Latest Stories

featured image thumbnail for post Jackson Serial Number Lookup & Decoder: Complete Guide (2026)

Jackson Serial Number Lookup & Checker: Decode Your Guitar Instantly A Jackson serial number lookup is the fastest way to identify when and where your guitar was made. Whether you need a Jackson guitar serial number lookup for a Randy Rhoads, Soloist, Dinky, or Kelly, our free tool decodes it in seconds. Jackson Guitars was founded in 1980 by Grover Jackson, who had previously built Charvel…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Gretsch Serial Number Lookup & Decoder: Complete Guide (2026)

Gretsch Serial Number Lookup & Checker: Decode Your Guitar Instantly A Gretsch serial number lookup is the fastest way to identify when your guitar was made. Whether you need a Gretsch guitar serial number lookup for an Electromatic, a White Falcon, a 6120, or a Country Gentleman, our free tool decodes it in seconds. Gretsch was founded in 1883 by Friedrich Gretsch in Brooklyn, New York, and has…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Charvel Serial Number Lookup & Decoder: Complete Guide (2026)

Charvel Serial Number Lookup & Checker: Decode Your Guitar Instantly A Charvel serial number lookup is the fastest way to identify when and where your Charvel guitar was built. Whether you need a Charvel guitar serial number lookup for a San Dimas original, a So-Cal, or a Pro-Mod, our free tool decodes it in seconds. Charvel was founded in 1974 by Wayne Charvel in Azusa, California—originally a…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Yamaha Guitar Serial Number Lookup & Checker: The Ultimate Decoding Guide (2026)

Yamaha Serial Number Lookup & Checker: Decode Your Guitar Instantly A Yamaha serial number lookup is the fastest way to identify when and where your guitar was made. Yamaha has produced guitars in Japan (Custom Shop, Tenryu, Wada) and Taiwan (Kaohsiung) since the 1940s—and each factory and era used different serial formats. Whether you own a handcrafted L-series acoustic, a Pacifica electric, or a…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post PRS Serial Number Lookup & Checker: The Ultimate Decoding Guide (2026)

PRS Serial Number Lookup & Checker: Decode Your Guitar Instantly A PRS serial number lookup is the fastest way to identify when and where your guitar was made. Paul Reed Smith guitars have been built in Stevensville, Maryland (USA), Korea, Indonesia, and China since 1985—and each production line uses different serial formats. Whether you own a Core Custom 24 from the USA factory or an SE Standard…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Free Squier Serial Number Lookup — Instant Year & Factory Decoder

Squier Serial Number Lookup: Decode Your Guitar Instantly A Squier serial number lookup is the fastest way to identify when and where your guitar was made. Squier has produced guitars in Japan, Korea, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam since 1982—and each factory used different serial formats. Whether you own a vintage Japanese Squier or a modern Indonesian Classic Vibe, the serial number holds the key…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Ibanez Serial Number Lookup & Decoder: Complete Guide (2026)

Ibanez Serial Number Lookup: Decode Your Guitar Instantly An Ibanez serial number lookup is the fastest way to identify when and where your guitar was made. Ibanez has produced guitars in Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and China since the 1970s—and each factory used different serial formats. Whether you own a Prestige RG from FujiGen or an entry-level GIO from Indonesia, the serial number holds the key…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Gibson Serial Number Lookup & Decoder: Complete Guide (2026)

Gibson Serial Number Lookup: Decode Your Guitar Instantly At OwningAFender.com, we're known as the guitar serial number experts—and that expertise extends beyond Fender. Whether you own a Les Paul, an SG, or a J-45, the gibson serial number lookup tool above decodes your instrument in seconds. Enter your serial number and get production year, factory location, and era—all free, with no sign-up…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Epiphone Serial Number Lookup & Decoder: Complete Guide (2026)

Epiphone Serial Number Lookup: Decode Your Guitar Instantly An Epiphone serial number lookup is the fastest way to identify when and where your guitar was made. Epiphone has produced guitars in Japan, Korea, China, Indonesia, and even the USA since the 1970s—and each factory used different serial formats. Whether you own a modern Les Paul Standard from the Qingdao factory or a vintage Japanese…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Telecaster Pickup Height: Complete Setup Guide With Exact Specs (2026)

Telecaster Pickup Height: The Complete Guide to Dialing In Your Tone Getting your Telecaster pickup height right is one of the simplest, most impactful adjustments you can make — and it costs nothing. The Telecaster's two pickups are fundamentally different from each other: a bright, baseplate-mounted bridge pickup and a warm, chrome-covered neck pickup. This asymmetry means you can't just set…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Jazzmaster Pickup Height: Complete Setup Guide With Exact Specs (2026)

Getting your Jazzmaster pickup height right is one of the easiest ways to unlock the full potential of this iconic offset guitar. Whether you're chasing thick shoegaze walls, clean jazz voicings, or bright surf tones, the distance between your pickups and strings has a massive impact on output, clarity, and sustain. The Jazzmaster's wide, flat-wound pickups respond differently to height changes…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Guitar String Gauge Recommendation Tool: Find Your Perfect Strings (2026)

Use the tool above to get a personalized string gauge recommendation and top string set picks for your guitar, playing style, genre, and tuning. Below we explain why string gauge matters, how to choose by model and style, and what to do when you change gauges. Quick answer: The best string gauge for you depends on your guitar model, whether you play rhythm or lead, your genre, and your tuning. For…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Stratocaster Truss Rod Adjustment Guide

Getting Stratocaster neck relief right is one of the biggest playability upgrades you can make. Too little relief and you'll hear fret buzz, especially in the middle of the neck; too much and the action feels stiff. This guide gives you Strat-specific relief specs, a step-by-step method, and safety best practices so you can adjust with confidence. For a complete setup (action, pickups, intonation…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post American vs Mexican Fender: Complete Comparison Guide (2026)

The American vs Mexican Fender question is one of the most common in the Fender world. Is a USA Fender worth twice (or more) the price of a Mexican-made model? What are the real differences between American and Mexican Fenders—and who should choose which? This guide compares build quality, pickups, hardware, fretwork, and value so you can decide. Short answer: Mexican Fenders (MIM)—like the Player…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Fender vs Squier: Complete Comparison Guide (2026)

Choosing between Fender vs Squier is one of the first decisions many guitarists face. Is Squier a Fender? What's the real Squier vs Fender difference—and does it matter for you? This guide compares build quality, pickups, hardware, price, and resale value so you can decide with confidence. Short answer: Squier is Fender's budget brand. Squier guitars are real Fender-licensed instruments that share…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Stratocaster String Gauges for Every Genre: Blues, Country, Rock, Jazz & More

Choosing the right Stratocaster string gauge isn't just about light vs. heavy — it's about matching your strings to the way you actually play. A blues player digging into bends with the vibrato arm needs a different gauge than a country picker snapping hybrid-picked arpeggios, and the Strat's tremolo system adds another variable: string tension directly affects bridge balance and tuning stability…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Telecaster String Gauges for Every Genre: Blues, Country, Rock, Jazz & More

Choosing the right Telecaster string gauge isn't just about light vs. heavy — it's about matching your strings to the way you actually play. A blues player digging into bends on the 15th fret needs a completely different gauge than a country picker snapping hybrid-picked arpeggios at the 3rd fret. The Telecaster's 25.5" scale length, single-coil pickups, and bright tonal character mean gauge…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Tele vs Strat: A Player's Guide to Choosing the Right Guitar for Your Style

You've read the specs: two pickups vs three, fixed bridge vs tremolo, slab body vs contours. But when you're choosing between a Telecaster and Stratocaster, the numbers only get you so far. This guide is the companion to our complete Telecaster vs Stratocaster technical comparison—here we focus on player experience: how these guitars actually feel on stage, in the studio, and in the hands of…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Decoding Fender Neck Profiles: A Visual Guide to Shapes, Comfort, and Playability

Understanding Fender Neck Profiles: Why Your Neck Shape Matters More Than You Think Ever played a guitar that felt perfect in your hands, only to pick up another model and wonder why your hand cramps after 20 minutes? The answer lies in neck profiles—the cross-sectional shape of the guitar neck that determines how it feels when you wrap your hand around it. Fender has used various neck profiles…

Keep Reading →

featured image thumbnail for post Jazzmaster vs Strat Neck: Differences & Comparison

When choosing between a Jazzmaster and Stratocaster, many players focus on pickups and body shape—but the neck is where you'll spend every moment of playing time. Understanding the differences between a Jazzmaster neck profile and Strat neck profile can make or break your playing experience, especially if you have specific hand size requirements or playing style preferences. The good news? Both…

Keep Reading →

Owning A Fender covers setup guides, maintenance tutorials, and buying advice for Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar, Jazzmaster, Mustang, Gibson, and bass players. Browse by model using the sidebar, or explore our tools like the Serial Number Lookup and Action Height Calculator.

2