Can you find out how old your Fender is by using the serial number?

A Fender guitar or other instrument can sometimes be dated using its serial number. Guitars produced from 1950 to 1954 have serial numbers up to 6,000, while guitars produced in 1964 have serials of L20,000s and up to L50,000s. Up to 1976, instruments with higher numbers are older.

After 1976, Fender began using a letter and number with five digits behind it. Guitars from 1976 have S6 and S7 in front, while guitars from 1979 through 1981 have E0 or E1 in front of the five digits. Guitars from 2000 have a Z0 or N9 plus five digits behind them, while guitars from 2009 have DZ9 or V in the front. Guitars from the Fender American Vintage Series have the year on the neck.