My guitar's not listed on Fenders' dating page. No category for Chinese guitars, and I can't find my serial # (&/or letter code) anywhere.
Can someone please help with this? It's a really solid guitar, feels/sounds like an old '60's Fender, & I really want to know when it was made &, if possible, at what city/plant.
Thanks!!!

hello, what colour is your guitar? i have a feeling i know what guitar it is

Black body, pearl pickguard. 21 frets, trad ('60's) wiring, vintage trem. Rosewood fretboard; plain headstock, reads Squier Strat by Fender.
Serial #:
CXS 030809173

Thanks!

Also, I'm NOT a hobbyist! My profile must certainly have a setting glitch somewhere: I checked "professional" in the dropdown selector. Have played for over 50 years, & pro for over 40.
Thanks!

i thought you didn't have a serial number... is the headstock the small one? and does the pickguard have 11 screw holes around it? (pickup screws and switch screws don't count)

don't worry about the hobbyist thing... thats just your category in the forum (you are considered a hobbyist because you started in the forum i'm considered professional because of the number of posts i have done in this forum)

welcome to the forum by the way

Small headstock meaning '60's rather than '70's style? Most def. I think there're 11 holes as per pickguard; I seem to remember counting them while considering a replacement with 3 hb (rail) pu's.
Thanks for the welcome! 'preciate it.

where was the serial number?

asians are hot i get him

Back of headstock:
"Crafted in China" appears in its' own line; the serial # is under a second line (beneath the first).
Thanks.

darn.. then i guess it's not what i thought it was... i thought the guitar had no serial number... if it were the case, it would be a squier SE strat ... sorry man thought i could help

's ok, i imagine they're rare enough that i have something different... the cool thing is the way it plays. like i said, reminds me of an original from the '60's. c-shaped neck, not too hefty, sustains really well especially for having single-coil pu's.
thanks anyways. peace

do the pickups have squier by fender written on them in silver?

No. Plain white covers, no scripting at all. Normal sized magnets, 5-way switch, traditional tone-pot wiring (none on bridge pu).

I would hazard a guess based on past experience that it is probably a 2003. Lately it seems a majority of guitar companies date their guitars using the 1st 4 digits of the serial. I'm sure there are plenty of variations but for the most part thats what I'm running into. I would read it as C=China XS= Factory Xiong Sun something I think? 03=year 08=month 09173= the number guitar made that year which sounds possible.
Don't quote me on it but it sounds good to me.
As far as records, They seem to get sketchy when you deal with overseas made guitars. Once again it seems to have happened to several companies who farmed their budget lines out to asia and japan.

_________________
TOO MANY GUITARS, TOO LITTLE TIME!

Current Stable:
Fender Stratocaster MIM 07
Squire II Stratocaster MIK 89?
ESP LTD MH-100QM
Jackson KE3 Kelly MIJ

Wow, sorry, I meant the serial # isn't listed on Fender's webpage, nor is the "CXS" designation. Peace!