The cabinet is the wood enclosure in which the chassis gets mounted. Most pre amplifiers will have a specific month and year date written between Mesa Boogie Rectifier Serial Number Hookup preamp tubes on the underside of the chassis OR, occasionally on the inside of the chassis visible once the chassis is disassembled from it's cabinet.
1,322,856 Active members
Where is the Serial Number on my Mesa amp? Stamped into the rear panel underneath the speaker output jacks.
You have selected the. Decal on the underside of the chassis.
Where is the Serial Number on my Mesa amp?
We had a 4x Mesa Boogie - Wikipedia Mesa boogie dual rectifier - revision f - rev f - maxon od Mesa Boogie Rectifier Serial Number Hookup emg 81 - mesa 4x Just my own music composition. Dual Rectifier, Triple Rectifier, Tremoverb. Decal on the underside of the chassis near the power tubes and AC in. The serial number of your amp is always going to be attached to this part of your amplifier. View the Media Kit.
Mesa boogie dual rectifier serial number dating, post guitar amp heads and combos
Select a Series Series: Most of the time, the serial number is also close to the AC in jack. Mesa boogie serial number? Some bass amps built into head cabs with serial number on the bottom of the amp will require being removed from the head to see the serial number Xxx Milf Porn Tube. The Chassis and the Cabinet. Lone Star Combo laying on it's face Mesa Boogie Rectifier Serial Number Hookup a better view of the serial number decal.
Original Mark I chassis built between will have a serial number that starts with Mesa Boogie Rectifier Serial Number Hookup letter 'A' and follows with a number between Serial Number decal on a Dual Rectifier head. Important to distinguish between the two when looking for your serial number. Mesa amps built before serial number decals were in use generally Pre have a variety of serial number locations and styles.
Mesa boogie dual rectifier serial number lookup
I looked at the outside of the chasis and no serial number. Recto-Verb Combo with it's rear panel removed to visually access the serial number decal. Once you know the general area, do what it takes to Mesa Boogie Rectifier Serial Number Hookup the numbers right. The cabinet is most often covered in vinyl with the exception of cabinets that are custom and covered in leather or custom hardwood cabs, or, rack mounted amplifiers.
VR - 00xxx Decal at the rear of the chassis on the same side as the power tubes and near the AC in.
Mesa boogie dual rectifier serial number lookup
Dual Mesa Boogie Rectifier Serial Number Hookup High Gain Shootout! In the case of the Titan below, the serial number is on the rear panel and is easily seen even when in the head cab.
Most pre amplifiers will have a specific month and year date written between the preamp tubes on the underside of the chassis OR, occasionally on the inside of the chassis visible once the chassis is disassembled from it's cabinet. The Mesa Boogie Blog.
The SE215‘s have two different serial numbers. The serial number for the driver is etched into the plastic on the earbud as shown in the picture below. The serial number on the driver is very difficult to see. Sweetwater’s Tech Support recommends using a flashlight to help find the numbers. The serial number for the cable is printed on end of the cable as shown the picture below.
Click the image to enlarge.
Helpful Links
When you need help, Sweetwater has the answers!
Our knowledge base contains over 28,000 expertly written tech articles that will give you answers and help you get the most out of your gear. Our pro musicians and gear experts update content daily to keep you informed and on your way. Best of all, it’s totally FREE, and it’s just another reason that you get more at Sweetwater.com.
- Dec 2007
- 331
MK IV Serial Number Dating
I emailed Mesa Boogie, but they don't have serial number dating for their older amps.
The Serial number on my amp is IV2142.
Anyone have an idea of when this one would have been produced? Just curious.
The Mesa guy gave me this reply:
Unfortunately we do not have an accurate serial number database
especially for our older amps, therefore, not all amps can dated
accurately. However I would assume that your amp was built in the early
90's.
I searched online and can't really find anything where someone has a manufacture date for anything with close to my serial number. Also tried a search here.
Thanks for the help.Dan
Gibsons
73SG, 93LP Cls, 02LP Std, 95 ES335
Strats
74, 82, 87+, 72(RI), Homemade-built in 92
Other Fenders
85Acoustic, 07 '52HotrodTele, PebbleBrook-ThinlineTele
Agile
03 ES335, 09 LP Goldtop p90
Others
PRS 96CE22 - Ibanez 02Jem7v - EBMM - 97Axis
Mesa MKIV Marshall DSL CyberTwin - 65 Champ
Good Deals: BradWilbanx, bluehuricane, rocknroling, Stress Relief, brianeharmonjr, 51504Life, Spenceroo, soldierblue, Stevoreen, tripp2k, wtdpblake, TheCardiacKid, torgeot, emcrae- Oct 2006
- 2260
I emailed Mesa Boogie, but they don't have serial number dating for their older amps.
The Serial number on my amp is IV2142.
Anyone have an idea of when this one would have been produced? Just curious.
The Mesa guy gave me this reply:
Unfortunately we do not have an accurate serial number database
especially for our older amps, therefore, not all amps can dated
accurately. However I would assume that your amp was built in the early
90's.
I searched online and can't really find anything where someone has a manufacture date for anything with close to my serial number. Also tried a search here.
Thanks for the help.
Slide the chassis out of the cab. It will more than likely have a date written in magic marker pen somewhere from the testing stages. Mines a '92 with a 1500 serial range. It's got MB's initials and dates all over it.Comment
![Serial Serial](https://reverb-res.cloudinary.com/image/upload/s--QbRGxQHz--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1431879703/b2mxmq7epjwddxrrfzhj.jpg)
The Mesa Boogie Mark Series is a series of guitar amplifier made by Mesa Engineering (more commonly known as 'Mesa/Boogie'). Originally just referred to as 'Boogies,' the product line took on the moniker 'Mark Series' as newer revisions were put into production. The Mark Series amplifier was Mesa's flagship product until the introduction of the Rectifier series, and the amplifiers are very collectable.
- 1Mark I
- 2Mark II
- 3Mark III
Mark I[edit]
Randall Smith began Mesa/Boogie with a practical joke: he borrowed a Fender Princeton (a small 12-watt amplifier) from his friend, Barry Melton of Country Joe and the Fish, and 'hotrodded' it by replacing the amplifier section with a powerful Fender Bassman amp and installing a 12-inch speaker instead of the original 10-inch. The resulting amplifier proved to be loud and successful, and Smith made more than 200 of these Princeton 'Boogies'—a name allegedly provided by Carlos Santana,[1] who is to have exclaimed 'Man, that little thing really boogies!'[2]
A second important improvement was in developing an extra gain stage for the guitar input. Smith added an extra tube gain stage to the preamp, with three variable gain controls at different points in the circuit (this is now called a 'cascaded' design), creating the first high-gain amplifier. He set about designing a guitar amplifier around the new principle, and in 1972 the Mark I was released.[1]
One of the more notable amps in the series was built in 1977, with serial number A804: this is the amp built for Keith Richards, the first one in a long collaboration between Smith and the Rolling Stones, a collaboration which started somewhat inauspiciously when the Stones manager asked Smith for some free amps ('We're the Rolling Stones; we don't pay for amps'), and Smith refused. (Richards had played Santana's Boogie and decided he wanted one too.) Finally, Smith talked to Richards and they agreed that he would send them an amp, and that the Stones would pay for it or return it. Richards ended up using the amp for the El Mocambo show (as one of six), and the Stones, over the years, received and paid for over forty of Smith's amps.[3]
The first Boogies are referred to as Mark I's, though they were not given this name until the Mark II was released. They were 60 or 100 watt combo amps with a 12-inch speaker, primarily Altec-Lansing 417-8H Series II. The Mark I had two channels: The 'Input 2' channel, voiced like the Fender Bassman, and the high gain 'Input 1' channel, which produced the overdriven 'Boogie lead' sound used most notably by Carlos Santana on side 2 of Caravanserai, and by The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards and Ron Wood, who used the amps live and in the studio from 1977 until 1993. Examples of this amp in its original form and in good condition are sought after by collectors and guitar aficionados. Reverb was optional, and not present on many early Boogies. Later, Mark I models were available with reverb and/or graphic EQ.
S.O.B. (Son of Boogie)[edit]
The S.O.B. was introduced in the Mark II era. This was Mesa/Boogie's first attempt at having a reissue of the Mark I. It had two cascading gain inputs and its controls were Volume(gain) 1, Volume(gain) 2, Master, High, Middle, Low, Limit or Presence (depending on the version). No foot-switching available, however an A/B splitter pedal could be used to select input 1 or input 2 separately. There was also a reverb option which replaced the Middle knob with the reverb control knob. These amps had a point-to-point wired power section and had large transformers with great headroom, even in 50 watt trim. SOB chassis were shared with other heads, but had different front and rear plates. EQ, slider cutouts and other 1/4' jack cutouts can be seen from inside the chassis.
Mark II[edit]
Mark IIA[edit]
The Mark II introduced channel footswitching. It was not referred to as the 'Mark IIA' until the Mark IIB was issued. It was also available as a head (a standalone amplifier), which could be hooked up to a number of different speaker combinations, although a 1x12' cabinet was the most common. The preamp gain on the Mark IIs occurs after the tone controls and so, according to Mesa/Boogie, the IIA has a 'tighter, more focused sound' than the Mark I.[citation needed] The Mark IIA's control panel was extended from the Mark I's to include a separate master volume control for the lead mode, and various push/pull switches including Pull Bright, Pull Treble Shift, Pull Gain Boost, a separate Pull Bright for the lead mode, and of course, Pull Lead. The 1/4' jack previously marked '1' was changed to just 'Input,' and '2' was changed to 'Foot Switch.' The Mark IIA was a great improvement over the Mark I, however it had a few major flaws that it received criticism for among collectors. The new footswitching system relied on a relay, which made an audible popping noise when switching modes. The reverb circuit was also noise-ridden on some models. The IIA and IIB, and some late-model Mark I amps, used a JFET-based device called fetron in place of the input stage 12AX7 (V1), and included a switch for configuring the amp for either Fetron or 12AX7 operation. The reason for using a fetron was to address some of the problems associated with microphonic 12AX7 tubes in a high-gain situation; its use was later discontinued as newer production tubes were able to withstand the extreme conditions within the amplifier.
Mark IIB[edit]
The Mark IIB is credited as the first guitar amplifier with a tube-buffered effects loop. However, the loop was placed between two critical gain stages, and tended to overdrive some instrument level effects, and also caused volume pedals to act as remote gain controls for the lead mode. Mesa later implemented a mod that caused the effects loop to become more transparent, and smoothed out the lead channel, similar to the IIC+'s lead channel. More importantly, it marked the introduction of Mesa/Boogie's 'Simul-Class' system, where two of the power tubes (always 6L6s) run in class ABpentode while the other two tubes (either 6L6s or EL34s) run in class A triode. In a simul-class amp, running all four tubes generates approximately 75 watts RMS of power; running only the class A tubes produces about 15 watts. Also available were non-simul-class Mark IIBs in both a 60 watt version and a 100 watt version that allowed shifting down to 60 watts by turning off a pair of power tubes.
The Mark IIB's front control panel is identical to that of the IIA. The two input jacks on the front panel are marked 'Input' and 'Foot Switch.' The front panels read Volume, Treble, Bass, Middle, Master, Lead Drive and Master. It has 'Pull Bright' on the Volume, 'Pull Shift' on the Treble, and 'Pull Bright' on the Master. The Rear control panel was altered to accommodate the FX Send and Return jacks.
Mark IIC & IIC+[edit]
The Mark IIC finally remedied the two major problems of the IIA and the IIB: the previously noisy reverb circuit and a footswitching system that produced a popping noise when activated. The Mark IIC featured a quieter footswitching system based on optocouplers to reroute the signal, and a new mod to the reverb circuit. The reverb modification involved resistor swaps and a change in ground lead placement. That mod[ification] is still on the books of 'official' mods, which they send to their authorized techs; it runs about $50.'[citation needed] Mesa/Boogie no longer does this modification at its own factory. The Mark IIC also featured a new Pull Bass shift on the front panel, which slightly extended the low frequencies in the preamp.
The Mark IIC+ was the last of the Mark II series and featured a more sensitive lead channel - due to its featuring a dual cascading drive stage - whereas the IIA and IIB had a single-stage drive circuit. The IIC+ also had an improved effects loop. Unlike earlier Mark II models, pedals configured for instrument-level input signal could be used without the amp's signal overloading their inputs. However, the volume pedal option on the Mark IIB cannot be implemented on Mark IIC+s.
Some owners/dealers/sellers say the '+' refers to an amp having an EQ, but they are mistaken. The mistake may have originated in the mid 1980s, when Mesa/Boogie issued their Studio .22 model and then changed the name to Studio .22+, which featured improved wiring, etc. All the Mark II models could be made with EQ as an option, but not all of them did. A Mark IIC+ could, for example, refer to a 100 watt amp without EQ or reverb.
One can tell if a particular amp is a '+' by looking for a hand-written black '+' mark directly above where the power cord attaches to the back of the amp. Many dealers increase the price on a Mark IIC+ but often don't know anything about what the '+' means - they often don't even know where to find the '+' mark. Indeed, the mark itself can be forged. An owner can call Mesa/Boogie and ask them to check his or her serial number against their records. Mesa/Boogie only made about 1,400 Mark IIC amps before moving to the Mark IIC+.Another cosmetic way of distinguishing a IIC from a IIC+ is the front panel. A IIC has the traditional 'Gain Boost' pull switch integrated into the master volume, while a IIC+ replaced the switch with a Pull Deep bass booster. Some Coliseum series IIC+s retained the surplus 'Gain Boost' faceplates, though. IIC+s upgraded from earlier IICs also retain their original Gain Boost faceplates. However, there are some very early 'transitional' C+s (in the 133xx range) with gain boost on the panel, but it works the same as the pull Deep on the later versions.
A practical, non-cosmetic method for determining whether a Mark IIC is a C+ is the 'Loop Test':[4]
1) Plug your guitar into the Effects Return jack2) Switch to lead mode3) Turn the Lead Drive and Gain controls with a note ringing.4) If they have NO effect on the volume and sound you have a “+”.
This method should remove all doubt as to whether the preamp circuit board is a IIC or a IIC+.
The Mark IIC+ is currently the most coveted vintage Boogie, selling for twice its original price on average, because of its much praised 'Liquid Lead' mode, and also its warm, clean rhythm mode.
12 Factory C+s with switchable ++ are known to exist, before this idea was use in the Mark III, with the ++ being developed further to become the R2 channel on the III.
Mark III[edit]
The Mark III was launched by Mesa/Boogie in 1985. It introduced a third channel, a 'crunch' rhythm sound right in between the rhythm and lead channels. This amp has a dual footswitch system: one footswitch alternates between the current rhythm mode and the lead mode, and the other selects either the clean rhythm mode or the crunch rhythm mode. The two rhythm modes share all of their controls, while the lead mode only shares the rhythm modes' tone stack, featuring independent gain and master volume controls. The physical switch for the crunch rhythm mode was implemented as a push/pull switch above the Middle frequency control. Most Mark IIIs have presence and reverb on the back (except for long chassis') unless not desired by the buyer; Graphic EQ was also optional all in either head or combo format.
The Mark III went through multiple revisions, similar to the Mark II. Each revision had a slightly different voicing, but identical functionality. Non-Simulclass versions of the Mark III came in either 60w RMS with two 6L6s or 60w/100w with four 6L6s in the power section. Mark IIIs contain either four or five 12AX7 tubes in the pre-amp section, depending on if they have the reverb option. Simul-class Mark IIIs usually contain two 6L6s in the inner sockets and two EL34s in the outer sockets for 15w/75w use.
![Mesa Mesa](https://vintagegearblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/1979mesaboogiemki-000.jpg)
Black Stripe (1985)[edit]
These are distinguished by either the absence of a marking, a black dot, or a black marker stripe above the power cord entry. Early 100W and Simul US Voltage Black Stripes retained the same 105 power transformer as the IIC+, which is easily distinguished by its larger physical size than the later-introduced Mark III transformer. IIC+ non US voltage export power transformers and IIC+ output transformers are also seen in these models.
Most Black Stripes also re-used the faceplate from the Mark IIC+. This resulted in the first pot being labelled with Volume 1 in instead of the later Volume label. Furthermore, the pull function label above Middle knob was hand-etched onto the face plate resulting in a slightly different look than the other labels on the faceplate. Towards 1986, a new PCB revision was installed which enabled an additional component to be switched on when R2 was activated. This board was re-used in the Purple Stripes, although with a different revision number and different lead circuit component values.
Purple Stripe (1986)[edit]
The second revision was the 'Purple Stripe' Mark III, which featured a purple marker stripe above the power cord. This amplifier was identical in component values and R2 channel as the later Black Stripes, but had a lead section much closer to a IIC+
Red Stripe (1987)[edit]
The third revision was the 'Red Stripe' Mark III which featured a red marker stripe above the power cord. The amplifier had lead mode circuitry almost identical to the IIC+ and some minor changes in the preamp to make it similar in circuitry to a IIC+. A further PCB board revision with revised R2 channel was introduced which forces Treble Shift on when in R2 mode. The power circuitry and presence cap remained identical to the previous stripes however.
Blue Stripe (1988)[edit]
The fourth revision was the 'Blue Stripe' Mark III which featured a blue marker stripe above the power cord. The lead channel was voiced so brightly, it is considered to be the most aggressive Mark Series Boogie ever introduced. The presence cap and voltage rating of some of the orange drops in the power section were also altered to mirror that of the IIC+
Green Stripe (1989)[edit]
The final revision was the 'Green Stripe' Mark III, which was only available in a Simul-Class format. It was identical to the Blue Stripe, apart from having its overall gain reduced, except for the wiring of the outer two Class A power amp tubes which were switched to Pentode operation instead of Triode for a 10w RMS increase over previous Simul-Class amplifiers (15w/75w) making 25w/85w.
Mesa ultimately ended the Mark III's production since it overlapped with production of its successor, the Mark IV, which was introduced in 1990. Mark IIIs were still in steady production around 1994, and finally ceased as late as 1997, 11 years after its launch.
Mark IV[edit]
The Mark IV was launched by Mesa/Boogie in 1990 as a three-channel amp - with independent controls for all three channels, except bass and mid, which are the same for both Rhythm 1 (clean) and Rhythm 2 (crunch). The 'crunch' channel is designed for use by hard rock and heavy metal rhythm guitarists. There were two versions of this amp. Mark IVs built from the start of production until about September 1993 are referred to as version A; amplifiers made from late 1993 until the end of production in 2008 are known as version B. Early Bs have an attached power cord, like the A version. Some differences: version A has no footswitch for reverb or stereo effects loop, and the lead channel is much like the Mark IIC+‘s. Version B has switchable reverb, a single switchable stereo effects loop, and an output to drive another power amp. Its voicings are altered slightly. Another distinct difference in the 'B' version is the low voltage power supply. This section is susceptible to catastrophic failure; a result of electrolyte leakage from the filter capacitors Mesa used in the low-voltage PSU. The leakage will cause erosion of PCB traces and component leads. The close proximity of these components to the power amplifier bias resistors can result in failure of power tubes and their associated components. The repair process is extremely difficult and time consuming. Even with these shortcomings, the Mark IVs are - in terms of sound - one of Mesa's best. Both versions are highly regarded; production of the Mark IV ceased in 2008 after an 18 year production run.
Mark V[edit]
The Mark V was introduced in early 2009. Much like its close cousin, the Triaxis Preamp, it features many voicings based on previous Mark Series amplifiers. It has three distinct channels, each with their own pre-gain three band tone stack, gain, master, and presence controls. Each channel also has three modes, which control several of the amplifier's 49 relays to mirror the circuit being modelled. The Mark V introduced a channel-assignable graphic EQ. Older Boogies were equipped with graphic equalizers, but these did not allow the same flexibility. Each channel has a toggle switch able to select between EQ active, off, or footswitched. Similar to the Express and F-series amplifiers, the graphic EQ also had channel-assignable contour knobs.
The Mark V - like its predecessor - comes standard in a Simul-Class format, but with a twist: early Simul-Class power amps were configured for SC-75 watt operation, or A-15 watt operation, or an increase of 10 watts when in pentode mode. The Mark V is biased warmer to produce an output of SC-90 watts, AB-45 watts, and Single-Ended A-10 watts, similar to the Lone Star. Channel-specific Multi-Watt toggles dictate the power amplifier's operation class.
Mark 5:25[edit]
The Mark 5:25 was introduced in 2014. It is a smaller, two-channel version of the Mark V. The output section contains two EL84 tubes which can be switched between 10 and 25 Watts. It also features a built-in CabClone which can be used to emulate a speaker cabinet while driving headphones for silent playing, or a direct-in (DI) box for recording or sound reinforcement applications.
Mark 5:35[edit]
The Mark 5:35 was introduced in 2015. It is based on the Mark 5:25 and features two channels. The output section contains four EL84 tubes which can be switched between 10, 25, and 35 Watts. Additional solo controls were added for independent volume switching. It is also available as a combo and a head. The combo is a similar size to the Mark I combo. It also features cab clone.
JP-2C John Petrucci Signature Head[edit]
The JP-2C was introduced in 2016. It is a 3-channel 100-watt 'revival' of the Mesa Mark IIC+ designed in part with Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci, who is well-known for using a Mark IIC+ in the studio. The three channels are based upon the original channels of the Mark IIC+, but with two identical gain channels based on the IIC+'s lead channel. It also features two separate graphic EQs, which can be selected for each channel via mini toggles on each channel's front panel. It is also the first Mesa amp to feature MIDI connections, which can control the channel switching, as well as controlling the FX loop and graphic EQs. Much like the Mark 5:25, the JP-2C features a built-in CabClone. The amp also features a switch to drop the amp's wattage down to 60 watts for use in smaller venues or recording.
References[edit]
- ^ abGallagher, Mitch (2012). Guitar Tone: Pursuing the Ultimate Guitar Sound. Cengage. p. 251. ISBN9781435456211.
- ^Chappell, Jon (2011). Blues Guitar For Dummies. John Wiley. pp. 288–89. ISBN9781118050828.
- ^Hunter, Dave (2012). 'Circa 1977 Mesa/Boogie Mark I'. Amped: The Illustrated History of the World's Greatest Amplifiers. Voyageur. pp. 182–83. ISBN9780760339725.
- ^'Mark IIC+ - Guide for Dummies - The Boogie Board'. forum.grailtone.com. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
How Old is My Fender Guitar?
Contents
- 1 How Old is My Fender Guitar?
- 3 1950-1954 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
- 4 1954-1963 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
- 5 Late 1962 – Early 1965 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
- 6 1965-1976 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
- 7 1976-Present USA Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
- 8 Fender Anniversary, Reissue, Special Edition, and Signature Series
I often get asked, how old is my Fender guitar? Most of the time this question can’t be answered specifically. The Fender numbers tell the story of the company over the years. Unfortunately, the serial number placement is sporadic and many ID numbers over lap between years and models. In many instances, there is no exact known date for a specific guitar. That is why I decided to write this article. I want to help you understand how to tell the age of your Fender as well as any Fender you see.
Fender like Gibson has been producing guitars for many years. Certain styles and colors have come and gone over the years, but there is no real obvious way to tell how old a Fender is other than the identification number. Unfortunately, Fender decided not to simply write the date of manufacture on the guitar. They decided that it would be easier to decipher the serial number code than just write the year on the guitar. I say this only joking. Most manufactures don’t actually write the production dates on the guitar in plain view. First let’s take a look at where to find ID numbers on a Fender guitar.
Where do I find my Fender Serial Number?
This article is intended to help you date your Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, and Precision Bass guitars all the way back to the early 1950s. In order to tell how old your Fender is you will have to find the identification number or neck number. The serial number location has changed a few times of the years. From 1950 to 1954 Fender guitar unique numbers were stamped in the bridge cavity cover plate. From 1954 to 1976 Fender stamped its guitar’s serial number on either the top or bottom of the neck plate. Modern Fender production guitars, 1976 to the present, have their ID numbers on the front or back of the headstock near the Fender decal. In 1982 Fender decided to start making reissued vintage guitars. These guitars were replicas of the early 1950 and 1960s era guitars. True to form the reissue guitars have their identification numbers stamped in the neck plate.
The serial numbers on the outside of the body are not the only way to date a Fender guitar however. Fender also dated the neck when it was manufactured. After the neck was finished, a Fender employee would either stamp or handwrite the date on the end of the guitar neck on its heel. This marking is only visible when the neck is removed from the body because it is covered in the neck pocket. Almost all Fender guitars have a dated neck. Some Fender guitar bodies and pickups also have dates written on them. Few Fender guitars have dates written on the bodies under the pickups, in the routed out cavities, and near the wiring harnesses. Fender only decided to write dates on the bodies for a few years here and there. They never really did that consistently.
What does the date on the neck mean?
Many people think that the date on the heel of their Fender neck is the production date of the guitar. After reviewing the ID number, you might find out that the two corresponding dates don’t coincide. Why is this? It all has to do with how Fender produced guitars. Leo Fender was a genius with minimizing the costs of production. Unlike Gibson, Leo found did everything the cheapest and fastest way possible. He made a bolt-on neck, so the neck and the body could be manufactured at the same time. He wired the pickguard with pickups, so all the wiring could be finished before the body was even dry from finishing. That’s how the Fender production line worked. The number and date on the neck is simply the date that the neck was finished–not the date that the guitar was completed. Necks could sit for days, weeks, or even months at a time before being matched with a body. After the entire guitar was assembled, the identification number was stamped in place. Being many months later, the serial number date and the neck date might not match. Remember, these serial and neck numbers were never really intended for historical dating. They were simply internal numbers to help with production.
Fender Serial Number Guide
Now that we have talked about where to find your Fender guitar ID number and what it means, here is the Fender serial number database that I have compiled. It includes most of the Fender serial numbers issued along with the corresponding dates and a short history of Fender Guitars through the years.
- 1950 – 1954
- 1954 – 1963
- Late 1962 – Early 1965
- 1965 – 1976
- 1976 – Present USA
- Fender Anniversary, Reissue, Special Edition, and Signature Guitar
- Made in China
1950-1954 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
When Leo first started putting identification numbers on his guitars, he segregated them by model. Each models unique numbers started at 1 or a number close to it. That means that there could be a Tele, Strat, and Precision bass with the exact same serial number. He didn’t stop doing this until after 1954.
Numbers | Years |
---|---|
33-860 | 1950-1952 |
0005-0746 | 1950-1952 |
0748-1331 | 1951-1952 |
0161-0470 | 1951-1952 |
2911-5368 | 1951-1954 |
Numbers | Years |
---|---|
0-6000 | 1954 |
Numbers | Years |
---|---|
161-357 | 1951 |
299-619 | 1952 |
0001-0160 | 1952 |
0161-0470 | 1951-1952 |
0475-0840 | 1952-1953 |
0848-1897 | 1953-1954 |
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. Some of these identification numbers are still out of sequence, jumbled up, or missing. You may notice that there is a great deal of over lapping numbers in these nine years. The only way to verify an over lapping date is to check the corresponding neck date and body date. This list is a little convoluted because there are so many over lapping serial numbers. The number column represents the general number grouping that Fender and most experts agree on. The low and high columns show the range of identification numbers that have been positively matched to specific years. As you can see, there is quite a bit of overlap. For some reason during 1955, 1957, and 1958 Fender decided to place zero or a dash in front of ID numbers periodically. Some guitars in these years have them and some don’t.
Numbers | Low | High | Years |
---|---|---|---|
0001-6999 | 0001 | 10146 | 1954 |
7000-8999 | 3152 | 10798 | 1955 |
09000-16999 | 7895 | 16957 | 1956 |
17000-24999 | 10604 | 28522 | 1957 |
25000-33999 | 022878 | 51593 | 1958 |
34000-43999 | 022878 | 51593 | 1959 |
44000-58999 | 39993 | 66626 | 1960 |
59000-70999 | 55531 | 77754 | 1961 |
71000-93999 | 69520 | 96203 | 1962 |
94000-99999 | 81977 | 99924 | 1963 |
Late 1962 – Early 1965 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
Toward the end of 1962 Fender’s success kept on building. He was nearing his 100,000th guitar. Instead of adding another digit on to his 5-digit ID numbers, Leo decided to add an “L”, presumably for his first initial, in front of the serial numbers and start the sequence all over again. This time all the identification numbers under 10,000 fill the empty digits with zeros.
For example, the 989th guitar’s ID number would not be L989. It was L00989. Since this change wasn’t until the end of 1962, only a few true 1962 Fenders have an “L” serial number.
Numbers | Low | High | Years |
---|---|---|---|
L00001-L19999 | L0001 | L60330 | 1963 |
L20000-L59999 | L08825 | L92560 | 1964 |
L60000-L99999 | L23537 | L99944 | 1965 |
1965-1976 Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
In early 1965, Leo Fender sold Fender Musical Instruments, Inc. to CBS for $13 million. A lot of changes happened to the company as well as the guitars themselves under the new ownership. The identification number sequences were no exception.
CBS came up with a new numbering system to take advantage of the fact that Leo did not use 6-digit ID numbers. CBS continued the sequence Fender started in 1954. These 1965-1976 era guitars are commonly referred to as the F series because of the neck plate design change. The new neck plate only had the Fender F logo stamped in place.
Numbers | Low | High | Years |
---|---|---|---|
100000-119999 | 100173 | 158977 | 1965 |
120000-179999 | 100173 | 158977 | 1966 |
180000-219999 | 112172 | 261343 | 1967 |
220000-251999 | 156657 | 263115 | 1968 |
252000-291999 | 204352 | 262774 | 1969 |
292000-298999 | 224160 | 290835 | 1970 |
290000-344999 | 278916 | 304089 | 1971 |
345000-379999 | 261863 | 331031 | 1972 |
380000-539999 | 258495 | 654030 | 1973 |
540000-599999 | 316987 | 602615 | 1974 |
600000-656999 | 417024 | 677199 | 1975 |
657000-669999 | 595121 | 717257 | 1976 |
670000-799999 | 1971-1976 |
1976-Present USA Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
In 1976, Fender decided to stop stamping ID numbers in guitar parts and started making decals for the guitar peghead or headstock. Along with the new location a new series of serial numbers were instituted. Fender apparently was thinking long term because they developed a serial numbering system with one-letter codes preceding the indentification numbers. The letters referred to the decade that the guitars were produced. Most guitars then had a number following the one-letter code that designated the specific year. For instance, ID number S76823 would be a guitar produced in 1977. In about 1982 Fender started making import guitars from Japan and around 1990 Fender started importing from Mexico. These guitars have a completely different set of serial numbers that I will talk about later in the article. This section only deals with USA made Fender guitars. Here are the decade numbers:
Letters | Decades |
---|---|
S | 1970’s |
E | 1980’s |
N | 1990’s |
Z | 2000’s |
The new serial number system was a little complicated, but it does make it relatively easy to tell the date of the guitar. Like all Fender’s previous systems, they are problems with this one. Fender mass-produced the headstock decal without matching them with the annual production schedules of the guitars–meaning they made more decals for a given year than guitars. See the problem?
There were a few years where excess headstock ID number decals were produced and held over to the next year, the some guitars are actually dated with a previous year decal. It wasn’t until 1991 that Fender actually got this system straighten out. To get the exact date on guitars made between 1976 and 1991, it is important to cross-reference the dates on the neck written on the heel. Here are a list of dates and codes that overlap years.
Letters | Decades |
---|---|
S7 | January 1977 – April 1978 |
S8 | December 1977 – December 1978 |
S9 | November 1978 – August 1981 |
E0 | June 1979 – December 1981 |
E1 | December 1980 – January 1982 |
E2 | December 1981 – January 1983 |
E3 | December 1982 – January 1985 |
E4 | December 1983 – Early 1988 |
E8 | 1988 – 1989 |
E9 | 1989 – 1990 |
N9 | 1990 |
N0 | 1990 – 1991 |
Aside from all of the errors and overlapping serial numbers, this system was quite improved from the previous ID number systems. If Fender would have executed the indentification numbers as planned, USA Fender guitars would be numbered as the following without any exceptions. You can use this table to lookup your Fender serial number after 1976.
Numbers | Years |
---|---|
760000-799999 | 1976-1977 |
800000-899999 | 1979-1981 |
1000000-8999999 | 1976-1981 |
S100000-S699999 | 1979-1982 |
S700000-S779999 | 1977 |
S740000-S899999 | 1978 |
S810000-S879999 | 1979 |
S880000-S989999 | 1980 |
S950000-S999999 | 1981 |
E000000-E199999 | 1979-1982 |
E110000-E129999 | 1980-1983 |
E200000-E299999 | 1982 |
E300000-E319999 | 1983 |
E320000-E399999 | 1984-1985 |
E400000-E499999 | 1984-1985, 1987 |
E800000-E899999 | 1988-1989 |
E900000-E999999 | 1989-1990 |
N900000-N999999 | 1990 |
N000000-N099999 | 1990 |
N100000-N199999 | 1991-1992 |
N200000-N299999 | 1992-1993 |
N300000-N399999 | 1993-1994 |
N400000-N499999 | 1994-1995 |
N500000-N599999 | 1995-1996 |
N600000-N699999 | 1996-1997 |
N700000-N799999 | 1997-1998 |
N800000-N899999 | 1998-1999 |
N900000-N999999 | 1999-2000 |
Z000000-Z099999 | 2000-2001 |
Z100000-Z199999 | 2001-2002 |
Z200000-Z299999 | 2002-2003 |
Z300000-Z399999 | 2003-2004 |
Z400000-Z499999 | 2004-2005 |
Z500000-Z599999 | 2005-2006 |
Z600000-Z699999 | 2006-2007 |
Z700000-Z799999 | 2007-2008 |
Z800000-Z899999 | 2008-2009 |
Z900000-Z999999 | 2009-2010 |
1000000-1099999 | Early 2010 |
US1000000-US1099999 | Late 2010 |
US1100000-US1199999 | 2011 |
Fender Anniversary, Reissue, Special Edition, and Signature Series
Throughout the years, Fender has run many limited edition, reissue, and custom guitars. All of these guitars’ ID numbers do not follow the unique number sequence of the regular production guitars. These guitars usually have a special two to four letter prefix before the serial number. Each prefix is unique to that model guitar. Here is a guide to lookup all of the different types of special Fender guitars with their own serial number pattern.
Prefix | Number of Digits | Example Serial Number | Guitar Model | Years |
---|---|---|---|---|
25 | 5 | 2500001 | 25th Anniversary Stratocaster | 1979-1980 |
AMXN | 6 | AMXN000001 | California Series | 1997-1998 |
C | 6 | C000001 | Collector’s Series | Up until 1965 |
CA | 5 | CA00001 | Stratocaster Gold | 1981-1983 |
CB | 5 | CB00001 | Precision Bass Special and Jazz Bass Gold | 1981, 1982 |
CC | 5 | CC00001 | Stratocaster Walnut | 1981-1983 |
CD | 5 | CD00001 | Precision Bass Special | 1982 |
CE | 5 | CE00001 | Precision Bass Special, Black and Gold Telecaster | 1981-1983 |
CN | See Korean Guitars | |||
CO | 5 | CO00001 | Precision Bass Special | 1982 |
D | 6 | D000001 | Jazz Bass | 1981-1982 |
DN | 6 | DN000001 | American Deluxe Series | 1998-1999 |
DZ | 1 year digit + 5 or 6 | DZ100001 | American Deluxe Series | 2000-present |
FN | 6 | FN000001 | USA Guitars made for export | Can’t be determined from SN |
G | 6 | G000001 | The Strat | 1980-1983 |
GO | 5 | GO00001 | Precision Bass Special and Stratocaster Gold | 1982, 1982-1983 |
I | 6 | I00001 | USA guitars for export stamped USA on heel | 1989-1990 |
LE | 6 | LE000001 | Blonde Jaguar and Jassmaster sold as set with Blonde Deluxe Reverb Amp | 1994 |
MN | Mexican Fender Serial Numbers | |||
NC | See Squire Guitars | |||
SE | 6 | SE000001 | Signature Models | 1980’s – 1st digit designates specific year |
SN | 6 | SN000001 | Signature Models | 1990’s – 1st digit designates specific year |
SZ | 6 | SZ000001 | Signature Models | 2000’s – 1st digit designates specific year |
T | 6 | T000001 | Fender Tribute Series | Check Heel of Neck |
V | 4, 5, or 6 | V000001 | Vintage Reissue Guitars Except Tele ’52 | Introduced in 1982 Check Neck for Year |
VN | Korean Fender Serial Numbers | |||
XN | 5 | XN00001 | FRS and Telecaster ’52 | More variations of serials may exist |
XXX of 500 | 3 | 001 of 500 | 35th Anniversary Stratocaster | 1989-1990 |
XXXX on Bridgeplate | 4 | 0001 | U.S. ’52 Vintage Telecaster Reissue | 1982-1988 Check Neck for Year |
XXXXX on Bridgeplate | 5 | 00001 | U.S. ’52 Vintage Telecaster Reissue | 1988-present Check Neck for Year |
XXXX on Back of Headstock | 4 | 0001 | Custom Order | 1987-present Check Neck for Year |
Related Guides
Fender Squire and Chinese numbering and dating guides are coming soon.
How To Read Mesa Boogie Serial Number
You can also find more information on the Fender site.