I have a "lipstick red" Fender Stratocaster serial number N566243.

It's has a matching red headstock, 22 frets and a rosewood fingerboard

I bough in the mid-90's new in a shop in Limerick, Ireland as an American Strat but I've always been curious at the absence of the "Made in the USA" mark. I know some Strats were made in Japan around that time and I had thought until recently that I may have one of them, however, I recently read that Japanese made Strats marked as either "made in" or "crafted in" Japan.

I notice that both US and Japanese guitars of this time had serial numbers of the N123456 format so the serial number is not an indicator in its self.

The Headstock on my guitar has no country of manufacture.....

Anyone know if Strats of this period were known to omit the country of manufacture and whether such an omission indicates US or other builds ?

Ultimately it doesn't matter where the instrument was made as I love it and would never part with it. Would just like to know out of curiosity.

Check your other thread

You could also pull the neck off the next time you restring your guitar. Check the neck and the neck pocket, it might help you too.

_________________
"Epitaph on a blues musician’s tombstone: “I didn’t wake up this morning”" Davy Knowles


facebook.com/313DBC

Sorry - don't know how I ended up with two positings of the one thread

I posed my sn# CN507049, no marking of the country but is suppose to
be 1995 custom shop American strat. I wondering also if anyone can help
with that verification.