When was my telecaster made

There are far fewer unworn s Telecasters than there are Telecasters that have been played. Original parts are another important factor impacting Telecaster values. The finish is likely the most important part of a vintage Telecaster. It was very common for people to refinish Fender guitars since they're easily disassembled using only a screw driver. It's also common to find replaced pickups, potentiometers, and wiring in vintage Telecasters. Fender guitar collectors will always prioritize guitars original parts over guitars with many replaced parts.

The Fender Telecaster was offered in the standard finish it called Blond which is also the most common finish. A Blond finish is a semi-translucent cream white color with wood grain visible through it. Any finish other than Blond is considered a custom color, and Fender guitar collectors will prioritize custom colors over the standard Blond finish. I am always looking for custom color Fender Telecaster guitars.

Please contact me if you have a black, blue, red, or sunburst Telecaster from the s or s. I am actively collecting Fender Telecaster guitars made during the s, s, and s. I travel worldwide to acquire the vintage Fender guitars I've always dreamed of.

Age: 46 Posts: 1, Are the tuners kluson style, or do they have the "F" on the back of them like the neck plate? Pics will always help, but serial number and where the serial number is located can help. Is the serial number on the head stock front or back, the neck plate, neck just above the joint to the body, bridge, etc?? Welcome aboard and look forward to some pics of your new tele!!

Posts: 3, The quotation marks around Telecaster is normal. F neck plate is common but I believe usually on Asian made guitars someone pls correct me if I'm wrong. There may not be a country of origin on it but there should definitely be a serial number.

Posts: 55, May 21, Most Fenders and guitars they represent Squiers have where they are made as a decal near the serial. There are always small exceptions to the rule like American Vintage 52ri's dont say made in USA on them but they do come with an American Flag sticker that points this out.

Posts: 5, Posts: 13, You must log in or sign up to reply here. Show Ignored Content. Your name or email address: Do you already have an account? No, create an account now. Yes, my password is: Forgot your password? Recent Articles. Shop our selection of Fender Guitars. Share This Article. Search Search. Use the Serial Number! Fender Serial Dating First, narrow it down by the country of origin.

After the CBS purchase of Fender in , the factory switched to a new serial sequence with numbers that continued the same general format used prior to the takeover.

These are generally referred to as F series due the large Fender branded F on the neckplates of the era. This period also saw a switch from the orginal four-bolt neckplate of the '60s to a three-bolt neckplate in just one example of cost-saving costs introduced under CBS. Starting in , Fender transitioned to a new serial number scheme and moved the placement of most serial numbers to the headstock of the instrument.

Depending on the era and model, the number can be found on either the front or back of the headstock. After a short period of overlap with the old system, the post numbers will start with a letter that indicates the decade, followed by a number that indicates the year of that decade. In the s, you'll also see serials starting with a DZ which indicates the Deluxe series, but the format is otherwise the same. For example, a serial number with N4 would be from One starting with Z5 would be from This is particularly pronounced in the transitional period of the mid-'80s, though the system has been pretty much on point since about After , the letter changed to a format starting with US then two digits that tell the year of the current decade.

American-made signature series instruments follow a very similar scheme to the above, but use a prefix S before the decade letter. For example, a Signature Series guitar from would have a serial starting with SN8 followed by five digits. These have serial numbers starting with V and do not strictly correlate to years. The neck dates on these guitars, however, are usually reliable. Fender Japan serial numbers can usually be found on the back of the neck near the neck joint.

Though examples also exist with the number on the headstock or the neck-plate in the case of certain early reissue models. Up until , the serial was paired with the words "Made in Japan. In , Fender expanded operations with a series of instruments produced in Japan by the Fuji Gen Gakki company. Like the US serial numbers, MIJ made in Japan serials start with a letter or pair of letters that indicate the rough year of production.

This system, however, is notoriously inconsistent and incomplete, which makes dating by serial number even less reliable for MIJ Fenders.

After , Fender Japan switched back to marking Fenders as "Made in Japan" though for a few years instruments with both decals were made.