The headstock shape, decal style, and serial location are the three fastest clues to what Fender model and era you own. Fender Model Identification: How to Tell What Fender You Have Fender model identification is the process of working out exactly which Fender guitar or bass you own, where it was made, and roughly when. You do not need to be a luthier to get it right. With a few visual checks and…
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The Fender Telecaster has been in continuous production since 1950. That long history means values spread across thousands of dollars, depending on era, origin, and condition. Fender Telecaster Value Guide: How Much Is a Tele Worth? How much is a Fender Telecaster worth? The answer can be anywhere from a little over one hundred dollars for a well-used beginner Squier to six figures for a pristine…
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The Z prefix on a Fender serial number places the guitar squarely in the 2000s. The digit that follows it gives the exact year. Fender Z-Series Serial Numbers: 2000s Dating & Value Guide Fender Z-series serial numbers are the quickest way to date a 2000s Fender electric guitar or bass. If your serial starts with the letter Z followed by a single digit, you are looking at an instrument built during…
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The S prefix on a Fender serial number places the guitar in the late 1970s, at the end of the CBS era in Fullerton, California. Fender S-Series Serial Numbers: 1976–1981 Dating & Value Guide Fender S-series serial numbers mark the beginning of Fender's letter-prefix dating system and the final years of CBS ownership. If your serial starts with the letter S followed by a single digit, you are…
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The N prefix on a Fender serial number places your guitar squarely in the 1990s. The digit after the N tells you the exact year. Fender N-Series Serial Numbers: 1990s Dating & Value Guide Fender N-series serial numbers are the quickest way to date a 1990s Fender electric guitar or bass. If your serial starts with the letter N followed by a single digit, you are looking at an instrument built…
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The MX prefix on a Fender serial number means the guitar was built in Mexico from 2010 onward. The two digits after MX tell you the exact year. Fender MX-Series Serial Numbers: 2010+ Mexico Dating & Value Guide Fender MX-series serial numbers are the key to dating any modern Mexican Fender made from 2010 to the present. If your serial starts with the letters MX followed by two digits and a six…
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The first two letters of a Mexican Fender serial number tell you the country and the decade. MN means the 1990s; MZ means the 2000s. Fender MN / MZ Serial Numbers: 1990s & 2000s Mexico Dating Guide Fender MN and MZ serial numbers identify the first two decades of Mexican Fender production at the Ensenada factory. If your serial starts with MN, you are looking at a guitar made between 1990 and 199…
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The JV and SQ prefixes on a Fender-family guitar point to the earliest days of Japanese production. They are also some of the most copied serial formats on the used market. Fender JV / SQ Serial Numbers: 1982-1984 Fuji-Gen Japan Dating & Value Guide Fender JV and SQ serial numbers mark the very beginning of Fender's official Japanese production line. If your guitar carries a JV or SQ prefix…
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The first two letters of a Fender Japan serial number point to the factory era. JV and SQ mean early 1980s Fuji-Gen, while JD marks modern Dyna Gakki production. Fender Japan Serial Numbers: Complete MIJ & CIJ Dating Guide Fender Japan serial numbers cover one of the most respected chapters in Fender history. From the first Fuji-Gen JV and SQ guitars of 1982 through the MIJ and CIJ decades and…
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The E prefix on a Fender serial number points straight to the 1980s. The digit that follows it tells you the exact year. Fender E-Series Serial Numbers: 1980s Dating & Value Guide Fender E-series serial numbers are the fastest way to place a 1980s Fender in the right year, factory, and market bracket. If your serial starts with the letter E followed by a single digit, you are looking at an…
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The Fender Player Series is the modern gateway to real Fender tone. Used prices depend on which generation you own, where it was made, and how original it remains. Fender Player Series Value Guide: Player, Player Plus & Player II Worth Fender Player Series value sits at the center of the used electric guitar market in 2026. These are the instruments most players buy first, sell first, and compare…
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The headstock decal and serial prefix are the two fastest clues to a Fender Japan guitar's era, build quality, and current market value. Fender Japan Value Guide: What Your MIJ or CIJ Guitar Is Worth Fender Japan guitars range from affordable players to serious vintage collectibles. Whether you own a 1982 JV Stratocaster, a 1997 Crafted in Japan Telecaster, or a modern JD-prefix Dyna Gakki model…
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The Fender American Standard line was the flagship USA production series from 1986 through 2016. Value depends heavily on year, condition, originality, and whether it still has its original case and paperwork. Fender American Standard Value Guide: 1980s-2010s Strat & Tele Prices The Fender American Standard line is one of the most dependable used-market bets in the guitar world. Built in Corona…
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The Fender American Professional line sits at the heart of the modern USA catalog, and its used market is one of the busiest corners of the Fender resale world. Fender American Professional Value Guide: Used Prices & Market Outlook The Fender American Professional series is the workhorse line of modern Fender USA guitars. Introduced in 2016 as the replacement for the long-running American Standard…
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The Fender Stratocaster is one of the most recognizable electric guitars ever made, and it is also one of the most traded. If you are trying to figure out how much a Stratocaster is worth, the answer depends on when it was built, where it was built, what condition it is in, and how original it remains. A vintage pre-CBS Stratocaster can command a price that dwarfs a new car, while a well-used…
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Browse all Yamaha guitar resources for serial identification, setup and strings.
Yamaha builds some of the best value guitars in both electric and acoustic lines — the right strings make them sing. Best Strings for Yamaha Guitars: Pacifica, FG800 & More (2026) Yamaha guitars are the quiet overachievers of the guitar world — the Pacifica is arguably the best budget electric ever made, and the FG…
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A used guitar is a great buy — if you check the serial, the condition, and the setup before you pay. Used Guitar Buying Checklist: What to Check Before You Buy (UK) Buying a used guitar in the UK is a five-minute checklist away from being either a bargain or a money pit. The secondhand market moves through Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace and Reverb UK at speed, and most of the guitars being sold…
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Where the serial lives: usually the back of the headstock on a Stratocaster or Telecaster. Fender Serial Number Lookup UK: Date Any Fender or Squier A Fender serial number lookup is the single fastest way to know what you are actually holding — how old the guitar is, where it was built, and whether the price tag makes sense. In the UK secondhand market, where Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace and…
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What's Next? Identify your LTD hardware and choose a useful next step: LTD Setup Guide — Researched model examples, measurements and bridge-specific checks Setup Specs Lookup — Check supported models and setup starting points Guitar Action Height Guide — Dial in perfect string height Truss Rod Adjustment Guide — Safe neck relief adjustment My Gear Garage — Track your collection and maintenance…
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Getting the pickup height right is the cheapest tone upgrade a guitar owner can make — and it's usually the most overlooked. Too close to the strings and the pickups wander into magnetic-pull territory: harsh highs, choking bass strings, weak sustain. Too far away and the tone turns thin and weak, the output drops, and the pickup loses the warmth it's capable of. This free pickup height calculator…
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