Hi all, Fender has listed the serial numbers for each year and place of manufacture, but does anyone know if there is some place where I can find how many of each type of Fenders were made for any given year. I have a 40th Anniversary Strat, and it would be nice to know how many total were built in 1994.

Thanks for any info

MrT

Hi MrT: it is an interesting question to which we'd all like to know the answer. Unfortunately, I have never even come across production numbers for the first years of Fender guitars, let alone any more recent.

I'd be fascinated to know how many Strats they made in 1954 and how much that number increased over the next couple of years. I can't see why that information should be commercially sensitive after all this time: but as far as I am aware Fender keeps it secret.

We can only guess!

Cheers - C

Only a few at Fender no that answer and the numbers are most likely lock away in the big vault. The only guitars that they make that there are not lots made are the Custom Shops. In fact I would think there are more Fender Stratocasters made then any other single guitar companys model made.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Cvilleira, I just want you to know that all your excellent picture posts are noted and enjoyed. I particularly liked the one of the baby, the nuclear explosion and the strapline "incoming". You know the one I mean...

- C

Remember that one well. I was ducking and weaving through out theat thread

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

I think a sizeable number of customshops are knocked out too. My lower end CS guitar certainly feels no better made than a american standard. Masterbuilt are in short supply the waiting time says all it neds to.

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No no and no

Jay from my end a comparison between my CS vintage hotrod and 95mim is unfair. To me the MIM owns em all, simply because ive lived with the guitar for 14 years. Its shaped to me. Between the CS and hotrod, the hotrod pips it to the post in playability and sound. The cs guitar has a nicer appearance with the flamed neck and staggered height tuners. On its plus side it is a players guitar and has the same kind of attraction that my first strat had. It feels like its ready for the D day landings and is usually within 10 ft of me and never cased, i dont wory about it that much.
The Hotrod is really special, its the guitar for me. So much so i only play it in the bedroom for half hour a day after which its cleaned and cased untill the next time. The guitar ticks all the boxes to my perfect set of requirements. I'm a strong believer in the old saying that fender cant make the same guitar twice in one day and pick my guitars completely by the way they feel. Thats what makes the hotrod my for-special.

As you can tell its all down to my preferences. If i had to lose 2 the MIM would be the one staying. Its so played in (by only me) its like its a part of me. I have modded the electrics and hardware though.

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No no and no

I would disagree ninja.
I have owned 7 MIM strats over the last 12+ years. The 1995 sounded the best (killer pups) but there were issues with the bridge that caused tuning problems. From about 98 on, the pickups just didnt sound as good as the early MIMs. My 2000 had problems with the fret board, and some frets were not properly pressed in. My 2002 had issues with the tone pots, and shorted in and out (bought new). Even after a costly repair, there was never smooth volume/tone transitions. The 2004 was probably the worst, as the pups sounded muddy and were more noisy than any other MIM strat that I have ever played (tried several units, and all seem to have that problem). The 05 felt cheap, and suffered from a poorly designed bridge block, which screwed up the sustain, and bending would make the bridge shift, which made whole step + bends hard to keep in tune. Lastly, the 2007 didnt even sound like a strat, and the neck was poorly made, and never felt right. In general, the maple MIM necks seem to be lower quality than the rosewood. I have sold/ traded all 7 of them, and the only one that I wish I would have kept was the 95 MIM.
No MIM strat was even close to the quality of the 2 American Standards. The 2008 is an even better unit than the 2000, with the redesigned bridge block, and silky smooth neck.
An early 90s MIM strat with a new bridge/ block and some neck work may stand up to a MIA strat, but IMHO, new mexi-strats are a far cry from Corona plant strats. They are still great guitars for $400, but you could easily spend another $500 plus on pups, neck and hardware to make them truely awsome gits. for that, your getting close to what you would drop on a MIA strat anyway.

Jnasty. I think you missed the point of my appraisal of my MIM. Its particular to me, totally my preference not part of the endlessly futile debate of made in mongolia verses made in Ukraine.
The guitar had its number of issues that have been resolved one way or another and led to more idiosyncrasies particular to that one guitar. Certainly off the shelf it was no where near as good as my usa made guitars but over time, patience and perseverance it has turned into a instrument i couldnt be without. Theres only the body and neck left that are original now.

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No no and no

My mistake. I was going off the "MIM ownes them all" statement. Where is the "I am a dumb- $@!" emoticon?

i dont agree with cv on somethings
thats very clear. but i also have to say
i also enjoy his picture post. some of the
pictures he's posted after we have had a
disagrement have been funny.

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sombody get me a doctor!

No worries mate.

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No no and no

Back at the beginning, i thaught i asked if anyone knew how many guitars were manufactured for any given year, not if your MIM Strat was as good as your CS Strat !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi MrT: unfortunately, the second and third posts said all there is to say on the subject - which ain't much!

Stats regarding output of any guitar maker are very hard to come by. A few years ago I read in a magazine that PRS had made 77,000 guitars that year. I also read that James Tyler made about 650 guitars per annum a couple of years ago. Around the same time I heard that Martyn Booth were hoping to build 150 instruments in their first full year.

I believe you have there the entirety of my knowledge on manufacturing output. As to Fender, they are the single largest guitar builder in the world. It is reputed that the Custom Shop alone would qualify as the sixth biggest builder in the world if it were a free-standing company.

But what numbers that translates into is anyone's guess. If you find out - please let us know!

Cheers - C