2004 50th Anniversary
I recently ran across a man who had just inherited 7 guitars from his grandfather. He didn’t know much about guitars but thought the one he was willing to part with was a 2006 50th Anniversary. I got the serial number over the phone and it turned out to be an ’04 Deluxe and the neck plate a chrome 50th Anniversary. At the price he asked I couldn’t pass it up (I was born in ’54 also). When I took it apart to clean and restring it I found several things that make me curious.
First thing that I noticed is the craftsmanship is much better than my other ’04 Deluxe.
There is no S1 switch.
Stamped in the cavity under the neck pickup in large letters is “BECK”.
Wiring is cloth insolated and very neatly done.
Custom shop pickups have staggered poles like ‘54s but the neck has a red dot & bridge has a green. None of my other 3 sets of ‘54s have dots.
If anyone can tell me anything as to what I have or know more about the serial # than just the year please help.
Thanks, Tom

tom

first off welcome to the show.
those in the know on here are gonna ask for pics
before they say anything. body front and back, headstock front and back,
then maybe the neck plate.
if you have any pics of the odd stuff you found, post them up. it can only help.

We will definitely need pictures.

06 was the 60th anniversary.

The 50th anniversaries were 96 and 04.

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No no and no

This is definitely an ’04 not an ’06. I’m new to forum use and having trouble posting pictures but looks like I can use Photo Bucket.
Here are some links to pictures

http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b441/ltk3/bhead.jpg
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b441/ltk3/b-1.jpg
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b441/ltk3/BECK.jpg
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b44 ... C06184.jpg
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b44 ... C06204.jpg
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b441/ltk3/fhead.jpg
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b44 ... kplate.jpg

Welcome to the Forum. I have a two-tone burst same model with SCN and S1. Your's looks like a stock 2004 Anniversary American Deluxe... IIRC, I think the configuration was a bit different on the solid colored models.

The pickups have been swapped out. The 04 Deluxes all had SCN's as that was the big debut of the pickup.

The green dot is a normal, my 04 sunburst deluxe has it too.

Nice guitar in a nice (my favourite) colour.

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No no and no

This has been talked about over and over here, because fender put the 50th ann. neck plate on every 2004 strat.

There were three limited production 50th ann Strats that year.
All two tone burst, single ply guard, maple neck and fret board, special tweed cases with embroidered patches in them.

I'm sure I'm missing something here.

The AMSE had custom shop 54 pickups, the deluxe had the S-1 switch and the Cobalt S pickups, the custom shop had C/S 54 pups with clothe wiring.

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Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive

I hate to show how little I know but hearing that Fender put 50th Anniversary neck plates on all the 2004’s makes me curious what’s going on with my other DZ4 witch I purchased from the original owner a few years back, unmolested till I got it. Its plate says “Fender Corona California”. I’m pretty sure that it was original until I put ’54 Custom shop pickups in it. I’ll attach some pictures.

http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b441/ltk3/DZ4.jpg
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b44 ... Z4back.jpg
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b441/ltk3/DZ4hb.jpg
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b441/ltk3/DZ4hf.jpg
http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b44 ... DZ4Tux.jpg

My son tells me I shouldn’t post the whole serial #
And thanks to everyone for the comments.

Tom please put the old scratchplate back on that black strat.

The strat police may come a calling.


When you consider that Fender guitars usually have a 1 year overlap between serial no's, it isn't that hard to see why one of your guitars has a normal deluxe neckplate. It could well be a 2005 guitar that was serial no'd in late 2004.

Also to just clear something up, 2004 was the 50th anniversary of the strat. Thats why all strats got some form of commemorative marking on them. It wasnt the 50th anniversary of the American Standard, American Deluxe or Custom Shop. It was the anniversary of the strat. Simple when you think about it.

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No no and no

The "50th Anniversary" neck plates were only on guitars assembled during the calendar year 2004; I suspect if you disassemble the guitar the most recent date (either stamped on the neck or on the body) would be sometime in early 2005. The neck was either made in 2004 or Fender was simply still using up the "DZ4XXXXXX" serial number decals before switching over to the "DZ5XXXXXX" decals.

I've told these stories before: I had a 2004 American Deluxe V-neck guitar. That was a new model introduced at the 2004 Winter NAMM show with all the new American Deluxe specs (SCN pickups, S-1 switch, etc.). You would think it would have had a "DZ4" serial number and the "50th Anniversary" neck plate, right? Nope - it had a "DZ3" serial number and the plain "Fender Cornona California" neck plate. Seems like Fender did the first batch of these at the end of 2003 so they could immediately fill their NAMM show orders. Fender did the same thing with the new 2010 American Deluxes - the first batch used "DZ9" serial numbers while all later batches have the new "10XXXXXX" serial numbers. Sorry, I don't have the 2004 Am Dlx V-neck any more to show any photos.

I do still have my 1979 Fender Lead II guitar; I'm the original owner and I got it in November 1979; it has an "E0XXXXX" serial number decal. I suppose that Fender decided to not make any Lead series headstock decals with "S9" serial numbers since the guitars weren't released until say August or September of 1979 (back in those days the Fender logo, model name, and s/n were a single headstock decal).

I'm aware the American Deluxe has a thicker/beef'ier neck. Does the 50th Anniversary have the same thicker neck?

thanks

Yes - I'd call it a chunky "C" like a Plus but a bit more elegant if that makes any sense.