Fender Serial Numbers 

Find out when your old Fender guitar was made. Just locate the serial number, which is normally found at the bottom of the guitar's neck, and check the list of Fender serial numbers below.

Search for serial numbers for all Fender guitars dating from 1950, which is when Fenders where first produced.

Serial Numbers                           Dates

To 6000                                 1950 to 1954

To10,000                               1954 to 1956

10,000s                                 1955 to 1956

10,000s to 20,000s                  1957 

20,000s to 30,000s                  1958

30,000s to 40,000s                  1959 

40,000s to 50,000s                  1960 

50,000s to 70,000s                  1961 

60,000s to 90,000s                  1962 

80,000s to 90,000s                  1963 

90,000s to L10,000s                 1963 

L10,000s to L20,000s               1963 

L20,000s to L50,000s               1964 

Fender was sold to the CBS in 1965. Fender’s previous serial number program wasn’t changed straight away, as CBS wanted to use up original parts and didn’t want to immediately buy new tools. A logo (letter F) was added to the Fender guitar’s neck plate soon after.

Serial Numbers & Production Dates From 1965 to 1976

Serial Numbers                        Dates

L50,000s to L90,000s             1965 

100,000s                             1965  

100,000s to 200,000s            1966 to 1967 

200,000s                             1968 

200,000s to 300,000s            1969 to 1970

300,000s                             1971 to 1972 

300,000s to 500,000s            1973 

400,000s to 500,000s            1974 to 1975

500,000s to 700,000s            1976 

After 1976, various programs were used for the arrangement of Fender guitar serial numbers. The most common ones are listed below:

Serial Numbers               Dates

76 + 5 digits

s6 + 5 digits                  1976 

s7 + 5 digits

s8 + 5 digits                  1977 

s7 + 5 digits

s8 + 5 digits

s9 + 5 digits                  1978 

s9 + 5 digits

e0 + 5 digits                  1979 

s9 + 5 digits

e0 + 5 digits

e1 + 5 digits                  1980 

s9 + 5 digits

e0 + 5 digits

e1 + 5 digits                  1981 

The Fender Vintage Series was introduced in 1982. It is easy to tell these models, because Fender Vintage series guitars use a V to prefix the serial numbers. The absolutely best way to find an exact production date for the Fender Vintage models is to take the neck apart and check the bottom – the exact date should be written there.

Serial Numbers                                                                                                                        Dates 

e1 + 5 digits

e2 + 5 digits

e3 + 5 digits

v + 4, 5 or 6 digits (US vintage series except 1952 telecaster)                                     1982
(To find the correct year of the Fender vintage series, check the date on the neck)

e2 + 5 digits

e3 + 5 digits

v + 4, 5 or 6 digits (US Fender vintage series except 1952 telecaster)                          1983

(To find the correct year of the Fender vintage series, check the date on the neck)

e3 + 5 digits

e4 + 5 digits

v + 4, 5 or 6 digits (US Fender vintage series except 1952 telecaster)                          1984

(To find the correct year of the Fender vintage series, check the date on the neck)