Dating japanese fender strat datingnromance com

On Telecasters and certain other models, you will find the serial number on the bridge.The serial numbers will start with a letter that corresponds to specific years of production. You will not find the MADE IN JAPAN stamp on the headstocks of Fender MIJ guitars. acronym for "CRAFTED IN JAPAN" These guitars were made from 1997 and are still being manufactured today.The "S", stood for decade of the 1970s, and began CBS' attempt to use serial numbers to identify the year of production for the piece.The "E", stood for the decade of the 1980s and was, as shown below, introduced in 1979. "V" prefix serial numbered instruments, is to remove the neck, and check the butt end of the heel of the neck for a production date, which may be stamped or written there.They have been placed at the top of the neck plate, on the front of the headstock, on the back of the headstock, and on the back of the neck near where the neck bolts onto the body.

While this neck dating is useful in roughly determining the age of a guitar, it is certainly not definitive.

A: The serial number of your guitar will begin with one of the above lettering sequences.

Fender Japan usedall of the above lettering sequences for the serial numbering of their guitars and basses over the years, andknowing this first will help you determine the year of manufacture.

You will notice that there is quite a bit of overlap of numbers and years.

The only way to try to narrow the date range of your specific instrument would be to remove the neck and check the butt end of the heel of the neck for a production date, which may be stamped or written there.

On later Fender JV models, the "MADE IN JAPAN" can be found on the heel of the guitar neck, just above the metal neck plate.