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Post subject: Need help to identify the year of production of my Strat
Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 9:15 am
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Hi, sorry to clutter the board with this kind of question but I'm thinking of maybe selling my guitar and I'd like to know exactly what model my guitar is before and if I do sell it.

It's a made in USA Fender Stratocaster with serial number E904593 with 3 fender lace-sensor pickups (blue gold and red).

So far my research led me to think that it's been made in 1990, but I'm not really sure. I was also wondering how much people are realistically willing to pay for such a guitar (in good condition).

Thanks for your help!


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Post subject: Re: Need help to identify the year of production of my Strat
Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 10:05 am
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Hi, Fenders serial number system had 'E' for eighties, and 'N' for nineties.

An E9 serial would designate the guitar as an '89.

You can see what similar Strat Plus' are commanding using the 'Completed Listings' option on an ebay search, but often these prices are high in comparison to what you'll actually get in a local sale.


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Post subject: Re: Need help to identify the year of production of my Strat
Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 11:12 am
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Probably the only way to know for sure is to take neck off and check for date stamps on the neck heel and in the neck pocket of the body.

Fender was "off" with the serial numbers back then; for example they used up left-over serial number decals (with E3 and E4 prefixes) in 1987 and until about the middle of 1988, when they began using decals with an E8 prefix. I'm not 100% sure when they switched from the E8 prefix decals to the E9 prefix decals - it was probably fairly late in 1989 (Fender's production was smaller back then, it took more than a year to use up a run of decals). The E9 decals were used well into 1990.

Were you the original owner? With that set of Lace Sensors it could be a Strat Plus Deluxe - they normally used a Blue/Silver/Red set (although some early ones used a Blue/Silver/Blue set). If you weren't the original owner someone could have modded a Strat Plus along the way.


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Post subject: Re: Need help to identify the year of production of my Strat
Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 11:52 am
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Thanks everyone so far.

I'm not the original owner, I bought it a couple of years ago from my roommate, I don't think it's been retrofitted. The color seems to be gun metal blue (or bahama green, hard to tell). I don't really feel like taking the neck off, so I think I'll go with Stratocaster plus 89. Again, thanks for the replies!


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Post subject: Re: Need help to identify the year of production of my Strat
Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 8:32 pm
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MechaJay9 wrote:
Hi, sorry to clutter the board with this kind of question but I'm thinking of maybe selling my guitar and I'd like to know exactly what model my guitar is before and if I do sell it.

It's a made in USA Fender Stratocaster with serial number E904593 with 3 fender lace-sensor pickups (blue gold and red).

So far my research led me to think that it's been made in 1990, but I'm not really sure. I was also wondering how much people are realistically willing to pay for such a guitar (in good condition).

Thanks for your help!


Pictures would be a big help.

At first glance, it sounds like Strat Plus Deluxe. This was very similar to the Strat Plus, but had different Lace Sensors. Does it has a roller nut or LRS nuts, a hips shot trem setter, and locking tuners?

I agree with the poster who said to take the neck off. The date should be there. Understand though that the date could be older than when it was actually built. Meaning that it was a neck from say '88, but was put together in '89.


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Post subject: Re: Need help to identify the year of production of my Strat
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 4:55 am
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MechaJay9 wrote:
Thanks everyone so far.

I'm not the original owner, I bought it a couple of years ago from my roommate, I don't think it's been retrofitted. The color seems to be gun metal blue (or bahama green, hard to tell). I don't really feel like taking the neck off, so I think I'll go with Stratocaster plus 89. Again, thanks for the replies!

I always check the "sold" listings as well when doing an ebay search. It's a realistic look at what buyers have payed.

With your guitar, depending on condition, color and year, it can make a big difference in the sale price to know what you've really got.

Pictures here will gain you a lot of knowledge from these helpful folks.

Good Luck,

- Dan

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Took me a long time to learn that a Good Set-Up is the best Parts money can buy


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Post subject: Re: Need help to identify the year of production of my Strat
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 5:21 am
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paris wrote:
Pictures would be a big help.


+1


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Post subject: Re: Need help to identify the year of production of my Strat
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 5:30 am
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danagos wrote:
MechaJay9 wrote:
Thanks everyone so far.

I'm not the original owner, I bought it a couple of years ago from my roommate, I don't think it's been retrofitted. The color seems to be gun metal blue (or bahama green, hard to tell). I don't really feel like taking the neck off, so I think I'll go with Stratocaster plus 89. Again, thanks for the replies!

I always check the "sold" listings as well when doing an ebay search. It's a realistic look at what buyers have payed.

With your guitar, depending on condition, color and year, it can make a big difference in the sale price to know what you've really got.

Pictures here will gain you a lot of knowledge from these helpful folks.

Good Luck,

- Dan


Taking the neck off sounds like a bigger job than it is. All you need is a screwdriver and a new set of strings.

If you do it, tighten the screws down snug diagonally, put on the high and low E strings first and check alignment of those strings. If they seem a little close on one side you can loosen the screws a little and "knock" it gently into alignment.

With your serial #, as JohnC suggested, the date can be quite different than it seems.

Hope that helps,

- Dan

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Took me a long time to learn that a Good Set-Up is the best Parts money can buy


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Post subject: Re: Need help to identify the year of production of my Strat
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 4:18 pm
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For that serial number there is not an exact date. What my data says, is that it was definitely made between 1989 to 1990 in the USA, therefore Corona California.
On most of these only the person's name who did the QC is stamped on the heel and not the date at all. It is however worth-while to take the neck off, because you might have a QC stamp that is collectible and make it worth a few hundred or so more.


Now, if only it was "Obahama Green" and not "Bahama Green" it would be worth a fortune!


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Post subject: Re: Need help to identify the year of production of my Strat
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 5:04 pm
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MechaJay9 wrote:
Hi, sorry to clutter the board with this kind of question but I'm thinking of maybe selling my guitar and I'd like to know exactly what model my guitar is before and if I do sell it.

It's a made in USA Fender Stratocaster with serial number E904593 with 3 fender lace-sensor pickups (blue gold and red).

So far my research led me to think that it's been made in 1990, but I'm not really sure. I was also wondering how much people are realistically willing to pay for such a guitar (in good condition).

Thanks for your help!


Here is a site that has great info on these Strats.
I have a '91 Start Plus Deluxe in crimson burst with the multi color Lace pups.
It has the straight, not "split", Wilkinson roller nut.
Schaller locking tuners.


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Post subject: Re: Need help to identify the year of production of my Strat
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:26 am
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A little late, but here's some pictures...Any help as to what the color is exactly would be appreciated.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image


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Post subject: Re: Need help to identify the year of production of my Strat
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 6:09 pm
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Check out Xhefri's fantastic site on the strat plus.
It may answer a few of your questions :D


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Post subject: Re: Need help to identify the year of production of my Strat
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 7:06 am
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It's probably gun metal blue with a little bit of "yellowing" of the clearcoat part of the finish.

I also suspect the middle Lace Sensor originally had a silver logo instead of a gold one - as those color logos wore off those original covers they tended to look somewhat similar (they stayed more "silver" and "gold" on the second covers where the logo is in a little indentation). The Strat Plus Deluxe of that year should have had a blue/silver/red set.


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