THE WORKBENCH / FREE TO USE
Fender Serial Number Lookup: Date Your Guitar by Serial
Enter your Fender serial number to compare published dating formats. See every matching year range, country or factory clue, and source.
How to use this tool
- Find the serial and include every letter and leading zero. Spaces and dashes are accepted.
- Read all matching interpretations. Compare the country decal, serial location, and instrument features.
- Use the linked sources and supporting component dates to investigate further.
Worked example
MX14 123456 points to approximately 2014 to 2015: MX identifies Mexican production, and 14 points to 2014 with possible carryover into the next year. Check the back of the headstock and compare the instrument features.
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Serial number eras and formats
Compare the covered Fender formats below. The examples illustrate number formats; several formats can fit the same serial, so check the instrument details in each result.
| Years | Format | Example | Where to look |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 to 1963 | Early US serials with up to 5 digits | 12345 | Look on the bridge plate, early Stratocaster vibrato cover, or neck plate. |
| 1963 to 1965 | US serials starting with L | L12345 | Look on the metal neck plate at the back of the neck joint. |
| 1965 to 1976 | US 6-digit neck plate serials | 234567 | Look on the metal neck plate at the back of the neck joint. |
| 1976 to 1981 | 1970s US serials starting with S | S7 12345 | Look on the front of the headstock. |
| 1976 | US serials starting with 76 | 76 12345 | Look on the headstock. |
| 1979 to 1990 | 1980s US serials starting with E | E3 12345 | Look on the front or back of the headstock. |
| 1990 to 2000 | 1990s US serials starting with N | N4 123456 | Look on the front or back of the headstock. |
| 2000 to 2009 | 2000s US serials starting with Z | Z5 12345 | Look on the back of the headstock. |
| 2000 to 2009 | American Deluxe serials starting with DZ | DZ2 12345 | Look on the back of the headstock. |
| 2004 to 2009 | US serials recorded with XN | XN5 1234 | Look on the bridge plate of a 1952 Telecaster reissue. |
| 1982 onward | American Vintage serials starting with V | V1234 | Look on the headstock or neck plate, depending on the model. |
| Late 2009 to about March 2010 | Serials starting with 10 and no letters | 10 1234567 | Look on the decal on the back of the headstock. |
| 2010 to 2017 | US serials starting with US, 2010 to 2017 | US12 123456 | Look on the back of the headstock. |
| 2018 onward | US serials starting with US, 2018 onward | US19123456 | Look on the back of the headstock. |
| 1988 to 2009 | US Signature Series serials starting with SE, SN or SZ | SN8 12345 | Look on the headstock. |
| Year unknown | Signature Series serials starting with CZ | CZ123456 | Look on the headstock. |
| Year unknown | US Custom Shop serials starting with R or CN | R12345 | Look on the headstock or neck plate. |
| 1997 to 1998 | California Series serials starting with AMXN | AMXN123456 | Look on the headstock. |
| 1998 to 1999 | American Deluxe serials starting with DN | DN123456 | Look on the headstock. |
| 1994 or the 2000s onward | Special edition serials starting with LE | LE123456 | Look on the headstock. |
| 1981 to 1983 | Early 1980s US special edition serials | CA12345 | Look on the headstock. |
| About 1980 to 1982 | US serials starting with D or G | D123456 | Look on the headstock. |
| Year unknown | US export serials starting with FN or EE | FN123456 | Look on the headstock and check any country marking on the neck heel. |
| 1990 to 2000 | 1990s Mexican serials starting with MN | MN8 12345 | Look on the headstock. |
| 2000 to 2010 | 2000s Mexican serials starting with MZ | MZ1 123456 | Look on the headstock. |
| 2010 to 2018 | Mexican serials starting with MX, 2010 to 2017 | MX14 123456 | Look on the back of the headstock. |
| 2018 onward | Mexican serials starting with MX, 2018 onward | MX19123456 | Look on the back of the headstock. |
| Year unknown | Mexican artist serials starting with MSN or MSZ | MSN123456 | Look on the headstock. |
| 1982 to 1984 | Japanese serials starting with JV or SQ | JV12345 | Look near the neck heel, or on the headstock or neck plate on some early reissues. |
| 1984 to 1997 | Made in Japan letter serials, 1984 to 1997 | K123456 | Look on the back of the neck near the heel, beside the Made in Japan wording. |
| 1995 to 1996 | Made in Japan N plus 5-digit serials | N12345 | Look on the back of the neck. |
| 1997 to 2008 | Crafted in Japan letter serials | A123456 | Look on the back of the neck, below the Crafted in Japan wording. |
| 2007 to 2011 | Later Made in Japan T or U serials | T123456 | Look on the back of the neck. |
| 2012 onward | Japanese serials starting with JD | JD18123456 | Look on the back of the neck beside the Made in Japan wording. |
| 1990 to 1997 | Korean serials starting with CN or VN | CN0 12345 | Check the headstock and neck plate; the location is not confirmed for this format. |
| 1997 to 2012 | Korean serials starting with KC | KC03123456 | Look on the back of the headstock. |
| 1988 to 1996 | Korean serials without a letter | 6123456 | Check the country decal first; a serial location is not documented for this format. |
| 2008 to 2012 | Indonesian Fender serials starting with IC or ICF | ICF10123456 | Look on the back of the headstock. |
Limits of serial dating
Production dates are approximate. Overlapping numbers and parts assembled at different times mean the serial is only one piece of dating evidence.
Neck date stamps and codes on the volume and tone controls can help narrow the range. They date components rather than necessarily the completed guitar, so compare them with the instrument features.
This tool compares published formats and does not query the official instrument database. Some Custom Shop, American Vintage, export and acoustic instruments cannot be dated from the number alone.
The US and MX formats from 2018 onward use a secondary dating reference. Dates after 2025 extend that pattern and need additional confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Fender's official serial number lookup return nothing?
Fender says not every serial number is entered in its database. There may be no further information available for that number. Use the published dating guides and physical instrument details as additional evidence.
How do I tell a Japanese Fender E-series serial from a US one?
The same letter-and-digit shape can match both countries. Check the Made in Japan decal, serial location, and instrument features. Japanese E-prefix numbers cover 1984 to 1987 in Fender's guide; US E-prefix ranges depend on the next digit and overlap. This decoder shows both interpretations when both match.
Can I date an American Vintage V-prefix Fender from its serial?
Fender says the number alone does not definitively date these instruments. Its guide directs readers to the production date on the butt end of the neck heel. A neck date is still the component date, rather than necessarily the assembly date of the guitar.