I assume the S/N is much like a car's where it shows the age.

I have an American Strat with S/N N7286636

Any idea the age? would it be 86? 72?

thanks

First letter plus first number gives a rough approximation of the build date. "N" stands for "nineties", the decade. So N7 is theoretically a 1997.

(E7 would be eighty 7 = 1987, Z7 would be zero 7 = 2007)

But they don't switch over precisely on Jan 1, usually more like the middle of the year. So an N7 could be late '97 or early '98.

And on some models the code doesn't nean anything. They apparently printed up way too many MSN6xxxxx (Mexican Signature Ninety 6xxxx) decals when they introduced the Jimmie Vaughan Signature because they didn't switch over to MSN7xxxx until a few years ago. Early '80s numbers are also unreliable.

To be 100% sure you need to remove the neck and pickguard and look for date stampings on the body and the heel of the neck. (It's not uncommon for the body and neck to have been built at different times, so the latest date you find will be around the time the guitar was assembled.)

thanks