Fender Serial Number Lookup

Table of Contents

Want to know how old your Fender guitar is? Just follow these simple steps:

STEP 1. Find The Serial Number

The first thing you need to do is check the serial number.

Already know your serial number?

Great – go straight to Step 2 and identify it using our serial number decoder or guide.

No serial number yet?

Alright, first question: do you know the model? If yes – scroll to the model section below and you’ll see the most common spots for that exact guitar:

• Stratocaster
• Telecaster
• Precision Bass

Not sure about the model?

No problem – most Fender serial numbers are found in the first few locations below. Check these spots in order:

1. Back of the headstock – that’s the #1 place for a ton of Fender guitars.
2. Front of the headstock – often near the Fender logo. If you see several numbers at once, look for the one that says DES; this is the serial number.
3. Neck plate – that’s the metal plate on the back of the guitar where the neck is screwed to the body (you’ll see 4 screws there). On many older Fenders the serial is stamped right on that plate.
4. Bridge plate – this is the metal base plate the bridge sits on, between pickup and saddle. On some guitars (especially certain Telecasters and a few basses) the serial can be stamped on that metal plate.
5. Tremolo cavity cover (vibrato back plate) – it’s the cover over the spring cavity on the back of the body (on early 50’s Stratocasters).
6. Base of the neck (the visible part at the neck joint) – that’s the spot where the neck meets the body (common on some Japan-made Fenders).

Still can’t find it?

Before going further, make sure the instrument is actually a Fender (not Squier, a parts build, or another brand with Fender-style design).

If the serial number still isn’t visible, you may need to remove the neck (or pickguard/control plate on some models) to inspect internal markings. On many guitars, especially vintage and reissues, you may find useful identification marks on the neck heel. There you can find the production date.

STEP 2. Identify The Serial Number

First of all, try to check your Fender serial number using our decoder. It will help you find out not only the production date but also the place of manufacture of your instrument.

If the decoder does not give you a result, try searching manually in our serial number guide.

Stratocaster Serial Number

Some common features for identifying Stratocaster serial numbers.

Location of Serial Numbers:

• Early 1954: Tremolo Cavity Cover.
• 1954-1976: Neck Plate.
• 1976-2000s: Front of Headstock.
• Since mid-1990s: Back of Headstock.
• 1980-2017: Neck Heel (most Japanese Stratocasters).

Prefix Significance:

• L: Indicates a specific production era (mid-60s to 1976).
• E: Represents the 1980s.
• N: Denotes the 1990s.
• NC: Squier Strat Bullets
• Z: Used in the 2000s.
• V: For ‘vintage’ reissues.
• S: Signifies the 1970s.
• US: American Standard Series.
• DZ, DN: American Deluxe Series.
• CA: Gold Stratocaster 1981, 1982 and 1983.
• CC: Walnut Stratocaster 1981, 1982 and 1983.
• G: Stratocaster from 1980, with gold hardware and two-position rotary tone switch.

Origin Indicators:

• Mexican-made: Prefix MN or MZ for 1990s and 2000s; MSZ for Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster before  2010.
• Japanese-made: Prefix J or JV in early 1980s.
• 3 digits of 500: 35th Anniversary Strat from 1989-1990.

Telecaster Serial Number

Some common features for Telecaster serial number lookup.

Location of Serial Numbers:

• 1950-1954: Bridge Plate, between the pick-up and the saddles.
• 1954-1976: Neck Plate.
• 1976-2000s: Front of Headstock.
• 1980-2017: Neck Heel (Japan).
• Since 1980s: Bridge Plate (Vintage Reissues)
• Since mid-1990s: Back of Headstock.

Prefix Significance:

• L: Indicates a specific production era (mid-60s to 1976);
• CE: Black and Gold Telecaster from 1981-1982;
• XN: FSRs and ’52 Teles.

Origin Indicators:

• Mexican-made: Prefix MN or MZ for 1990s and 2000s; MSZ for Jim Root Telecaster, James Burton Standard Telecaster before  2010;
• Japanese-made: Prefix J or JV in early 1980s.

Other:

• 5 digits stamped on bridge plate: U.S. ’52 Vintage Telecaster since 1988;
• 4 digits stamped on bridge plate: U.S. ’52 Vintage Telecaster 1982-1988.

Precision Bass Serial Number

Some common features for identifying Precision Bass serial numbers.

Serial Number Location:

• 1951-1955: Bridge Plate.
• 1954-1976: Neck Plate.
• 1976-2000s: Front of Headstock.
• 1980-2017: Neck Heel (Japan).
• Since mid-1990s: Back of Headstock.

Serial Format:

• Pre-1976: Comprised solely of numbers;
• Post-1976: Begins with a letter followed by numbers. The letter often indicates the decade (e.g., E for the 1980s, N for the 1990s).

Prefix Significance:

• CB, CE: Precision Bass Special from 1981;
• CD, CO, GO: Precision Bass Special (Walnut) from 1982.

Origin Indicators:

• United States-made: Prefix US;
• Mexican-made: Prefix MX, MSZ (Duff McKagan P-Bass before  2010).

Jazz Bass Serial Number

Some common features for Jazz Bass serial number lookup.

Serial Number Location:

• 1960-mid 1976: Neck plate (4-5 digits early ’60s; L-series; later ‘big F’ plate).
• Mid-1976 – mid-1990s: Front of headstock.
• Since mid-1990s: Back of headstock.
• Since 1982 (Vintage Reissue/American Vintage): Neck plate (often V-prefix).

Prefix Significance:

• L (+ 5 digits): Indicates a specific production era (mid-60s to 1976);
• V: Vintage Reissue/American Vintage family;
• N: 1990s decade letter.
• Z: 2000s decade letter.
• US: American Standard Series.
• D (+ 6 digits): Jazz Bass from 1982.
• CB (+ 5 digits): Gold Jazz Bass from 1982.

Origin Indicators:

• Mexico (MIM): Prefix MN = 1990s, MZ = 2000s, MX = 2010s.
• Japan (MIJ/CIJ): common prefixes include JV, SQ, E; serial is often on the back of the neck near the neck joint, sometimes on the headstock decal or neck plate depending on reissue.

Jazzmaster Serial Number

Some common features for Jazzmaster serial number lookup.

Location of Serial Numbers:

• 1958-mid – 1976: Neck plate.
• 1959-1960: some neck plates show the serial stamped at the bottom instead of the top;
• Mid-1976 – mid-1990s: Front of headstock.
• Since mid-1990s: Back of headstock is common.
• Since 1982 (Vintage Reissue): Neck plate, often with V-prefix.

Prefix Significance:

• L: 1963–1965 neck-plate era.
• 0 or ‘-‘ prefix before the digits: Sometimes seen on late-1957/1958 neck-plate serials (relevant for very early Jazzmasters).
• V: Vintage Reissue.
• LE (+ 6 digits): Blonde Jazzmaster with gold hardware (1994 promo set).

Origin Indicators:

• Mexico (MIM): Prefix MN (1990s), MZ (2000s), MX (2010s+).
• Japan (MIJ/CIJ): serial often back of neck near neck joint; some reissues put it in the headstock decal or on the neck plate.

Jaguar Serial Number

Some common features for Jaguar serial number lookup.

Location of Serial Numbers:

• 1962-mid – 1977: Neck plate (classic/vintage Jaguars).
• Mid-1976 – mid-1990s: Front of headstock.
• Mid-1990s – present: Back of headstock is common.
• Since 1982 (Reissue): Neck plate, often V-prefix.

Prefix Significance:

• V: Vintage Reissue / American Vintage family; not strictly year-coded.
• LE (+ 6 digits): Blonde Jaguar with gold hardware (1994 promo set).
• Early neck-plate range clue: charts often flag 1962 as the first Jaguar production year within the early 5-digit neck-plate era.

Origin Indicators (non-Squier):

• Mexico (MIM): Prefix MN (1990s), MZ (2000s), MX (2010s+).
• Japan (MIJ/CIJ): many reissue Jaguars show the serial on the back of the neck under the MIJ/CIJ marking, or in/near the headstock decal depending on the run.

Fender Acoustic Serial Number

Where to find the serial number on a Fender acoustic guitar:

1. Inside the soundhole on the label (often shows model + serial).
2. Inside the soundhole, facing the neck – look for the serial or model stamped on the neck block.
3. Back of the headstock.

Important note: Serial numbers/codes may be listed slightly out of order, so the year of manufacture should be considered approximate unless you confirm it with other data.

If a serial number is present, it typically has a letter prefix followed by several digits.

The first digits often indicate the production year:

• Most commonly, the first 2 digits = year (within the 2000s/2010s/2020s).
• In some older formats, the first 1 digit = year (typically within the 1990s).

Examples (2 digits = year):

• US14xxxxx – 2014
• ICF12xxxxx – 2012

Examples (1 digit = year):

• CN5xxxxx – 1995
• VN7xxxxx – 1997

But this only applies to guitars made after the 1980s. Records for Fender acoustic guitars from the early 1960s through the 1980s are incomplete, so serial numbers are often insufficient to accurately date an instrument.

Use the model name, construction details and catalogs to understand the time period the guitar was made.

DG Series: Import acoustics (China/Indonesia/Korea), mostly mid-late 1990s. Models start with DG prefix.

Spring Hill Series: Handmade acoustics built in Spring Hill, Tennessee (mid-1990s). Model prefixes are LS and SB.

AG Series: Import acoustics from Korea (mid-1990s). Model prefix start with AG (AG10-AG25).

SX/CX Series: Import acoustics from Korea (early-mid 1990s). Model suffixes include SX (steel-string), SXE, and CX (classical).

Gemini Series: Import acoustics from Korea, distributed in the U.S. by Midco (mid-1980s into 1990). Includes Gemini I-IV and IIE.

California Series: Import acoustics: Japan in the early 1980s, then Korea in the mid-1980s onward. Includes models like Malibu, Newporter, Redondo.

Standard Series: Import acoustics distributed in the U.S. by Midico (1980s). Includes models like F200/F210 and FC classical variants.

F Series: Acoustic guitars imported from Asia (late 1960s through the 1980s).

Early U.S.-Made Acoustic Guitars: Instruments with laminated construction, bolt-on necks, through-body tension rods, and Strat-style headstocks (1960s-early 1970s).

Tarrega Acoustic Guitars: Made in Sweden and distributed by Fender in the late 1960s; laminated construction.

Regal Acoustic Guitars: Distributed by Fender in the late 1960s; laminate construction.

STEP 3. Verify The Information

Despite the fact that our serial number decoder is quite accurate, it does not provide a 100% guarantee. The process of determining the date and place of production, as well as the authenticity of the instrument is quite complex. Do not jump to conclusions.

Be sure to verify the information:

1. Check the external characteristics (components, pickups, hardware, etc.)
2. Look through the catalogs and make sure that this model was produced that year.
3. Contact experts, especially if we are talking about a vintage and valuable instrument.
4. Contact Fender’s official support. If they have any information you need, they’ll be sure to help.

FAQ