Fender serial number lookup

Manufacturer

Number on the neck plate or headstock, often with a letter prefix.

Serial Number

Try an example: US10123456

Model Number

Results for this brand are estimates based on commonly published serial number conventions. Confirm with other features of your instrument.

How it works

Choose a brand, type the serial number exactly as it appears (spaces and dashes are ignored) and we'll estimate when the instrument was built. Serial numbers are usually on the neck block, headstock or neck plate.

Supported brands

Martin Guitar, Martin Mandolin, Martin Little Martin (LX), Martin Backpacker, Martin Ukulele (Solid Wood), Martin Ukulele (HPL), Martin Ukulele (SO), Gibson, Fender, Epiphone, Taylor, Ibanez, Takamine, Breedlove, Guild

How to date a Fender guitar by serial number

Fender makes the Stratocaster, Telecaster and more.

Where to find the serial number

Number on the neck plate or headstock, often with a letter prefix.

Serial number format

Fender serial numbers are inconsistent and overlap between years. Supported: neck/bridge plate numbers (1950-1976), L-series (1963-1965), peghead decal prefixes S/E/N/Z/DZ + year digit, Japanese letter series, US/MX/JD + two digit year, MZ + year digit and several special series. Always confirm with neck dates and pot codes.

Example Fender serial number: US10123456. Enter it above to see how the lookup works. Results are estimates, so confirm them against other features of the instrument.

How to find the model of your Fender guitar

A serial number mainly tells you when an instrument was made. These markings help identify the model.

The model name is usually on the headstock decal, and some guitars also show it on the neck plate.
Check the back of the headstock and the neck plate for the serial number, and note any country of origin marking.
Fender serials identify the era and factory, not the model, so match the model by its features and markings.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find the year of my Fender guitar from its serial number?

Number on the neck plate or headstock, often with a letter prefix. Enter the serial number on guitarsdater.com to get the estimated year of manufacture. Example: US10123456.

What does a Fender serial number look like?

How accurate is the Fender date estimate?

Fender did not publish a complete serial number chart, so results are estimates based on documented ranges. Check the model, hardware and features to confirm.

About Fender

Fender makes the Stratocaster, Telecaster and more. Official website: Fender.

Founded: 1946, Fullerton, California
Headquarters: Arizona, USA

Fender serial prefixes and positions vary by factory (USA, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Indonesia) and era, so dates can overlap.

Fender dating tips

Fender neck plates were pulled from a bin, so numeric serials overlap between years. Treat the result as an estimate.
Confirm the date with the neck date, body date and potentiometer codes whenever possible.
Letter prefixes such as US, MX and JD followed by two digits indicate the factory and year.
The large script F neck plate marks the CBS era (1965 to 1976), and L-series plates cover 1963 to 1965.

Other guitar brands we can date

Disclaimer:
GuitarsDater.com and guitarsdater.com don't make any guarantee as to the accuracy or validity of the dating information provided. Our results are presented as a best effort to be correct and missing or incorrect dating information, application bugs, user data errors, etc. can all affect results. Visitors who use this website and rely on any information do so at their own risk.