, this new system was used simultaneously with the previous “XX MMM-YY W”.
Again, either stamp can occur on instruments from this era. A example of this is “02033923” found on a Jazz Bass. From 1972 through about March 1973, this new system was used concurrently with the previous “XX MMM-YY W” format. Again, a neck was stamped with either the new or the old date stamp, but not both. The model numbers change yet again (for example, “09”=Stratocaster).
See “neck stamps” section below for more info. April 1973-1980: Fender dropped the old style date stamp after March 1973 and continued with the new 8-digit code.
April 1973 to 1980: After March 1973, Fender dropped the old style date stamp and continued to use the new style, 8-digit code. See “neck stamps” section below for more info. 1976 to present: All non-vintage reissue instruments have the serial number printed on the decal on the face of the peghead. The approximate production year can be determined from this (more about serial numbers will follow). Sometimes a date is stamped or hand-written on the butt of the neck.
Vintage reissue instruments have the date on the butt end of the neck like the originals. 1980: Little glued labels with MM-DD-YY date stamps appear in the neck pocket, pickup cavity and/or back of the neck. How to read the 1969-1971 neck stamps The neck stamps on Fenders from 1969 to 1971 can be most logically translated by reading from right to left. For example, let’s take a Stratocaster with the serial number 279515 and the code 22384109B. Starting with the letter B, this is the same neck width code Fender has been using since 1962. The next number is the production year, in this case 9 = 1969. The next one or two digits are for the month, here 10 = October.
The following three digits, here 384, could be a batch or lot number, or i could be the count for how many of this one instrument that was made within the month. Since Fender could probably produce more than 999 of any one type instrument in a month, it is more likely a batch or lot number. Finally, the first one or two digits of the code tells you which model you are holding; 22 being a Stratocaster. There are some exceptions as you can see in this information provided by Mike Gagliano. A few Telecasters have shown up with neck codes that show a ’67 date and one with a possible ’68 date, while the rest of the guitar appears to be from ’69. Download roland cutstudio software. If Fender used this code system as early as ’67, then we should be seeing more ’67 and ’68 guitars with the code stamped in green ink.
A likely explanation is the use of leftover necks, which Fender is known to have done at several occasions. Other exceptions exist as well. For example, a 1970 Strat with the neck code 2231008B. The first “22” is the model (Strat), and the ending “B” is the neck width. But the “008” is not the month and year. There aren’t really any explanations to this, but it appears on the occasional Fender guitar from this era.
How to read the 1972-1980 neck stamps The ’72 to ’80 eight digit code is similar to the ’69-’71 system that we just discussed. Example: a Music Master with serial number 595121 and the code 49002153.
The first 6 digits are in pairs and the last two digits are standalone, giving us 49 00 21 5 3: 49 = model code (Musicmaster, Mustang, Bronco) 00 = neck code (rosewood fingerboard) 21 = week code (week 21) 5 = year code (1975) 3 = day of the week code (Wednesday) 1972-1980 model codes. Model codes (first two digits): 01 = Precision Bass 02 = Jazz Bass 04 = Mustang Bass 08 = Telecaster Deluxe 09 = Stratocaster 13 = Telecaster, Telecaster Custom, Telecaster Thinline 49 = Musicmaster, Mustang, Bronco 1972-1980 neck codes Neck codes (second pair of digits): 00 = rosewood fingerboard 01 = rosewood fingerboard 03 = fretted maple neck OR skunk stripe neck with rosewood board 10 = fretless maple neck Fender dating charts and serial numbering schemes The chart below shows the serial numbers used by Fender from 1950 to 1964. You may notice the significant overlap in numbers and years.
The only way to try to narrow the date range of your instrument is to remove the neck and check the butt end of the neck heel for a production date as mentioned above. Some users may find the prospect of disassembling their Fender unsettling; if so, please refer to an experienced professional guitar tech for help. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES Up to 6.000 1950 to 1954 Up to 10.000 1954 to 1956 10.000s 1955 to 1956 10.000’s to 20.000’s 1957 20.000’s to 30.000’s 1958 30.000’s to 40.000’s 1959 40.000’s to 50.000’s 1960 50.000’s to 70.000’s 1961 60.000’s to 90.000’s 1962 80.000’s to 90.000’s 1963 90.000’s up to L10.000’s 1963 L10.000’s up to L20.000’s 1963 L20.000’s up to L50.000’s 1964 Fender was sold to CBS in January 1965. Serial numbering didn’t change immediately because the production methods and tools remained the same. The chart below shows Fender serial numbers from 1965 to 1976. Again, notice the overlap in numbers and years. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES L50.000’s up to L90.000’s 1964 100.000’s 1965 100.000’s to 200.000’s 1966 to 1967 200.000’s 1968 200.000’s to 300.000’s 1969 to 1970 300.000’s 1971 to 1972 300.000’s to 500.000’s 1973 400.000’s to 500.000’s 1974 to 1975 500.000’s to 700.000’s 1976 In 1976 things were made a little easier.
Fender introduced the “S”-prefix for guitars made in the 70’s, and the “E”-prefix for guitars from the 80’s as seen in the chart below. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES 76 + 5 digits S6 + 5 digits 1976 S7 + 5 digits S8 + 5 digits 1977 S7 + 5 digits S8 + 5 digits 1978 S9 + 5 digits 1979 E0 + 5 digits S9 + 5 digits 1980 E0 + 5 digits E1 + 5 digits S9 + 5 digits E0 + 5 digits E1 + 5 digits 1981 In 1982, Fender introduced the U.S. Vintage series. These instruments have a “V”-prefix serial and the only way to definitively date these is, like with the earliest serial numbered guitars, by removing the neck and checking the butt of the neck for a production date, which may be stamped or written there. Again, if you don’t feel confident about taking apart your instrument, leave it to a pro. SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES E1 E2 E3 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) Fender was sold again in 1985 to the existing owners, but the numbering remained the same.
Serial numbers from 1985 to 1990 are as follows: 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) Keeping in line with the decennary numbering scheme, the “N”-prefix serial numbers were introduced in 1990. The numbers and decals were made years in advance, and some N9 decals (denoting 1999) were, in a blunder, affixed to some instruments in 1990. As a consequence, some 1990 guitars bear 1999 “N9” serial numbers. SERIAL NUMBER PRODUCTION DATES E9 + 5 digitsN9 + 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 digitsN3 + 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 digitsN6 + 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 digitsN9 + 5 or 6 digits V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster) 1999 “Z”-prefix serial numbers denote the new millennium and they appear on U.S.-made instruments from 2000 and onward. Z0 is 2000; Z1 is 2001, etc. American Deluxe Series instruments use the same dating convention, but with the addition of a “D” in front of the “Z”; that is, DZ1, DZ2, etc.
As usual, there is some overlap from year to year. For dealers and builders: Sell instruments through VintageAndRare Why sell through VintageAndRare? In essence we are a gateway to vintage, rare and hand & custom built musical equipment, an easy-to-use tool and internet resource for dealers, builders, buyers and enthusiasts. Become a Gain access to our Dealers Collective and interact with other members of V&R. Doing business with your colleagues has never been easier. Service Pick a subscription plan and sign up in 60 seconds.
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Using Fender Guitar Serial Numbers to determine the date of manufacture. Fender Serial Numbers, 1950 to 2007 (Identifying the Year).
An inexact science to be sure. Dating a Fender guitar with the serial number is a hit or miss propisition. It helps narrow things down, but in most cases is an inexact science. Leo Fender never intended for his guitars to become collectors items. He never invisioned a need to pinpoint the manufacturing date of any of his guitars. At least not while he was at Fender Musical Instrument Corporation.
With that said, and with great help from numerous sources including FMIC, George Gruhn's publications, and A. Duchossoir the following information should help you but it is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.
Before 1977 Fender guitars hd a serial number on the bridgeplate or neckplate. Serial numbers are basically chronological, but there is some overlap in some years. Before the later 1970's Fender never expected the guitars to be collectable or for serial numbers to be important. The bridge plate or neckplate were applied to a guitar with no thought to keeping any kind of number sequence.
Fender serial numbers were assigned like this: 1. In the factory, there was a large container with serialized items such as neckplates and bridges. A Fender employee simply reached in and grabbed one (or many) and installed them on the instrument(s) as they worked. As you can see from this over-simplified example, serial number assignment was fairly random. Just keep this in mind.
The only truly 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. Fender Esquire, Broadcaster, and Telecaster Serial Numbers 1950 to 1954 (serial number stamped 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): Esquire, Broadcaster and Telecaster, Numbers On Bridge Plate 0001 to 0999 = 1950 to 1952 1000 to 5300 = 1952 to 1954 Serial Numbers for all Fender Guitar Models, from summer 1954 to mid 1976 In mid-1954 Fender changed the location of serial numbers to the neckplate. This was probably done as a cost saving measure. Because different companies did the stamping of the serial numbers on neckplates they vary in location and layout. 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.
American Fender Jazz Bass
Double stamped serial number plates were also produced (number on both front and back of the neck plate) in late 1957 to early 1959. Unfortunately, there is also some overlap in serial numbers between years - again due to the fact that neckplates were re-ordered various times from various manufacturers. 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) Called an 'L Plate,' Fender neckplates started showing up with LXXXXX numbers sometime in 1963. It was an error by the company that produced the neckplate stamping for Fender. Fender was using up their neckplates with numbers under 100,000. So, they ordered neckplates that were supposed to have numbers above 100,000.
But the stamper misread the order and thought that the number '1' was an 'L' and so instead of plates starting with 100,000 they started with L00,000. Fender demanded corrected neckplates immediately. But it took a while to manufacture and number the plates.
Fender P Bass Serial Numbers
So, the company just used the L Plates not wanting to let them go to waste. Neckplates with an 'L Plate' are considered a Pre-CBS Fender (even though the CBS corporation bought Fender in January 1965). Sometimes an 'L' serial number can be seen as early as late 1962. L00001 to L20000 = 1963 L20000 to L55000 = 1964 L55000 to L99999 = 1965 F-Series (late 1965 to mid-1976) After CBS took over Fender changed the neck plates once again. This time, probably in a corporate branding effort, a large Fender script 'F' was added to the neckplate below the serial number.
F Series guitars are generally considered CBS Fenders. Though most collectors will value all 1965 Fenders similarly to Pre-CBS (the sale was consummated in early February, 1965) 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. For many reasons, Fender decided to change the serial numbering system and it's location in the mid-1970's. You can imagine that it might have been cheaper to have the serial numbers added to the decals rather than have them machined.
But you can also imagine that there were many times for inventory purposes when suppliers, vendors, and etc. Wanted to be able to see the serial number, and now, the year of production without turning the guitar over.
So starting in mid-1976 the serial number was moved to a decal on the peghead. Even with the new system, Fender didn't like to throw away a perfectly good serialized decal just because the year code would be incorrect. So, the information on the peghead could be off as much as two years.
Generally speaking, a 'S' prefix equals the 1970's (Seventies), 'E' prefix equals the 1980's (Eighties), and 'N' prefix equals the 1990's (Nineties). Also note: 'E' and 'N' prefix serial numbers were also sometimes also Japanese-made.
In March 1985, CBS sold Fender to a group of private investors made up of the management of the corporation at the time. The serial numbers do not reflect this change - Fender continued to make instruments using existing serial number schemes. The new Fender (FMIC) did not acquire any physical assets of the old company, just the name 'Fender' and the rights to all products and trademarks. So, without any factories FMIC moved all guitar production during 1985 and early 1986 to Japan, while FMIC built a new factory in Corona, California. The Japanese-made Fenders do have some slight serial number differences (typically a 'J' serial number prefix).
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