How old is my gear? Where did it come from?
The Fender serial number decoder currently supports all documented MIA, MIJ, MIM, MIK and MII formats with the exception of Custom Shop, Relic and Reissue instruments. Please note that fender serial numbers tend to overlap by at least a year, and thereby the date of your guitar can only be approximated. Enter Serial Number eg. Now about the 'E4' serial number that show up on some of the first Strat Plus': The photos above show some Plus' with the 'E4' serial number. These are 1987-88 guitars! The serial numbers on the 87-8 models have caused some confusion due to the CBS buyout and the start up of the new plant in Corona, California. In general, Fender has had a lot.
Whether you inherited your instrument or bought it at a swap meet, you're probably curious about its provenance. Most gear has a serial number, either printed on a label inside it or stamped into the headstock or neck plate. Use our dating guides below to figure out when your instrument was made and where it came from. If you don't see the brand you're looking for, let us know what you're looking for in the comments at the bottom.
Fender guitars produced in Japan have the serial number on the back of the neck, near the attachment to the body. In some reissue models it can be found on the headstock or the neck plate. The combination of the text 'Made in Japan' and the serial number was used until 1997. Enter Serial Number eg. The Fender serial number decoder currently supports all documented MIA, MIJ, MIM, MIK and MII formats with the exception of Custom Shop, Relic and Reissue instruments. Please note that fender serial numbers tend to overlap by at least a year, and thereby the date of your guitar can only be approximated. 1954-1963 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers. At some point in 1954, Fender decided to stop grouping the guitar ID number by model. He started using one sequence of serial numbers for all the guitars coming off of the Fender production lines including Teles, Esquires, Strats, and P-basses.
How much is my gear worth?
Fender Stratocaster Value By Serial Number
Check out our free price guide which contains thousands of instruments and pieces of gear. We base our price estimates on real-world transactions and record them in our entries so you can see what your instrument has sold for in the past.
1973 Fender Stratocaster Value By Serial Number
Sell Your Gear
If you have an instrument you're looking to sell, you can make a listing on Reverb by going to our sell page via this link. Listing on Reverb is free and we only charge a small fee if and when your item sells through our site. Best of all, Reverb puts your listing in front of the largest audience of musicians in the world, so you can be sure you're getting the most value out of your sale.