Fender Serial Number Lookup
Date your vintage Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, or other model using neck plate and headstock serial ranges. Pre-CBS and CBS era covered.
How Fender Serial Numbers Work
Vintage Fender serial numbers (pre-1976) were stamped on a chrome neck plate on the back of the guitar and are not strictly sequential. Numbers were applied to neck plates in batches, meaning a serial number from a given range might span two or even three calendar years. The serial number provides an approximate date range, not an exact year.
The most reliable way to date a vintage Fender is to remove the neck and read the pencil-written date stamp inside the neck pocket on the body, or the date stamp written inside the heel of the neck itself. These were applied by the worker who did the neck fitting and typically reflect the actual assembly date within a few weeks.
From 1976 onward, Fender moved serial numbers from the neck plate to the headstock decal, and introduced letter-prefix systems (S = 1970s, E = 1980s, N = 1990s, Z = 2000s, US = American Standard series) that encode the decade of production.
Fender Serial Number Ranges
| Year | Serial Range |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 0001 – 0750 |
| 1950 | 0001 – 0750 |
| 1950 | 0001 – 0750 |
| 1950 | 0001 – 0750 |
| 1950 | 0001 – 0750 |
| 1950 | 0001 – 0750 |
| 1951 | 0500 – 1700 |
| 1951 | 0500 – 1700 |
| 1951 | 0500 – 1700 |
| 1951 | 0500 – 1700 |
| 1951 | 0500 – 1700 |
| 1951 | 0500 – 1700 |
| 1952 | 1700 – 2550 |
| 1952 | 1700 – 2550 |
| 1952 | 1700 – 2550 |
| 1952 | 1700 – 2550 |
| 1952 | 1700 – 2550 |
| 1952 | 1700 – 2550 |
| 1953 | 2550 – 3750 |
| 1953 | 2550 – 3750 |
| 1953 | 2550 – 3750 |
| 1953 | 2550 – 3750 |
| 1953 | 2550 – 3750 |
| 1953 | 2550 – 3750 |
| 1954 | 0001 – 1400 |
| 1954 | 0001 – 1400 |
| 1954 | 0001 – 1400 |
| 1954 | 0001 – 1400 |
| 1954 | 0001 – 1400 |
| 1954 | 0001 – 1400 |
| 1955 | 1400 – 4700 |
| 1955 | 1400 – 4700 |
| 1955 | 1400 – 4700 |
| 1955 | 1400 – 4700 |
| 1955 | 1400 – 4700 |
| 1955 | 1400 – 4700 |
| 1956 | 4700 – 9000 |
| 1956 | 4700 – 9000 |
| 1956 | 4700 – 9000 |
| 1956 | 4700 – 9000 |
| 1956 | 4700 – 9000 |
| 1956 | 4700 – 9000 |
| 1957 | 9000 – 16000 |
| 1957 | 9000 – 16000 |
| 1957 | 9000 – 16000 |
| 1957 | 9000 – 16000 |
| 1957 | 9000 – 16000 |
| 1957 | 9000 – 16000 |
| 1958 | 16000 – 25000 |
| 1958 | 16000 – 25000 |
| 1958 | 16000 – 25000 |
| 1958 | 16000 – 25000 |
| 1958 | 16000 – 25000 |
| 1958 | 16000 – 25000 |
| 1959 | 25000 – 40000 |
| 1959 | 25000 – 40000 |
| 1959 | 25000 – 40000 |
| 1959 | 25000 – 40000 |
| 1959 | 25000 – 40000 |
| 1959 | 25000 – 40000 |
| 1960 | 40000 – 58000 |
| 1960 | 40000 – 58000 |
| 1960 | 40000 – 58000 |
| 1960 | 40000 – 58000 |
| 1960 | 40000 – 58000 |
| 1960 | 40000 – 58000 |
| 1961 | 55000 – 72000 |
| 1961 | 55000 – 72000 |
| 1961 | 55000 – 72000 |
| 1961 | 55000 – 72000 |
| 1961 | 55000 – 72000 |
| 1961 | 55000 – 72000 |
| 1962 | 72000 – 93000 |
| 1962 | 72000 – 93000 |
| 1962 | 72000 – 93000 |
| 1962 | 72000 – 93000 |
| 1962 | 72000 – 93000 |
| 1962 | 72000 – 93000 |
| 1963 | 93000 – L13000 |
| 1963 | 93000 – L13000 |
| 1963 | 93000 – L13000 |
| 1963 | 93000 – L13000 |
| 1963 | 93000 – L13000 |
| 1963 | 93000 – L13000 |
| 1964 | L13000 – L46000 |
| 1964 | L13000 – L46000 |
| 1964 | L13000 – L46000 |
| 1964 | L13000 – L46000 |
| 1964 | L13000 – L46000 |
| 1964 | L13000 – L46000 |
| 1965 | L46000 – L99999 |
| 1965 | L46000 – L99999 |
| 1965 | L46000 – L99999 |
| 1965 | L46000 – L99999 |
| 1965 | L46000 – L99999 |
| 1965 | L46000 – L99999 |
| 1966 | 100000 – 200000 |
| 1966 | 100000 – 200000 |
| 1966 | 100000 – 200000 |
| 1966 | 100000 – 200000 |
| 1966 | 100000 – 200000 |
| 1966 | 100000 – 200000 |
* Ranges are approximate. Serial number dating should be combined with physical inspection and pot code dating for best accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'Pre-CBS' mean for Fender guitars?
CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) purchased Fender in January 1965 for $13 million. 'Pre-CBS' refers to guitars made before this acquisition, generally considered to have superior quality and craftsmanship. Pre-CBS Stratocasters and Telecasters are worth significantly more than comparable CBS-era instruments.
My Fender serial number matches two different years — which is correct?
This is normal for vintage Fenders. Serial numbers were applied to batches of neck plates in advance, and those plates might be assembled onto guitars months or even years later. The neck date stamp is the authoritative source for production year — remove the neck to find it.
What is the L-series on Fender guitars?
Fender introduced the L-prefix serial number system in late 1962, running through 1965. L-series guitars fall across the Pre-CBS and early CBS periods. L-serials below approximately L50000 are generally considered Pre-CBS in quality; those above may show early CBS production changes.