I have just bought my first American Strat. I would like some help finding out what year it is. I do'nt no how to read the VIN on the neck to get the year. Mine is US10097449.

Lots of info on dating Strats here. You can go to the Tab marked Support and go to product dating and it gives a very good list of serial number types and corresponding years.

To answer your question though your guitar translates as such:

US10097449 = 2010.

Someone else may be able to get you closer to month and year or you can go to:

consumerrelations@fender.com

HTH

T2

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What time is it? It's Fender Time.

I would highly recommend sending the email to the address in the above post. I've done it with every Fender I've bought and learned something about every guitar that I did not know.

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2002 mim Telecaster
Jimmie Vaughan Stratocaster
Mexican HSS Stratocaster
6 non-fender guitars
2 kids (not for sale)
1 wife (uh....no comment)

I dated a Strat once but she left me for another guitarist.Drum Roll.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

..and rimshot!

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Or Carfax can check the VIN

You have to bring home flowers more often ...

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Take my wife....please!
I take my wife everywhere, but she always seems to find her way home.
Last week she said she wanted to go someplace different....I said, why don't you try the kitchen?

Cheers,
Robin

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http://www.youtube.com/robinstrower
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Heck, my girlfriend got all dressed up and told me she wanted to go to an expensive place. So, I took her to a gas station . . . .

(I hope they'll discharge me from the hospital next week)!!

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"It's about sound and sound alone. Looks are irrelevant. You can have the best-looking guitar on earth, but if the sound isn't there it is nothing more than a beautiful piece of trash. The sound it makes is the soul of any guitar."