Top 39 How To Spot A Fake Fender Stratocaster Top 20 Best Answers

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Most fake guitars will utilize multiple pieces of wood, creating a scarf joint on the neck. Upon close examination of your hardware, you will find structural and visual inconsistencies. With Acoustic Guitars, the most common trick is for forgers to swap plywood in place of solid wood.The serial numbers have been placed on or in the guitar in different places over the years. At the top of the neck plate, on the front or at the back of the headstock or on the cover plate of the vibrato (Stratocasters), or at the end of the heel of the neck.

6 Ways To Spot A Fake Fender Stratocaster

The logo decal.
The bridge.
The frets.
The nut.
The truss rod.
The string tree.

Contents

How do you check if a guitar is authentic?

Do all Fender Stratocasters have serial numbers?

The serial numbers have been placed on or in the guitar in different places over the years. At the top of the neck plate, on the front or at the back of the headstock or on the cover plate of the vibrato (Stratocasters), or at the end of the heel of the neck.

How do you tell if a fender is American made?

Fender USA guitars are also identifiable by their serial number on the back of the headstock. An American Made guitar will have a serial prefix of US, whereas a Mexican model will have MX as a prefix for instance.

How do I check my fender serial number?

Where to Find the Serial Number on Your Fender Guitar?

At the top of the neck plate.
On the front or at the back of the headstock.
On the cover plate of the vibrato (on Stratocasters)
On the back of the vibrato cover plate (on early ’50s Stratocasters)
At the end of the heel of the neck.

What to check before buying a guitar?

What to look for when buying a guitar

Does the guitar stay in tune? Have someone at the store get the guitar to standard tuning and play a few chords. …
Is the guitar neck straight? …
How far are the strings from the fretboard? …
Can you comfortably reach the entire fretboard? …
Are the guitar electronics in good condition?

Do people sell fake guitars?

When buying a Gibson, Fender or any other branded guitar, that is exactly what you should get. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous and dishonest individuals who may try to rip you off by selling a counterfeit guitar posing under a famous brand name.

Why do some Strats have 2 string trees?

On vintage stratocasters (and telecasters) there is only on string tree. The string tree is there to create more back-angle at the nut, because stratocaster heads are straight (unlike e.g. les pauls). Later on they made guitars with two string trees. Another one that pulled the D and G string down.

What year Stratocaster is the most valuable?

1954: This was the Stratocaster’s very first year in production. Similarly to first-issue books, the 1954 Stratocaster is the most collectible compared to all of the other years. Strats from ’54 are being sold for $100,000 or more.

How do I know if my Fender Strat is vintage?

Stratocasters have two main date indicators: one signed in pencil or stamped on the heel of the neck and one pencil signed in the tremolo cavity on the back of the body (until about 1966 or so).

How much is a Strat worth?

The Quick Answer. Stratocaster electric guitars cost between $180 and $2500. Fender Stratocasters are the most expensive, ranging from $500-$2500, with the most popular Fender American Professional Stratocaster costing around $1500. Squier Stratocasters are more affordable versions which range from roughly $180-$500.

How do I find the serial number on my guitar?

You can look up a serial number either in Gruhn’s Guide or run the number in the manufacturer’s database. The serial number itself will give you date information and the database will have a description of the guitar so you can check the specs of the guitar in question.

How much does a Fender Stratocaster cost?

Stratocaster electric guitars cost between $180 and $2500. Fender Stratocasters are the most expensive, ranging from $500-$2500, with the most popular Fender American Professional Stratocaster costing around $1500. Squier Stratocasters are more affordable versions which range from roughly $180-$500.

What is a Mexican Stratocaster?

The Player Stratocaster takes the place of the Standard Strat, which was sometimes referred to as the MIM (Made in Mexico) Stratocaster. The Player Series, too, is made in Mexico. It’s a great instrument and comes in at less than half the price of a USA Strat.

Are Mexican Fenders good?

That being said, Mexican Strats are still excellent sounding guitars. They deliver the same versatile range as the American Strats, with that same snappy tone quality. They just don’t have that extra oomph that makes an American Strat an American Strat.

How to Spot a FAKE Fender in Seconds!

How to Spot a FAKE Fender in Seconds! – YouTube

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How to Tell if a Fender Stratocaster is Real or Fake - Don't Get Scammed! - YouTube — How to Tell if a Fender Stratocaster is Real or Fake – Don’t Get Scammed! – YouTube

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Fender Guitars Serial Number Decoder – GuitarInsite

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Summary of article content: Articles about How to Spot a Fake Fender Strat in Seconds | Guitar World “In this veo I compare this fake Fender Strat to two ‘real’ U.S. Fender Strats, a Mexican Fender Strat and a Squier Strat. …
Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to Spot a Fake Fender Strat in Seconds | Guitar World “In this veo I compare this fake Fender Strat to two ‘real’ U.S. Fender Strats, a Mexican Fender Strat and a Squier Strat. At some point, Kennis Russell bought a used Stratocaster at his local guitar shop. Within a few seconds, however, Russell—a guitarist who provides backing tracks, gear demos and reviews on YouT
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How to Spot a Fake Fender Strat in Seconds | Guitar World

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Buyer beware! Some tips on how to avoid being had buying a Fender

6 Ways To Spot A Fake Fender Stratocaster

The Fender Stratocaster is the most popular guitar in the world, and because of that, there are a lot of imitations out there. That’s not a problem as we can decided quickly whether we’d rather have the imitation instead of the real deal. The problem comes with the many fake Strats that are available.

What do I mean by fake? The guitar looks like a Strat, and says it’s a Strat, but its a cheap knock-off that will cost you too much money for what you’re getting. In other words, you might be paying $1,000 or more for a guitar that’s worth a couple of hundred at most.

So how do you know how to spot a fake? The following video by Kennis Russell shows you how. In brief, there are 6 ways:

1. The logo decal

2. The bridge

3. The frets

4. The nut

5. The truss rod

6. The string tree

There’s really no one thing that will tell you the Stratocaster is a fake. It’s the combination of the above that will alert you. Check out the video for more details.

Fender Guitars Serial Number Decoder

Although a serial number is useful for roughly determining the age of a guitar, this is often not the exact date. As a result of the overlap between years, Fender serial numbers are also not by definition chronological.

In the past (before 1976) the serial numbers were often randomly assigned.

Most specifications for a particular Fender guitar have hardly changed, if at all. Although there have been times when major changes have taken place, such as the acquisition of Fender by CBS, and the transition from CBS Fender to the current owner (Fender Musical Instruments Corporation), most models have generally not changed.

Neck heel date

In order to approximate guitars from before 1976 to the correct year of manufacture, the date or serial number on the neck heel must therefore be inspected. Usually there is a production date stamped or written on the tip of the heel. In order to be able to read this, the neck will have to be screwed off the body. Until about April 1962, the dates on the neck end were handwritten. Then switched to stamped dates. Both the handwritten and the stamped date were usually coded.

This code precedes the date and is a number between 1 and 28 which indicates for which model the neck was made. Contrary to what some assume, this is not the day date.

At Stratocasters from the early fifties, the serial numbers were stamped on the back of the vibrato cover plate. On some Telecasters at the bridge between the pick-up and the saddles.

Patent numbers

Various patent numbers were added to the models between 1960 and 1977. These were stamped in the headstock under the Fender logo.

Example:

PAT, 2,573,254 2,968,204 3,143,028 2,976,755 DES 187304

2,573,254 for pickup and bridge combination.

2,968,204 for the single coil pickup patent awarded in 1961 under other for Jaguar, Stratocaster, Duosonic.

3,143,028 the patent granted in August 1964 for Fender’s adjustable neck construction.

2,976,755 for the split coil pickup design. (Used since 1957 to the Precision Bass)

The DES is the serial number.

Esquires, Broadcasters and Telecasters 1950-1954

The serial numbering for these three models can be found on the bridge plate and lasted until the beginning of 1954.

Fender then switched to a serial numbering on the neck plate for all models in that year.

SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION YEAR 0001 – 0999 1950 – 1952 1000 – 5300 1952 – 1954 Precision Basses 1951-1955

There is some overlap of the serial numbers and dates. The serial number was applied to the bridge plate until 1955. Although Fender had already in 1954 switched to be placed the serial number on the headstock for all models, it was still punched on the bridge plate with some Precison’s.

SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION YEAR 100 – 400 1951 – 1952 0001 – 0999 1952-1954 1000 – 2000 1953 – 1955

All models

The table below shows the Fender serial numbers as they were used from 1950 to 1964.

The following table shows the most common Fender serial numbers from 1976 to the present.

The serial numbers are basically chronological, but as already mentioned, due to Fender’s numbering methods, there are a number of serial numbers and years that overlap.

The only way to try to find the date is to remove the neck from the body. If the year is unreadable, it can also be written on the body under the pickguard or in the cavity in which the pickups are.

With Fenders from before 1955 you cannot use the serial numbers to determine the exact year of construction. The first Telecasters and Stratocasters appear to have a separate numbering.

With Telecasters it can happen that a ’52er has a higher number than

a ’53er. The serial numbers from after 1955 have a logical order.

SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION YEAR Until 6000 1950 – 1954 Until 10000 1954 – 1956 10000 1955 – 1956 10000 – 20000 1957 20000 – 30000 1958 30000 – 40000 1959 40000 – 50000 1960 50000 – 70000 1961 60000 – 90000 1962 80000 – 90000 1963 90000 – L10000 1963 In January 1965, Fender was acquired CBS Corporation.

Although that is not directly attributable to the serial numbers.

CBS continued to make the guitars using the available, Community, parts, and the serial numbering system. The following table shows the serial numbers as they were used from 1965 to 1976.

Here too there are a number of numbers and years that overlap.

The serial numbers can give a rough indication of the year of construction.

The letter L followed by 6 numbers on the neckplate indicates a guitar from the early sixties. The large Fender logo F says that the guitar was made after the acquisition by CBS, i.e. from the mid to late 1960s.

SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION YEAR L00001 – L19999 (neckplate) 1963 L20000 – L58999 (neckplate) 1964 L59000 – L99999 (neckplate) 1965 100000 – 109999 1965 110000 – 199999 1966 200000 – 209999 1967 210000 – 249999 1968 250000 – 279999 1969 280000 – 299999 1970 300000 – 339999 1971 340000 – 369999 1972 370000 – 499999 1973 500000 – 519999 1973 – 1974 520000 – 579999 1974 580000 – 689999 1975 690000 – 750000 1976

The following table shows the most common Fender serial numbers

from 1976 to the present.

Note the introduction of the letter prefix to the serial numbers.

The S stands for the decade of the seventies, an attempt by CBS to identify serial numbers every year of production. The E stands for the decade of the eighties and was used for the first time in 1979.

But here too there were a number of overlaps and the reference to

the correct production date is sometimes vague.

SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION YEAR 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

In 1982, the U.S. Vintage Series entered with the V as the serial number prefix.

SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION YEAR E1 + 5 digits

E2 + 5 digits

E3 + 5 digits

V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters)

1982

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year) E2 + 5 digits

E3 + 5 digits

V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters)

1983

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year) E3 + 5 digits

E4 + 5 digits

V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters)

1984

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year)

In March 1985, CBS Corporation Fender was sold to a group of private investors led by William Schultz. The company was given the current name; Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

The transition to the new owners cannot be deduced from the serial numbers, because the numbering remained the same.

SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION YEAR E3 + 5 digits

E4 + 5 digits

V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters)

1985

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year) V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters) 1986

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year) E4 + 5 digits

V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters)

1987

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year) E4 + 5 digits

E8 + 5 digits

V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters)

1988

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year) E8 + 5 digits

E9 + 5 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters)

1989

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year)

To date American Vintage Series with the prefix ‘V’ serial numbers correctly, the neck of the body must be unscrewed. The production date is stamped or written on the end of the neck heel.

To date American Vintage Series with the prefix ‘V’ serial numbers correctly, the neck of the body must be unscrewed. The production date is stamped or written on the end of the neck heel.

In 1990, the N came as prefix for the serial numbers, and stands for the nineties. The numbers and stickers were produced far in advance.

Due to a factory fault, N9 stickers (intended for use in 1999) were affixed in 1990 to a number of instruments built in that year.

As a result, you will come across a number of guitars built in 1990 with an N9 serial number. The guitars from 1990 have the serial number on the front of the headstock. Fender moved the serial number to the back of the headstock in 1996.

SERIAL NUMBERS PRODUCTION YEAR N9 + 5 digits

N0 + 5 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters) 1990

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check date on the neck for specific year) N1 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters) 1991 N1 + 5 or 6 digits

N2 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters) 1992 N3 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters) 1993 V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters) 1994 N4 + 5 or 6 digits

N5 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters) 1995 N6 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters) 1996 N6 + 6 or 6 digits

N7 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters) 1997 N8 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series) 1998 N9 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecasters) 1999

The Z for the digits was added in 2000.

A Z0 prefix dates from 2000, a Z1 from 2001, etc. The U.S. Deluxe Series have the same standard but with the addition of a D for the Z, e.g. DZ1, DZ2 etc.

But here too there are overlaps of numbers and years.

SERIAL PRODUCTION YEAR N9 + 5 or 6 digits Z0 + 5 or 6 digits DZ0 + 5 or 6 digits (Am. Deluxe) V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecaster) 2000 Z0 + 5 or 6 digits Z1 + 5 or 6 digits DZ1 + 5 or 6 digits (Am. Deluxe) V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecaster) 2001 Z1 + 5 or 6 digits

Z2 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ2 + 5 or 6 digits (Am. Deluxe)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecaster) 2002 Z2 + 5 or 6 digits

Z3 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ3 + 5 or 6 digits (American Deluxe Series)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecaster) 2003 Z3 + 5 or 6 digits

Z4 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ4 + 5 or 6 digits (Am. Deluxe)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecaster)

XN4 + 4 digits 2004 Z4 + 5 or 6 digits

Z5 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ5 + 5 or 6 digits (Am. Deluxe)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series excluded ’52 Telecaster)

XN5 + 4 digits 2005 10 + 7 digits

(Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number) End 2009 – March 2010 US + 8 digits

(Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number)

First two digits of the number identify the year of manufacture.

Starting March 2010

The following serial numbers are somewhat outside the familiar Fender numbering.

If in doubt about an odd serial number, check the table below to see if you can find the letter number combination here.

SERIAL DESCRIPTION AMXN + 6 digits California Series electric guitars and basses, ’97 and ’98 (Made in USA and Mexico) DN + 6 digits American Deluxe serie instruments, ’98 and ’99 NC + 6 digits Squier Strat Bullets (see Squier serials) FN + 6 digits US-made guitars and basses destined for export. Some are not exported or sent back. I + 7 digits A limited number of these I-Series were made in ’89 and ’90. Made for the export market and have ‘Made in USA’ stamped on the heel of the neck. LE + 6 digits Blonde Jazzmasters and Jaguars made in 1994. Sold as a promotional 3 piece set with a Blonde Deluxe Reverb Amp. CN + 6 digits

VN + 6 digits Produced in Korea, Fender/Squier guitars. (dating unclear) CA + 5 digits Gold Strat 1981, ’82 and ’83 CB + 5 digits Precision Bass Special from 1981, CB(5 digits) Gold Jazz Bass from 1982 CC + 5 digits Walnut Strat 1981, ’82 and ’83 CE + 5 digits Precision Bass Special from 1981, Black and Gold Telecster from 1981 and 1982 CD + 5 digits

CO + 5 digits Precision Bass Special (Walnut) from 1982 GO + 5 digits Precision Bass Special (Walnut) from 1982, Gold Strat 1982 and 1983 D + 6 digits Jazz Bass from 1982

SE + 6 digits

SN + 6 digits

SZ + 6 digits Signature Series Instruments
[eighties] SE8 + 5 digits-’88, SE9 + 5 digits-’89
[nineties] SN0 + 5 digits-’90, SN1 + 5 digits-’90, SN2 + 5 digits-’92, etc.
[two thousands] SZ0 + 5 digits-’00, SZ1 + 5 digits-’01, SZ2 + 5 digits-’02, etc. 3 digits 001-500 35th Anniversary Strat from 1989-1990 G + 6 digits “STRAT” from about. 1980, (Gold hardware, 2 position rotary tone switch) 4 digits stamped on bridge plate U.S. ’52 Vintage Telecaster 1982-1988 (Check neck for specific year) 5 digits stamped on bridge plate U.S. ’52 Vintage Telecaster 1988-present (Check neck for specific year) T + 6 digits Tribute series instruments C + 6 digits Collectors Series XN + 5 digits FSRs and ’52 Telecasters

PREFIX 10 OR US

At the end of 2009 a new 9 digit serial number format was introduced. This format is prefixed with the number 10 (which stands for the second decade of 2000) followed by 7 digits.

In March 2010 this format was again replaced by an 8 digit with the prefix two letters. The two letters indicate the production location, the first two numbers the production year. The last numbers are random and provide no further information.

JAPAN

Fender guitars produced in Japan have the serial number on the back of the neck, near the attachment to the body.

In some reissue models it can be found on the headstock or the neck plate. The combination of the text “Made in Japan” and the serial number was used until 1997.

Fender increased its production in March, 1982 by having the Japan-based company Fuji Gen Gakki also build instruments.

The MIJ (Made In Japan) guitars start with a letter or a few letters indicating the year of manufacture. This is the same system as the US serial numbers, however these MIJ serial numbers are less reliable.

Because this letter system was used inaccurately, the dating of MIJ guitars is questionable.Because this letter system was applied inaccurately, the dating of MIJ guitars is doubtful.

In 1997 the sticker “Made in Japan” was replace by “Crafted in Japan”. There are overlaps of “CIJ” (Crafted in Japan) with the “MIJ” models, so pay attention to whether the instrument is labeled “Made in Japan” or “Crafted in Japan”. Fender guitars produced in Japan have the serial number on the back of the neck, near the attachment to the body.In some reissue models it can be found on the headstock or the neck plate. The combination of the text “Made in Japan” and the serial number was used until 1997.Fender increased its production in March, 1982 by having the Japan-based company Fuji Gen Gakki also build instruments.The MIJ (Made In Japan) guitars start with a letter or a few letters indicating the year of manufacture. This is the same system as the US serial numbers, however these MIJ serial numbers are less reliable.Because this letter system was used inaccurately, the dating of MIJ guitars is questionable.Because this letter system was applied inaccurately, the dating of MIJ guitars is doubtful.In 1997 the sticker “Made in Japan” was replace by “Crafted in Japan”. There are overlaps of “CIJ” (Crafted in Japan) with the “MIJ” models, so pay attention to whether the instrument is labeled “Made in Japan” or “Crafted in Japan”.

SERIAL Made in Japan PRODUCTION YEAR JV + 5 digits 1982 – 1984 SQ + 5 digits 1983 – 1984 E + 6 digits 1984 – 1987 A + 6 digits

B + 6 digits

C + 6 digits 1985 – 1986 F + 6 digits 1986 – 1987 G + 6 digits 1987 – 1988 H + 6 digits 1988 – 1989 I + 6 digits

J + 6 digits 1989 – 1990 K + 6 digits 1990 – 1991 L + 6 digits 1991 – 1992 M + 6 digits 1992 – 1993 N + 6 digits

O + 6 digits

P + 6 digits

Q + 6 digits 1993 – 1994 S + 6 digits

T + 6 digits 1994 – 1995 U + 6 digits

N + 5 digits 1995 – 1996 V + 6 digits 1996 – 1997 SERIAL Crafted in Japan PRODUCTION YEAR A + 6 digits 1997 – 1998 O + 6 digits 1997 – 2000 P + 6 digits 1999 – 2002 Q + 6 digits 2002 – 2004 R + 6 digits 2004 – 2005 S + 6 digits 2006 – 2008 T + 6 digits 2007 – 2008

After 2007, the marking was switched back to “Made in Japan”. However, both stickers were used for a few years.

The serial numbers have continued since this cover in the same way as with the “CIJ” system.

MEXICO

In the late 1980s, Fender opened a factory in Ensenada, Mexico where the first instruments were produced in 1990.

The serial number of the Made in Mexico (MIM) Fenders, starting with the letter M and can be found on the headstock.

Some exceptions include special editions and signature models, and

the American/Mexican-made California series whose serial numbers begin with AMXN.

The MIM serial number system is quite simple.

The Mexican Fenders made in the 1990s have the serial number

starting with MN followed by a number indicating the year of the decade. The M stands for Mexico and the N for nineties.

Guitars made from the 2000s follow the same system, but start with

MZ. The Z here indicates the 2000 decade. And for the 2010s the

prefix is MX1. SERIAL PRODUCTION YEAR MN0 + 5 of 6 digits 1990 MN1 + 5 of 6 digits 1991 MN2 + 5 of 6 digits 1992 MN3 + 5 of 6 digits 1993 MN4 + 5 of 6 digits 1994 MN5 + 5 of 6 digits 1995 MN6 + 5 of 6 digits 1996 MN7 + 5 of 6 digits 1997 MN8 + 5 of 6 digits 1998 MN9 + 5 of 6 digits 1999 MZ0 + 5 of 6 digits 2000 MZ1 + 5 of 6 digits 2001 MZ2 + 5 of 6 digits 2002 MZ3 + 5 of 6 digits 2003 MZ4 + 5 of 6 digits 2004 MZ5 + 5 of 6 digits 2005 MZ6 + 5 of 6 digits 2006 MZ7 + 5 of 6 digits 2007 MZ8 + 5 of 6 digits 2008 MZ9 + 5 of 6 digits 2009 MX10 + 6 digits 2010 MX11 + 6 digits 2011 MX12 + 6 digits 2012 MX13 + 6 digits 2013 MX14 + 6 digits 2014 MX15 + 6 digits 2015 MX16 + 6 digits 2016 MX17 + 6 digits 2017 MX18 + 6 digits 2018 MX19 + 6 digits 2019 MX20 + 6 digits 2020

KOREA

There is very little information about the Korean serial number from 1988 to 1992. Numbers exist both with and without letter prefix. In addition, the serial numbers were used randomly during this period

and correct dating is uncertain.

There is also no much information about the serial numbers from

1993 to 1998. Some have letter prefix CN or CV.

From 1997 onwards, serial numbers have the prefix KC followed by

eight digits, the first two digits of which indicate the year of manufacture. KC stands for Korean Cor-Tek factory.

SERIAL PRODUCTION YEAR 6, 7 of 8 digits 1988-1996 CN0 + 5 digits

VN0 + 5 digits 1990-1991 CN1 + 5 digits

VN1 + 5 digits

CN2 + 5 digits 1991-1992 VN2 + 5 digits

CN3 + 5 digits 1992-1993 CN1 + 5 digits

VN3 + 5 digits

CN4 + 5 digits 1993-1994 VN4 + 5 digits

CN5 + 5 digits 1994-1995 CN1 + 5 digits

VN5 + 5 digits

CN6 + 5 digits 1995-1996 VN6 + 5 digits 1996-1997 KC97 + 6, 7 of 8 digits 1997-1998 KC98 + 6 digits 1998-1999 KC99 + 6 digits 1999-2000 KC00 + 6 digits 2000-2001 KC01 + 6 digits 2000-2001 KC02 + 6 digits 2001-2003 KC03 + 6 digits 2003-2004 KC04 + 6 digits 2004-2005 KC05 + 6 digits 2005-2006 KC06 + 6 digits 2006-2007 KC07 + 6 digits 2007-2008 KC08 + 6 digits 2008-2009 KC09 + 6 digits 2009-2010 KC10 + 6 digits 2010-2011 KC11 + 6 digits 2011-2012 KC12 + 6 digits 2012-2013 KC13 + 6 digits 2013-2014 KC14 + 6 digits 2014-2015

Fender Logo

See:

The used Fender logo can also be an indication of the period in which the guitar was made. Whether it is an original model or a vintage (the old logos are used there too) depends on your own assessment of the age of the guitar.

If you cannot find a serial number of the guitar (illegible, worn away), you can approximate the antiquity of a electric or semi-acoustic guitar by means of the potentiometers. The code on potentiometers gives information about the manufacturer and the year and week when it was made.See: Dating potentiometers The used Fender logo can also be an indication of the period in which the guitar was made. Whether it is an original model or a vintage (the old logos are used there too) depends on your own assessment of the age of the guitar.

spaghetti-logo 1950-1965

transition logo 1960-1967

CBS era logo 1967-

How to Spot a Fake Fender Strat in Seconds

At some point, Kennis Russell bought a used Stratocaster at his local guitar shop. Within a few seconds, however, Russell—a guitarist who provides backing tracks, gear demos and reviews on YouTube—realized it was a fake.

“Someone had rubbed off the Squier logo from the headstock and put a fake Fender waterslide on it,” Russell says. “In this video I compare this fake Fender Strat to two ‘real’ U.S. Fender Strats, a Mexican Fender Strat and a Squier Strat. Here are the things I identified as a fake: truss-rod opening, bridge, serial number, headstock, logo, tuners and more.”

Basically, if you have any doubts about a recent purchase—or if you just want to be prepared for the future—this video is a must-watch.

For more videos by Russell, be sure to drop in on his YouTube channel, which you’ll see when or if you click on these highlighted words.

So you have finished reading the how to spot a fake fender stratocaster topic article, if you find this article useful, please share it. Thank you very much. See more: how to spot a fake fender telecaster, how to tell if a fender body is real, how to spot a fake fender custom shop, how to spot a fake fender acoustic guitar, how to spot a fake squier strat, fake fender stratocaster for sale, fender stratocaster with synchronized tremolo, fender stratocaster real vs fake

Top 39 How To Spot A Fake Fender Stratocaster Top 20 Best Answers

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How to Spot a FAKE Fender in Seconds! – YouTube

How to Tell if a Fender Stratocaster is Real or Fake – Don’t Get Scammed! – YouTube

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