The S and E serial number prefix Korean Squiers are from the late 1980s/early 1990s.
#Squier fender serial number lookup serial numbers#
S, E (“Made in Korea”) S = Samick, E = Young Chang, E letter serial numbers were used on Young Chang's Fenix brand guitars. KC, KV (“Made in Korea”, “Crafted in Korea”) - KC (Korean Cor-Tek (Cort)) and KV (Korean Saehan(Sunghan)), the prefix is followed by a 2 number year. 6 or 7-digit numberĮxamples: VN7xxxxxx = 1997 made by Saehan/Sunghan. VN (“Made in Korea”) - V = Saehan(Sunghan), S was already taken by Samick so Saehan(Sunghan) used V instead (Saehan(Sunghan) made the Vester guitars), N = Nineties (1990s), the first number following the prefix is the year. 6-digit number.Įxample: CN5xxxxx = 1995 made by Cor-Tek/Cort 6-digit number Korean SquiersĬN (“Made in Korea”, “Crafted in Korea”) - C = Cor-Tek, N – Nineties (1990s), The first digit following the prefix is the year.
No Prefix (“Made in USA”) - Some USA made Squiers also had a 000XXX serial stamp on the neckplate with no letter prefix and no serial number on the headstock. N (“Made in USA”)– N = Nineties (1990s), The first number following the prefix is the year. 'MZ1' indicates that is was made at Ensenada, Mexico in 2001-2002Į (“Made in USA”) – E = Eighties (1980s), The first number following the prefix is the year.'MN8' indicates that it was made at Ensenada, Mexico in 1998-1999.MZ - M = Mexico, Z = 2000's, the first number following the serial number prefix is the year. MN - M = Mexico, N = Nineties (1990s), the first number following the serial number prefix is the year. The Japanese MIJ (Made in Japan) Squiers were made by FujiGen up to 1997 and the Japanese CIJ (Crafted in Japan) Squiers were made by Tokai and Dyna from 1997. PAT, 2,573,254 2,968,204 3,143,028 2,976,704Ģ,573,254 for pickup and bridge combination.Ģ,968,204 for the single coil pickup patent awarded in 1961 under other for Jaguar, Stratocaster, Duosonic.ģ,143,028 the patent granted in August 1964 for Fender's adjustable neck construction.Ģ,976,755 for the split coil pickup design.
These became in the head under the Fender logo stamped. On some Telecasters at the bridge between the pickup and the saddles.īetween 19, were added several patent numbers to the models. Although there have been periods in which major changes occurred as the acquisition of Fender by CBS, and the transition from CBS Fender to the current owner (Fender Musical Instruments Corporation), most models are in general not changed.Īt the Stratocasters from the early fifties the serial numbers were stamped on the back vibrato cover. Most specifications for the Fender guitars are hardly changed. To read this it is necessary to unscrew the neck from the body. Usually, the production date is stamped or written is on the heel of the neck. Oh, and Squiers are even less uniform about the serial numbers and keeping records since they were mostly made by subcontractors in factories not owned or operated by Fender.Although a serial number is helpful for roughly determining the age of a guitar, this is often not the exact date. Depending on their production schedules, often the necks and bodies are not even used in the order they were made. When they need more of a certain type of neck (21 or 22 fret, maple or rosewood fingerboard, different headstock decal, etc) they grab a container of them out of storage.
#Squier fender serial number lookup code#
Bodies are not serialized or reliably dated, they usually only have a bar code tag with the part number.
Serial numbers are applied to the necks when they are made, not when they are assembled onto a body. That's why a lot of even more recent guitars you can only narrow it down to a year or two range, because sometimes months pass between when a neck is made and when it is assembled onto a body to make a complete guitar.Īs I understand it, Fender builds necks and bodies in big batches on separate assembly lines, then those parts go into storage until needed by the main assembly line where complete guitars are put together. Fender doesn't have detailed records on anything prior to 1993.Īlso the neck date and serial number at most ONLY tell you when the NECK was made. Not unless there is a stamp on the heel of the neck (you'll have to take it off to find that).