DECODING FENDER SERIAL NUMBERS


Below you will find all of the sequences for fender serial numbers, excluding Squire.


Japanese
Mexican
American

Here is the Fender Japan sequence...
SERIAL NUMBERS CIRCA

JV + 5 DIGITS 1982-1984
SQ + 5 DIGITS 1983-1984
E + 6 DIGITS 1984-1987
A + 6 DIGITS 1985-1986
B + 6 DIGITS 1985-1986
C + 6 DIGITS 1985-1986
F + 6 DIGITS 1986-1987
G + 6 DIGITS 1987-1988
H + 6 DIGITS 1988-1989
I + 6 DIGITS 1989-1990
J + 6 DIGITS 1989-1990
K + 6 DIGITS 1990-1991
L + 6 DIGITS 1991-1992
M + 6 DIGITS 1992-1993
N + 6 DIGITS 1993-1994
O + 6 DIGITS 1993-1994
P + 6 DIGITS 1993-1994
Q + 6 DIGITS 1993-1994
S + 6 DIGITS 1994-1995
T + 6 DIGITS 1994-1995
U + 6 DIGITS 1995-1996
V + 6 DIGITS 1996-1997

Note: I think it may have recently wrapped around to an "A" prefix again.

Here is how to decode the mexican serial #'s
First letter (M) means MEXICO
Second Letter (eg. N) means ninety, E means eighty and so on.
Third digit = second half of decade (eg. N7 means 97)
The last six digits is the number that the guitar is for that year (eg. 143709 means that it is the 143709th guitar made that year).
So altogether that means that MN7143709 was the 143709th guitar made in 1997.

Here's the american sequences.
SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION DATES
Up to 60001950 to 1954
Up to 10,0001954 to 1956
10,000s1955 to 1956
10,000s to 20,000s1957
20,000s to 30,000s1958
30,000s to 40,000s1959
40,000s to 50,000s1960
50,000s to 70,000s1961
60,000s to 90,000s1962
80,000s to 90,000s1963
90,000s up to L10,000s1963
L10,000s up to L20,000s1963
L20,000s up to L50,000s1964
L50,000s up to L90,000s1965
100,000s1965
100,000s to 200,000s1966 to 1967
200,000s1968
200,000s to 300,000s1969 to 1970
300,000s1971 to 1972
300,000s to 500,000s1973
400,000s to 500,000s1974 to 1975
500,000s to 700,000s1976
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
EI + 5 DIGITS
E2 + 5 DIGITS
E3 + 5 DIGITS
V + 4, 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1982
(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)
E2 + 5 DIGITS
E3 + 5 DIGITS
V + 4, 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1983
(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)
E3 + 5 DIGITS
E4 + 5 DIGITS
V + 4, 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1984
(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)
E3 + 5 DIGITS
E4 + 5 DIGITS
V + 4, 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1985
(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)
V + 4, 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)1986
(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)
E4 + 5 DIGITS
V + 4, 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1987
(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)
E4 + 5 DIGITS
E8 + 5 DIGITS
V + 4, 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1988
(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)
E8 + 5 DIGITS
E9 + 5 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1989
(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)
E9 + 5 DIGITS
N9 + 5 DIGITS
N0 + 5 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1990
(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)
N0 + 5 DIGITS
N1 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1991
N1 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N2 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1992
N2 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N3 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1993
N3 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N4 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1994
N4 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N5 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1995
N5 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N6 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1996
N6 + 6 or 6 DIGITS
N7 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1997
N7 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N8 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1998
N8 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N9 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1999
N3 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N4 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1994
N4 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N5 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1995
N5 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N6 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1996
N6 + 6 or 6 DIGITS
N7 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1997
N7 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N8 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1998
N8 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N9 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1999
N3 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N4 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1994
N4 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N5 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1995
N5 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N6 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1996
N6 + 6 or 6 DIGITS
N7 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1997
N7 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N8 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1998
N8 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
N9 + 5 or 6 DIGITS
V + 5 or 6 DIGITS (U.S. Vintage Series)		1999
AMXN + 6 DIGITSCalifornia Series electric guitars and basses,'97 and '98
DN + 6 DIGITSAmerican Deluxe series instruments, '98 and '99
NC(XXXXXX)Squier Strat Bullets (dating unclear)
FN(XXXXXX)US made guitars and basses destined for the export market. Some may have stayed in the U.S or found their way back (Made to Standard Strat specs, dating unclear)
I(XXXXXXX)A limited number of these "I" series guitars were made in '89 and '90. They were made for the export market and have Made in USA stamped on the heel of the neck.
LE(XXXXXX)Blonde Jazzmasters and Jaguars with Gold hardware made in 1994. Sold as a promotional 3 piece set with a Blonde Deluxe Reverb Amp
CN(XXXXXX)
VN(XXXXXX)		Korean made Fender/Squier guitars (dating unclear)
CA(XXXXX)Gold Strat 1981, 82 and 83
CB(XXXXX)Precision Bass Special from 1981, CB(XXXXX) Gold Jazz Bass from 1982
CC(XXXXX)Walnut Strat 1981-82-83
CE(XXXXX)Precision Bass Special from 1981, Black and Gold Tele from 1981-82
CD(XXXXX)
CO(XXXXX)		Precision Bass Special (Walnut) from 1982
GO(XXXXX)Precision Bass Special (Walnut) from 1982, Gold Strat 1982-83
D(XXXXXX)Jazz Bass from 1982
SE(XXXXXX)
SN(XXXXXX)

Signature Edition Strats
SE8(XXXXX)-'88, SE9(XXXXX)-'89
SN0(XXXXX)-'90, SN1(XXXXX)-'90, SN2(XXXXX)-'92, SN3(XXXXX)-'93

3 DIGITS OF 50035TH Anniversary Strat from 1989-1990
G(XXXXXX)"STRAT" from about 1980, (Gold hardware, 2 position rotary tone switch)
4 DIGITS STAMPED ON BRIDGE PLATEU.S. '52 Vintage Telecaster 1982-1988 (Check neck date for specific year)
5 DIGITS STAMPED ON BRIDGE PLATEU.S. '52 Vintage Telecaster 1988-present (Check neck date for specific year)

The above info is courtesy of Fender.com