This holds true for the early 4-digit Fender, which alone are fairly unhelpful to pinpoint the age of pre-1955 models (except the Stratocaster released in Spring 1954). 1292 belongs to an Esquire featuring a June ’51 neck dateįrom a manufacturer’s standpoint, a serial number is primarily intended for registration purposes and not for assessing the age of an instrument.1106 belongs to a Telecaster featuring a January ’54 neck date.Besides, even within a given family, numbers do not necessarily progress in chronological order. a ’50 Esquire, a ’51 P.Bass, and a ’54 Stratocaster. In other words, a number like 0043 can be found on three different models of different vintage, i.e. Overall, the short-lived original Stratocaster series runs from 0001 through the low 1000s mostly in 1954. Around June 1954 it was moved to the upper edge of the neck plate and numbers lower than 0100 were then also used. Introduced in the Spring of 1954, has a 4-digit number initially stamped on the vibrato back cover plate and beginning in the 0100s.

The Precision Bassįirst made in late 1951, also has a 4-digit number stamped on the bridge baseplate and its series runs from 0001 through to the high 1000s between 1951 and early 1955. The Esquire, Broadcaster, “No-Caster” (a segway modelīetween the Broadcaster and the Telecaster, marketed in early 1951 with no nameīut Fender on the peghead) and Telecaster have 4-digit numbers stamped on theĠ001 through to the 5000s between early and late 1954. Three “families” of solid body electrics were introduced during System gradually began to be applied to all Fender models. Beginning in late 1954, a common numbering Consequently, the same number can be found onĭifferent models made at different times between 19. Serialization scheme, but each model (or “family”) had a series of its own. The “original” series is actually divided into two periodsĪs the instruments introduced before 1955 were not registered into a common

Mustange fender serial number location