I had seen many other posts that showed the serial # and said the year that it was made and I believe others also posted that general guide thing so I assumed it worked for most years but I knew some serial #'s were a bit weird.

plus it works for my MIM which has the serial number MZ7 which matches the year fender said it was made.

anyways I learned some new stuff and got to see another beautiful guitar, just gotta love these forums.

It cant be far off anyways lol
Ive heard story's from back in the day when Leo was first putting the Stratocaster into production, all the serials were pre stamped onto the neck plate then thrown into a big bin on the production, so depending on how ever they were ordered the neck plate was drawn at random, fitted an sold on, so that plate might of been stamped with todays date but it might of been a while before it was used an fitted so ???
How true that is is anybody guess but interesting story non the less.
(how long was the transfer printed before it got put on the neck etc etc, it is a MIJ after all, not that thats a bad thing )

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Dan...

Fender 1987 MIJ Stratocaster, Texas Special Loaded.
Fender 2007 MIA Jazz Deluxe.

The "Letter + 1st Digit" dating works for USA and MIM Fenders, but the MIJ, CIJ, MIK, and made anywhere else (where ever those lower-end Squiers are made these days) don't use the system.

The Letter + 1st Digit started in 1976. Actually in 1976 Fender used 3 different serial number systems - they used the number on the plate for the first few months of the year (probably until they used up the neck plates with the engraved numbers). Then for a few months they used serial numbers on the headstock decals that started with a "76", so it would read "76XXXXX". They decided they didn't like that and went to "S6" with the "S" meaning "Seventies" and the "6" standing for the year; this was used from about mid-year on into 1977 (Fender used up the decals before switching to the next year) when they switched to "S7XXXXX" decals. Fender will use this system through 2009 - using "E" for "Eighties", "N" for "Nineties", and "Z" for "Zeros" (i.e. the 2000s); the Z9XXXXXX serial numbers are the last to use this system. For 2010 Fender first used just a "10" in front of the other numbers so it read "10XXXXXX". The font of the "10" was very close to the other 6 digits. About May Fender changed these to read "US10XXXXXX", and the "US10" is a much bolder font than the other digits. They will start using "US11XXXXXX" at some point early this year.

When they started up the production in Mexico the put an "M" in front of the letter that identified the decade, so a 2007 MIM would have an MZ7XXXXXX" serial number. MIMs are a little different in that they run mid-year through mid-year, so for example the MZ7s would run from July 2007 through June 2008 instead of changing over early in the year like the USA numbers. This system ended last year and they now read now read "MX10XXXXXX" for 2010 (and they will read MX11XXXXXX next year, etc.). Since they change over mid-year I don't think there were any MIMs with just a "10" as the prefix.

When they started the Artist Signatures they added an "S" in front of the decade letter. However, they wound up using "SE9XXXXX" decals up through about 1993 when they got "on track" with these. Starting in 2010 they no longer use the "S" prefix for Signatures.

When they started the American Deluxe series they added a "D" in front of the decade letter. Starting in 2010 they are no longer using the "D" prefix.

The California series used a unique prefix - I think it was something like USMX before the decade letter.

There are several well-known anomalies to this system on the USA models:

S9XXXXX was used really from 1979 into 1981.

E3XXXXX were primarily used for both 1983 and 1984 2-knob Standard and Elite Strats, and even a handful of American Standard, American Standard Deluxe, Strat Plus and Strat Plus Deluxe modles had these; these could have been made anywhere from late 1986 and have been found on guitars as late as mid-1989.

E4XXXXX were primarily used on American Standard/American Standard Deluxe/Strat Plus/Strat Plus Deluxe models made from late 1986 through early 1988. They have been found on a few of the 1983/84 models made by CBS, and a few have dates as late as 1989.

The "American Standard Deluxe" was only made in 1989; it was an American Standard with 3 gold lace sensors (or you could view it as a Strat Plus without the roller nut, locking tuners, and trem setter).

N9XXXXX serial numbers were used on a few 1990 American Standards/Strat Plus/Strat Plus Deluxe by accident. They are clearly different from "real" 1999 models since they have a different decal - the 1990 models with N9s have the modern silver "Fender" logo and the serial number was on the headstock face (and it also has only 5 digits after the "N9"; 1999 models will have the vintage-style Fender logo and the serial number on the back of the headstock (and it will have 6 digits after the "N9").

This is more than you probably wanted to know, but sometimes it's nice to have it on one place.

John C, Thank you very much for taking the time to write that out, very interesting read.
Regards,
Dan.

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Dan...

Fender 1987 MIJ Stratocaster, Texas Special Loaded.
Fender 2007 MIA Jazz Deluxe.