- #Fender stratocaster model from serial number how to#
- #Fender stratocaster model from serial number serial numbers#
- #Fender stratocaster model from serial number serial number#
After 1962, an ink stamp was used to stamp the model code, month, year, and neck width code. Most of the neck heels were signed with a month and year in pencil until 1962. Then, use a properly fitting screw driver to carefully unscrew the four bolts folding the neck plate to the body while supporting both the neck and the body. Stratocasters have two main date indicators: one signed in pencil or stamped on the heel of the neck and one pencil signed in the tremolo cavity on the back of the body (until about 1966 or so).įor expert technicians only: To check the stamp on the heel of the neck, detune the strings first so that there is no tension. Date with neck and body dates (expert technicians only)įender utilized various signatures and stamps on the bodies and necks of Stratocaster guitars to indicate what year and month they were made and by which employee. So what is this guitar? Find out here: 1954, 1960, 1954 Fender Stratocaster.
#Fender stratocaster model from serial number serial number#
The serial number "1062", however, is from a range that indicates that it was made in 1954. The logo, style of finish, and veneer Rosewood fretboard indicated 1964, but the tuners, potentiometer codes, and tremolo cavity indicated 19. This Fender Stratocaster exhibited a lot features that indicated it was made in 1964.
#Fender stratocaster model from serial number serial numbers#
This guitar is an excellent example of why Fender serial numbers can be misleading. A lower serial number does not necessarily indicate an earlier guitar. Dating a Stratocaster by serial number is only the first step in getting a comprehensive view of what year your Fender guitar was made. Not only that, but these plates were not applied to guitars in a consecutive order. The problem with dating a Fender Stratocaster using serial numbers alone is that they are often found on an easily replaceable part. Fender Stratocaster serial numbers were applied to three different parts of the guitar from the introduction in 1954 until the 1980s: the tremolo cover plate on the back of the body (only for the first 200 Stratocasters in 1954!), the neck plate on the back (the most common location), and even the headstock at the top of the neck starting in the late 1970s.
#Fender stratocaster model from serial number how to#
Here is a comprehensive list if you're looking for how to date a Fender Stratocaster by serial number: Fender Serial Number Lookup. You can contact me here to sell a Fender guitar. I am also looking to acquire the nicest examples of all colors of Stratocasters made in the 1950s and 1960s. I perform expert inspections on vintage Fender Stratocasters. I am a passionate guitar collector and am looking for Fender Stratocaster guitars from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The next step is an expert inspection of each part to determine what parts are original to the guitar and what parts may not be. Finding the year that a Stratocaster was made only starts with check the serial number. Fender made the Stratocaster in great numbers from its introduction in 1954 and throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The Fender Stratocaster is the most iconic solid electric guitar of all time. Finding the year of a Stratocaster by serial number is not a very refined approach since the serial number plates are easily swapped using only a screwdriver! Here's how to date a Fender Stratocaster: serial number lookup, neck and body dates, potentiometer date codes, and dating the general features. As a Fender guitar collector, knowing how to date a Stratocaster is among the most important parts of the pursuit of my favorite guitars.