1. How To Look Up Fender Guitar Serial Numbers
2. Fender Squier Guitar Serial Numbers
3. Fender Guitar Serial Numbers Japanese

The early Fender Japan E series serial numbers from 1984-1987 follow the Fender USA serial number format of E = eighties and the first digit of the serial number representing the year. The serial numbers do not reflect this change - Fender continued to make instruments using existing serial number schemes. The new Fender did not acquire any physical assets of the old company, just the name 'Fender'. Hence during 1985 to 1987, production of Fender guitars was only done in Japan, while USA Fender created a new factory in. Jun 17, 2014  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.

Fender Contemporary Stratocasterelectric guitars were produced by Fender Japan in the 1980s.

General features[edit]

• “D” profile neck with a 12' radius.
• 'BiFlex' truss rod adjustment on the headstock.
• Microtilt neck angle fine adjustment.
• Some models have string trees.
• Some models have a coil split switch.
• 22 medium jumbo frets.
• Fender Roto-matic tuners, and 4 bolt neck plate.
• 11 screw pickguard. Some models don't have a pickguard.
• String locking.
• Fender Schaller System I, System II, System III tremolo systems. Some are fitted with Kahler 2500/2520
• Various combinations of single coil and or humbucking pickups on various models.
• 25.5' scale length except model 27-5500 which has a 24.75' scale length.
• Some models feature black coloured necks and/or black coloured headstocks.
• Vast majority of these will have a basswood bodies

Models[edit]

• 27-5700: 2 single coil and 1 humbucking pickups, 5 position selector switch, coil splitter, 1 volume, 1 TBX, System III tremolo, rosewood fingerboard, 25.5' scale length, side mounted output jack.
• 27-5800: 2 humbucking pickups, 3 position selector switch, coil splitter, 1 volume, 1 TBX, System III tremolo, rosewood fingerboard, 25.5' scale length, side mounted output jack.
• 27-4100: 2 single coil and 1 humbucking pickups, 5 position selector switch, coil splitter, 1 volume, 1 TBX, System II tremolo, rosewood fingerboard, 25.5' scale length, side mounted output jack.
• 27-4200: 2 humbucking pickups, 3 position selector switch, 1 volume, 1 tone, System I tremolo, rosewood fingerboard, 25.5' scale length, side mounted output jack.
• 27-4300: 3 single coil pickups, 5 position selector switch, 1 volume, 2 tones, System I tremolo, rosewood fingerboard, 25.5' scale length, top mounted output jack.
• 27-4302: 3 single coil pickups, 5 position selector switch, 1 volume, 2 tones, System I tremolo, maple fingerboard, 25.5' scale length, top mounted output jack.
• 27-4400: 1 humbucking pickup, 1 volume, system I tremolo, rosewood fingerboard, 25.5' scale length, side mounted output jack.
• 27-5000: 2 humbucking pickups, 3 position selector switch, coil splitter, 1 volume, 1 TBX, System I tremolo, rosewood fingerboard, 25.5' scale length, side mounted output jack.
• 27-5500: 2 humbucking pickups, 3 position selector switch, coil splitter, 1 volume, 1 TBX, System I tremolo, rosewood fingerboard, 24.75' scale length, side mounted output jack.
• 27-5400: 3 single coil pickups, 5 position selector switch, 1 volume, 2 tones, System I tremolo, rosewood fingerboard, 25.5' scale length, side mounted output jack.
• Unknown: There is an unknown model number featuring 2 single coil and 1 humbucking pickups, 3 independent selector switches (one per pickup), 1 volume, 1 TBX, System I tremolo, rosewood fingerboard, 25.5' scale length, and side mounted output jack.
• Unknown: There is an unknown model number featuring 2 single coil and 1 humbucking pickups, 5 position selector switch, 1 volume, 1 TBX, System I tremolo, rosewood fingerboard, 25.5' scale length, and top mounted output jack.
• Unknown: There is an unknown model number featuring 2 single coil and 1 humbucking pickups, 5 position selector switch, coil splitter, 1 volume, 1 TBX, Kahler fulcrum tremolo licensed by Floyd Rose, rosewood fingerboard, 25.5' scale length, side mounted output jack. This may be an adaptation of either the 27-5700 or 27-4100 model to maintain production.

History[edit]

The Fender Contemporary models were the first Fender Japan models to be exported as Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters. The previous Fender Japan models exported from Japan were all Fender Squier models. The Fender Contemporary models were manufactured from 1984 to 1987 by FujiGen Gakki and these Stratocasters were designed to be Superstrats (Super Strat) with humbucking pickups and Floyd Rose like tremolos made by Schaller and Kahler. There was a lower priced Fender Contemporary Squier model produced as well. Many of Fender Contemporary Stratocaster and Telecaster models had Fender Japan E serial number prefix at the beginning of their serial numbers but in fact, Fender never produced a line of guitars named the 'E series'.

When CBS sold Fender to its current owners in 1984, there was a transitional period from 1984 to 1987 with limited Fender USA production resulting in mostly Fender Japan and leftover USA made guitars being sold. There are also Fender Contemporary Telecaster models with HSS or HH pickup configurations and switches for selecting pickup options. The Fender Contemporary Telecaster models used the same tremolo systems as the Fender Contemporary Stratocaster models. Black Francis used a Fender Contemporary Telecaster in the Pixies and Neal Schon played a Contemporary Stratocaster in the music video for Journey's Separate Ways, also the band's first ever video.

There were also USA Contemporary Stratocasters and Telecasters which were totally different than the original Japanese models in terms of features and construction. These short-lived American-made models were made by the Fender Custom Shop in the mid-1990s.

Technical information[edit]

The System I bridge string height is set by adjustable pivot post screws and has no individual string height adjustments but has individual string intonation adjustments and is very much like the Gibson Tune-o-matic bridge in terms of intonation and string height adjustments.The System I tremolo system uses a behind the nut string locking mechanism.The System II and System III bridges have individual string height and individual string intonation adjustments.The System II and III tremolo systems use a height adjustable locking nut.

The System II tremolo system was designed by John Page, Chip Todd and Charlie Gressett.The System III tremolo system was designed by John Page, Dan Smith, Charlie Gressett and John Carruthers. The System I, II and III tremolo systems were manufactured in Germany by Schaller.Sometimes parts of the tremolo system are lost and one common modification is to make the bridge function as a hardtail by locking the bridge into a non movable position and installing a string tree for the first and second strings so that the strings don't slip out of the nut slots.

The System 1 bridge can be replaced successfully with a Floyd Rose licensed bridge.The slightly wider pivot screw spacing of the System 1 bridge needs a Floyd Rose licensed bridge design with one pivot screw cutaway that extends to the edge of the bridge allowing the Floyd Rose licensed bridge to mount onto the System 1 pivot screws. This configuration is most common in a 'Floyd Rose Gotoh' bridge. Most Floyd Rose bridge designs have two pivot screw cutaways that are limited to the width of the pivot screws, and these will not fit the System 1 pivot screw spacing.

Some models exported to UK were fitted with Kahler Traditional Series tremolos, stamped 'Made in the USA', and supplied with the American Precision Metal Works, Inc. set-up instructions and Allen keys.

How To Look Up Fender Guitar Serial Numbers

The pickups used in the Contemporary models were manufactured by Fujigen. All of the pickups used on the Contemporary models have alnico magnets instead of ceramic. The humbucking pickups used in the Contemporary models have a DC resistance which is approximately 7.6 kilohms. The single coil pickups used in the Contemporary models have a DC resistance which is approximately 5.6 kΩ. The Contemporary models that use a TBX tone control use 500 kΩ volume pots and use 0.022 µF tone capacitors.

Serial numbers[edit]

The early Fender Japan Contemporary series serial numbers from 1984-1987 follow the Fender USA serial number format of E = eighties and the first digit of the serial number representing the year.

For example, E6XXXXX = 1986.

Most of the Fender Japan serial numbers do not follow this format. Instead,in 1986 several have serial numbers beginning with A, B,C,E or F followed by six numerals,( e.g. AXXXXXX or BXXXXXX ) therefore made in 1984,1985,1986 or 1987.

The Fender USA serial format was used on the Fender Japan guitars that were exported to the USA while Fender was undergoing a transitional period.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

Fender is one of the most renowned and respected guitar manufacturers in the world. Fender specializes in electric guitars, specifically the Stratocaster for which they first became famous. However, Fender now has product lines in all types of musical instruments and accessories, including acoustic guitars. Fender has one of the most organized and easy to find dating systems for their acoustic guitars. If you'd like to find out when your Fender acoustic guitar was manufactured, there is a simple process to follow.

Locate the model of guitar you have by looking inside the center circle of the acoustic guitar. All Fender acoustic guitars have a label placed on the inside of the guitar that give the specifications of the guitar.

Identify where the acoustic guitar was made. Fender makes guitars in the United States, Mexico, Japan and China, knowing where your guitar was made will make it easier to find the production date. If the label inside the guitar does not say where the guitar was manufactured, look on the back of the guitar's headstock for the printed 'Made In' location.

Visit the Fender website (see 'Resources') and check their resource list for product dating. Go to the acoustic guitar section of the product dating website and look up the model of acoustic guitar you have. The website is sub-categorized by where the guitar was manufactured.

Fender Squier Guitar Serial Numbers

Look inside the acoustic gutiar to find the guitar's serial number. The serial number will also either be located inside the guitar or on the back of the headstock. For newer model guitars, most are listed based on their serial number rather than the model type.

Fender Guitar Serial Numbers Japanese

Visit the section of the Fender website that has the product dates of their guitar categorized by serial number. Again, you will need to know where your guitar was made first so you can choose the correct list to look through.