Until 1977 Maxon used 5 digit serials:
1st character is a production code (1,2,3, etc., maybe related to different production location)
2nd character indicates the year of production (2=1972, 3=1973, etc.)
3rd character indicates the month of production (0=January, 1=February, ... 9=October, .=November, X=December)
4th and 5th character is the day of production (01 to 31)
Although guitars already had serials from 1975, between 1977 and 1982 they used a 6 character serial on pickups:
1st character is a production code (1,2,3, etc., maybe related to different production location)
2nd character indicates the year of production (7=1977, 0=1980, 1=1981, etc.)
3rd and 4th character indicates the month of production (01=January, ... 12=December)
5th and 6th character is the day of production (01 to 31)
1975 - Present, This old style serial number will either be on the neck plate or impressed into the back of the headstock. It consists of a letter, A - L, followed by a 6 digit number. The letter stands for the month, A for January etc., the first 2 digits will be the year, 76 is 1976, 96 is 1996, the last 4 digits will be the consecutive production number for that months production, 1356 would be the 1356th guitar produced that month. This form of serial numbering is still used today on guitars where the number is impressed into the back of the headstock. A761356 - The 1356th guitar produced in January '76
1987 - Present - These serial numbers will either be on the neck plate or on a serial sticker affixed to the back of the headstock, with some models still following the impressed old school serial numbers shown above. There are many variables of numbering through these years and between different models and are broken down into 3 categories, stickers, plates, and the impressed numbers that follow the old school style detailed above.
HEADSTOCK SERIAL STICKERS
PLATE NUMBERS
CUSTOM SHOP
NO SERIAL NUMBER
ODDITIES
1987 - 1996 - Guitars built in Japan between these years will have a serial number beginning with F followed by 6 numbers. F is the production factory which stands for Fujigen. The first digit will be the last digit of the year, ie. F8***** is a guitars made in Fujigen in 1988. The last 5 numbers will be the consecutive number denoting production count for the year with the caveat that each month will start at predetermined intervals of 3000 or 5000, etc.
1997 - Present - Under the old numbering scheme 1997 would show duplicate numbers to 1987 so the serial number was changed to the F and 7 digits, now the first 2 denoting year of production. F98***** is a guitar built by Fujigen in 1998. The last 5 numbers will be the consecutive number denoting production count for the year with the caveat that each month will start at predetermined intervals of 3000 or 5000, etc. Presently it is set at 3000. With production year beginning in November - 00000～02999 - November, 03000～05999 - December, 06000～08999 - January, 09000～11999 - February, 12000～14999 - March etc.
Factories - Shown as F for Fujigen in the examples above, other factories used that mainly produced the budget models were C for Cort [Korea], S for Samick [Korea], W for World [Korea], and guitars are also built in I Indonesia, China, and who knows where else. These serial numbers are usually quite different from the MIJ numbers, have many extra digits because of the enormous volume of guitars produced, and I am not familiar enough with any of them to tell you how to figure out the dating.
Cort Serial Numbers - Cort serial numbers are denoted with a C prefix followed by either 7 or 8 digits. I'm not sure what year the changeover occurred but using the formula it will be easy for you to tell. A 7 digit number example - C5030567 - translates, 5 = 1995, 03 = 3rd month [March], 0567 = 567th guitar built in March 1995. An 8 digit number example - C03114373 - translates, 03 = 2003, 11 = 11th month [November], 4373 = 4373rd guitar built in November 2003.
Premium Serial Numbers - Prior to 11/2011 there are 5 digits followed by a letter. The letter denotes year, starting in 2010 with A, with a 5 digit production number. Post 11/2011 they changed to alpha, 4 numbers, alpha, the first letter being the month, A for January, the last being the year, B for 2011, C for 2012, etc. Z will be the year 2035. Month, production number that month, year.
Sugi Serial Numbers - Alphabet Production Month (A = January to L = December), Next two numbers are Production Year (09-2009. 10-2010), Next number 5 is Model number. 5 is UV77REMC [2 is FRM1, etc], Next Two numbers is monthly series number.
Everything Else - The Guitar Dater Project will decode W, S, I and who knows what other prefixes [factory codes]. I do not know how accurate the system is but the few I've run have worked just fine. GUITAR DATER PROJECT.
Plate serial numbers have nothing to do with headstock serial numbers. In a case where a guitar has both the true serial number will always be the headstock number. Plate numbers usually follow the pattern of the first 2 digits denoting year of production followed by a 4 digit number that denotes consecutive production for that model for that year, or consecutive production number for that particular model from the models inception. In cases where generic non model specific plates are used the 4 digit number is just the consecutive number of that plate which could have made it on possibly 10 different models.
JEM - UV - JEM plates are 6 digit and the first 2 digits is the production year while the last 4 is the consecutive number JEM built from inception. 870060 is an 87' and the 60th JEM built. Except for the very first batch of 90' UV plates that began 00, UV plates are also dated by the first 2 numbers. 00 is a 90', 90 is a 90', 91 is a 91'. A Universe plate 912787 would denote a production year of 91 and the 2787th Universe built. Where things go astray is when the Jem line went to AANJ in 93'. This is where you start seeing consecutive numbered plates on the remaining regular joint models that no longer indicate year. 160225 was a very odd plate number I came across on a Jem. Most that I'm aware of are what I call 250k plates [25****] and current 2003' FP15th's have 260K plates [26****] meaning there have been over 10,000 Jem's made since they deviated from the serial plate numbering. No matter as most can be dated by the headstock serial # but there will be guitars without them and the plate number will be the only number available. Late BFP's with direct mount pickups for example which bear these 160k/250k plates and no headstock sticker. The UV plate numbers also changed to these consecutive plates and will be found on late UV7BK's in both green dot and silver. Universe plate 912787 would denote a production year of 91 and the 2787th Universe built.. Universe number 250435 could be a 96' UV7 green dot and the 435 indicates the 435th plate. Pinning these guitars down to closer than a 2 year window would be tough. This actually makes alot of sense from a manufacturing stance as they no longer had to order plates that denoted year of production and could just order consecutive numbered plates without care to year. They would no longer be restricted to using a specific plate in a specific year and any batch of plates would be good forever.
JS - JS series guitars built in Japan have a neck plate that is stamped with a consecutive number since production first began with no indication of date. They are termed J plates because of a J prefix in the number but somewhere around J 002700 they dropped the J leaving just the 6 digit number. Plate number J 000001 is on a 93' Donnie that I will always consider Jim Donahue's guitar, now residing in the Hoshino USA collection. [Jim had control of plate numbers 1-15 and used the #1 plate when he assembled what is considered his Donnie late in the 93' run] A 2003' JS2000 I did this week had the plate number 010044 finally cracking 10,000 JS models built in Japan [and probably 3 times as many built in Korea]. The only way to date a JS that only has a neck plate number is by spec. Sometime around 1995 they started using the typical F based serial stickers on the headstock and in all cases this should be considered the serial number of the guitars that bear them.
STW - 7/6 Double neck - Oddly these used JS plates in the 006000 range [from memory]. Some have actually had two numbered plates and some have had one numbered and one unnumbered plate.
Bensalem, Pa. Address Plates - The cast black and chrome neck plates like the JS, these bear a 6 digit serial number. The first 2 digits indicate year and the last 4 indicate a consecutive production number for USAC's. 880675 would be a USAC built in 1988 and the 675th USAC produced. 88'-90' plates will have a Bensalem, Pa. address as H&S guitars was based in Bensalem. Note that these do not indicate the guitar was 'built' in the US but typically means it was assembled and finished in the US using Japanese parts.
North Hollywood Address Plates - H&S moved to LA in late 90'/91' and USAC's built or assembled there will bear the North Hollywood plate serialized in the same manner as the Bensalem plate.
Stamped Serial Number - 5 digit number found on the back of the headstocks on AANJ USAC models. 92398 is probably the 398th USAC built in 92' but could also represent the 398th stamped on the head in this manner.
RG750/60/60 - RADIUS - SABER - POWER
These guitars will either have Bensalem or North Hollywood plates depending on year, pre 91' will be Bensalem, post 91' will be North Hollywood. These plates will either follow the 6 digit plate scheme where the first 2 digits denote year, or they will be blank and have a Japan serial sticker on the headstock.
BLANK NECK PLATES
Guitars with the blank numbered cast plate will bear a headstock serial sticker denoting the Fujigen production of the parts.
The American Custom Shop has 2 ways of serializing their guitars.
LA91JS01 - Indicates Los Angeles manufacture in 1991, JS model, 1st JS model built in 1991.
LA060493 - Indicates Los Angeles manufacture on June 6, 1993 [Steve's Triple Neck]
Endorsee guitars built in Bensalem were pre AANJ and would typically get a specific model plate, ie. JEM plate or JS plate, or a consecutive numbered 6 digit cast black and chrome plate on guitars without specific model plates.
There are some models that have no serial number at all. Many American Masters will either have a paper serial sticker or nothing. Guitars with no serial can only be dated by spec to when that guitar is shown to be available.
Your serial number might indicate a year the guitar was not available. Typically you'll find serial numbers that indicate production the year or years before the guitar became officially available. In preparation for a model release the factory will produce as many as they believe they can immediately distribute so there are guitars available when the model is announced. Other times you'll find that the guitar was available even years earlier in other markets or even as spot production specials for Summer NAMM [or other country] Many times you'll see a model that you will not find in any literature, and if it is factory and not a custom it probably indicates a run of guitars ordered as a special. These might be in a different color, have different inlays, or whatever other spec made it different. Generally these are identified by spec consensus, ie. almost all specs indicate it's a 550 except the inlays. For verification the neck should be pulled and the factory model designation stamps used in addition to the specs.
Your serial number could be for a year long after your guitar was available. Or was it? Was it still available somewhere else in the world where it still had a strong market and was still being sold. Just because a P1 is not available in the US in 97' doesn't mean it wasn't still available in France. Just because no PGM's were shown in the US catalog until 1994 doesn't mean that 100's and 300's hadn't been sold in the US and abroad since 1991. Also there are many guitars whose necks have been replaced due to breaks or just bad necks. Replacement necks can have serial numbers years after the model 'should' be dated by spec and in all instances if the spec changed by the date shown on the neck the spec must be used to determine year of production, ie. a Lo Pro equipped guitar with an 03' serial number [except for K7's which were the only guitar produced in 03' with a Lo Pro] most certainly has had a replaced neck and the Lo Pro points the production to a year before 03'.
Ibanez Rules is not affiliated with Ibanez or Hoshino USA.
Copyright August 2002 by Ibanez Rules!!
V.C. Squier Company| Subsidiary |
| Industry | Musical instruments |
|---|
| Founded | 1890 in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States
1982 (Squier by Fender) |
|---|
| Founder | Victor Carroll Squier |
|---|
| Defunct | 1975–1982 |
|---|
| Headquarters | , |
|---|
Area served | Worldwide |
|---|
| Products | Electric guitars
Bass guitars
Acoustic guitars
Guitar amplifiers |
|---|
| Parent | Fender |
|---|
| Website | squierguitars.com |
|---|
The V.C. Squier Company manufactured strings for violins, banjos, and guitars. It was established in 1890 by Victor Carroll Squier in Battle Creek, Michigan. In 1965, the company was acquired by Fender. By 1975, Squier became defunct as a manufacturer and a brand name for strings, as Fender opted to market its strings under the Fender brand name.
In 1982, the Squier brand was reactivated by Fender to become its brand for lower priced versions of Fender guitars. Squier guitars have been manufactured in Japan, Korea, Mexico, India, Indonesia, China, and the United States.
History[edit]
V.C. Squier Company (1890–1975)[edit]
Jerome Bonaparte Squier, a young English immigrant who arrived in Battle Creek, Michigan, in the latter part of the 19th century, was a farmer and shoemaker who had learned the fine European art of violin making. He moved to Boston in 1881, where he built and repaired violins with his son, Victor Carroll Squier. To this day, their violins are noted for their exceptional varnishes, and they command high prices as fine examples of early U.S. instrument craftsmanship. Indeed, J.B. Squier ranks among the best-known U.S.-trained violin makers and is often referred to as 'the American Stradivarius.'
Victor returned to Battle Creek, where he opened his own shop in 1890. As his business grew, Squier moved the company to 429 Lake Ave. and eventually to 427 Capitol Ave, S.W.—the famous 'fiddle factory' of Battle Creek. With a limited market for violins in Battle Creek, however, Squier astutely sought relationships with national music schools and famous violinists.
Up to 1900, the best violin strings were made in Europe. Victor Squier started making his own hand-wound violin strings, and the business grew so quickly that he and his employees improvised a dramatic production increase by converting a treadle sewing machine into a string winder capable of producing 1,000 uniformly high-quality strings per day. Squier violin strings, banjo strings and guitar strings became well known nationwide and were especially popular among students because of their reasonable price.
In the 1930s, Squier began making strings for the era's new electric instruments; the company also sold pianos, radios and phonograph records until divesting itself of all string-related products in 1961. Fender Electric Instruments entered the picture in the 1950s, when the V.C. Squier Company began supplying Southern California inventor and businessman Leo Fender with strings for his unusual new electric guitars. The V.C. Squier Company became an official original equipment manufacturer for Fender in 1963. Fender acquired the V.C. Squier Company in early 1965, shortly before Fender itself was acquired by CBS in May of the same year. By the mid-1970s, the Squier name was retired as the strings had taken the Fender name.[1]
Squier Guitars (1982–present)[edit]
Before the Fender Squier line of guitars was introduced in 1982, Fender was making lower priced guitars such as the Fender Lead series at its Fullerton, California plant. Until the introduction of the Fender Squier series, Fender had never produced lower priced guitars based on its main Stratocaster and Telecaster models and had always used different model designs for its lower priced guitars.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s Fender was facing competition from lower priced Japanese made guitars. The higher priced Fender guitars were made in the United States and could not compete with the lower prices of Japanese made Fender copies. In the early 1980s, Japanese labor and production costs were much lower than in America and to compete with the Japanese made guitars, Fender moved the lower priced Fender guitar production from America to Japan.
Fender was also losing sales in Japan to Japanese guitar brands such as Tōkai, Greco and Fernandes and the establishment of Fender Japan would benefit Fender sales in Japan, as well as overseas. Fender began negotiations with several Japanese musical instrument distributors and reached an agreement with Yamano Gakki and Kanda Shokai to establish Fender Japan. Yamano Gakki was known for once being part of Epiphone Japan. Kanda Shokai owned the Greco brand name and one of the conditions of the Fender Japan agreement was that Kanda Shokai cease production of its own Greco Fender copies. This arrangement benefited Fender because it removed the Greco Fender copies from the Japanese market, which were selling in Japan at much lower prices than the American made Fenders and it also benefited Kanda Shokai because Kanda Shokai could then distribute Japanese made Fender branded guitars in Japan. Further negotiations between Fender and Japanese guitar factories took place. Tokai was seriously considered to start building the first Japanese made Fenders, but after a breakdown in negotiations, FujiGen Gakki was chosen instead.[2]
The initial Squier models were launched on July/August 1982. Over time, the Squier series slowly evolved to include original model designs and production has moved from Japan to various other Asian countries such as Korea, China and Indonesia.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Fender Squier HistoryArchived July 9, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^'Fender Japan History'. Daeschler.com. Retrieved 2013-12-14.
External links[edit]
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Squier. |
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