Guitar attic fender serial numbers

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?

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 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:.

In the early years, Fender serial numbers schemes were specific to the model. Esquires, Broadcasters and Telecasters shared a serial number sequence, while the landmark Precision Bass had its own system. In this early period, the serial number can be found on the bridge of the instrument see image. Here are the rough serial number ranges for the early Esquires and Telecasters :. Also, for the first half or so of , the inaugural run of Stratocasters had a distinct number sequence all under number By mid, Fender began using a universal serial number sequence for all its instruments.

At this time, the location of the serial number also shifted from the bridge to the neckplate the metal plate located on back of where the neck meets the body. Here's how the serial numbers break down from to the beginning of , though there are some areas of inconsistency in this era:. At the very end of and into , Fender changed to a system where serial numbers began with an "L. Here the range of the L-series serial used each year. Some of the earliest ones actually popped up in late as well:.

After the CBS purchase of Fender in , the factory switched to a new serial sequence with numbers that continued the same general format used prior to the takeover. These are generally referred to as F series due the large Fender branded F on the neckplates of the era. This period also saw a switch from the orginal four-bolt neckplate of the '60s to a three-bolt neckplate in just one example of cost-saving costs introduced under CBS.

Starting in , 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 numbers will start with a letter that indicates the decade, followed by a number that indicates the year of that decade.

In the s, 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 One starting with Z5 would be from This is particularly pronounced in the transitional period of the mid-'80s, though the system has been pretty much on point since about Notice that there is quite a bit of overlap in numbers and years. Fender was sold to CBS in January The charts below detail the most common Fender serial number schemes from to the present.

Once again, there is quite a bit of overlap in numbers and years. As seen in the overlap of numbers and years, even these references to actual production dates are rather loose. The only way to definitively date U.

CBS sold Fender in March The numbers and decals were produced far in advance, and some N9 decals denoting , were inadvertantly affixed to some instruments in Z0 denotes ; Z1 denotes , etc. As always, there is typically some number prefix overlap and carryover from year to year.

If you have what you consider an odd serial number, it might appear here. We highly recommend each of them. They are detailed reference resources with a wealth of information on determining the production years of various instruments and on Fender history in general. For some of these models, you can find the date by taking off the neck entirely and reading the bottom portion.

If your guitar serial number shows you that there is a possibility for more than one year, refer to our fender research guides section to get a more accurate timespan.

Chart Number 2 — First two digits followed by a space and then the rest of the digits, starts with 76 or is only the number For this reason they are harder to date. You might be able to find a date by taking off the neck and looking at the bottom. Not being able to figure out the exact year of a model can be frustrating, especially when trying to break down how much it is worth.

The reason why they made their serial numbers for production purposes rather than to date their guitars is because Fender has used an assembly line method to make their guitars since almost the beginning. Even when they changed owners, they still used the same methods and tools as well. Certain things like stamped plates, and where and how the guitar was painted can help you figure out when the guitar was made. Unfortunately, since we cannot get an exact date either by looking at the neck or by matching the guitar with a serial number…..

There are some guides out there that can help you further investigate. Here are the best ones that seem to be out there. Wanna take the easiest route? Just go to www. Figuring out how much your fender is worth is surprisingly the easy part.