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How Old is My Korean Fender Guitar?
Dec 30, 2011 Help With Decoding A Serial Number. Discussion in 'Squier Stratocasters' started by mrlinguini, Dec 29, 2011. For the life of me i cant find the info im looking for to decode this serial#. It is a Squier Standard Strat. The serial is CY30410523. VN5 was a serial number used on Made in Korea Strats from Saehan/Vester. VN serials were made as either 'Squier by Fender' or 'Fender Squier Series'. DECODING FENDER SERIAL NUMBERS. The last six digits is the number that the guitar is for that year (eg. 143709 means that it is the 143709th guitar made that year. Some Squier IIs were made in India around 1989-1990. The head stock is marked 'MADE IN INDIA'. Made in India Squier IIs seem to follow the made in USA serial numbering scheme. For example, a 1990 made in India Squier II serial number would start with N0 plus 5 digits.
Just like many other companies in the late 1980s, Fender decided to start manufacturing products in Korea. As with any new product line, Fender came up with a new numbering system for these guitars. You would think after nearly 40 years of producing guitars, Fender would have a standardized serial number system down by now, right? Well, they didn’t.
The Korean Fender serial numbers are just as scattered and confusing as all the rest of their guitars. Let’s take a look at the different serial numbers and see what they mean.
![]() 1988 – 1993 Korean Squier Fender Serial Numbers
Fender began producing Korean guitars in 1988, but they didn’t keep digital records of any guitar serial numbers before mid-1993. Fender admits that there is little to no information about the serial numbers from 1988-1993. Some of the serial numbers have lettered prefixes and some don’t. Spotify iphone app shuffle only.
What we do know about the early Korean days was that there were three different plants: the Samick pant, the Young Chang plant, and the Sung-Eum plant. Guitars produced by Samick used a serial number starting with an “S” followed by six digits. Usually the first digit represented the year of production. The Young Chang and Sung-Eum guitars used a serial number starting with an “E” followed by six digits. The first number on the “E” serial numbers is a little confusing. It does stand for the year of production in a way. The first year Young Chang produced guitars with in 1987-1988, but they didn’t use a “7” or an “8” as the first number. They used a “1” because it was the first year of production. An “E2” serial number was then used for 1989 since it was the second year of production. At this point, they decided to start corresponding the serial number with the actual year, so in 1990 they used an “E0” serial number. In 1991, they reused an “E1” serial number. It doesn’t get more confusing than that, right? Here’s how to tell the duplicate serial numbers apart. The 1980s guitars’ serial numbers were written in silver ink. The 1990s numbers were written in black.
Some early Korean serial numbers didn’t have a lettered serial number at all. They just had six, seven, or eight digits with the first number representing the year. Some of these no prefix serial numbers have been found on guitars produced all the way through 1996. Fender did some crazy stuff back then. Sm bus controller driver hp dx2300 windows xp. Korean serial numbers starting with “M” are said to actually be made out of plywood. Watch out for these! Criminal law examples and explanations download torrent. Here’s a reference for the first few years.
1988 – 1993 Korean Squier Fender Serial Numbers
1993 – 1997 Korean Squier Fender Serial Numbers
After 1993, Fender really cleaned up their serial number process. They switched to two different plants: the Cor-Tek or Cort plant and the Saehan or Sunghan plant. Since Fender was using new plants to build their guitars, they decided the change the numbering system again, but this time they changed it to something more like the American guitars. Both the Cort and Sungham plants used unique numbers. All Cort serial numbers started with the letter “C”. You would assume Sungham would use the letter “S”, but that was already taken by the Samick plant a few years earlier. Sungham ended up using the letter “V”. Both of these serial numbers used an “N” to represent the 1990s followed by a number that stood for the exact year. This is similar to the American Fender serial numbers. So a guitar produced by Cort in 1992 would have a serial number of CN2 followed by five digits. Sungham guitars would be the same only starting with a “V”. These serial numbers were used until 1997 when Fender stopped producing guitars at the Sungham factory.
1993 – 1997 Korean Squier Fender Serial Numbers
1997 – present Korean Squier Fender Serial Numbers
Since all guitar production was moved to the Cort factory, Fender decided to change its numbering system again. Starting in 1997, the Korean Fender Squiers used a “KC” prefix that stood for Korean made in the Cort factory. The 1997-1998 serial numbers were a little messed up. Fender used “KC97” to represent 1997 and followed this prefix with six, seven, and eight digits. From 1998 on, Fender used the “KC” prefix followed by a two-digit year identifier and six digits.
1997 – present Korean Squier Fender Serial Numbers
As you can see, the Korean made Fender Squier serial numbers are no less confusing than any of the other guitars. In some ways, it helps to know the story behind the numbers to understand their meaning. I hope this article helped you figure out how old your Korean Fender guitar is. That’s enough looking at numbers. It’s time to get back to playing!
You can also find more information on the Fender site.
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i have a squier stratocastor fender. it has an s/n ic 031225422 written on the back. made in indonesia. i am having a hell of a time dating it and finding its value. if anyone has any info that would be really great.
#2
8 years ago
Dear Guest:
The identification is in the serial number; IC = Indonasia and the first two numbers = the year '03' or '2003'.
Your Squire Stratocaster is valued at;
Mint: $180.00 USD Exc : $150.00 USD Exc: $125.00 USD VG : $100.00 USD VG: $90.00 USD Good: $75.00 USD
Hope this helps you out,
kcbuck
#3
3 years ago
#4
3 years ago
Cole,
That's a curious serial number for a Squier.
Is there any little sticker on the headstock that indicates where the guitar was made? (India, Japan, etc)
☹️
#5
3 years ago
Does it have any letter prefixes to that serial number?
#6
3 years ago
I have one that has IC0306
I see the started adding IC around 2008/9 when they moved to Indonesia, but '03' was 5 yrs earlier. Mine is stamped 'designed and backed by fender crafted in Indonesia'
#7
3 years ago
Jeff,
Plug the full serial number into this decoder, after checking the 'Indonesia' block on the bottom left, and see what it tells you sir.
#8
2 years ago
#9
2 years ago
#10
2 years ago
Wayne,
Is there a sticker or marker on the guitar to determine whether it was made in Korea, Japan, Indonesia, China, or India?
?
#11
2 years ago
I have a tele with SN at the start of the serial.
Can anyone tell me what it means?
Mark
#12
2 years ago
2003. MZ3 is made in Mexico 2003. FZ3 is made in U.S. N is nineties, E is eighties etc. Then the following number is the year
#13
2 years ago
Mark, Op x pro 2 crack.
Is your Telecaster a Squier or a straight-up Fender?
?
#14
2 years ago
#15
2 years ago
Mine is very similar with serial number S/N 1C 050438639 stamped made in Indonesia. Could you tell me about it at all? T.I.A.
#16
2 years ago
#17
2 years ago
#18
2 years ago
Mary,
She was crafted in the Cort factory in Indonesia, in 2005.
Alder body, bolt-on maple neck, with either a bare maple fretboard or a rosewood fretboard.
Alnico/ceramic magnet pickups, usually in the 3x single-coil configuration with a five-way switch.
Worth $150 in really nice condition.
Can you post a photo of her? https://helperclever685.weebly.com/blog/great-illustrated-classics-free-download.
?
#19
2 years ago
Squier Serial Number Decoder
Same but my squire has the s/n IC050314247 and can't put a value on it
#20
2 years ago
Tj juul wrote:
Same but my squire has the s/n IC050314247 and can't put a value on it
Same as Mary K's Squier, Tj juul.
Can you post a photo of yours?
We would love to see both of them, actually.
?
#21
2 years ago
#22
2 years ago
Free canon pixma mx410 software download. Nice.
That's a finish known as Metallic Blue, which was offered first in 2004, and has been produced for many years since.
The guitar had an MSRP (back in the day) of $280, and would be worth $180 in absolutely brand new condition.
Yours, judging by that photo alone, is in good shape.
It just needs a good clean-up, and some metal polish on the bits that have succumbed to rust and corrosion.
As is, in the Seattle area, you could easily get $110 for it, without cleaning it up.
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#23
2 years ago
#24
2 years ago
#25
2 years ago
Ah, now things get interesting.
Mary K, yours is not a Squier Stratocaster.
It is one of the only original Squier design guitars.
It's known as the Squier 51. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squier_%2751
She was only made from 2004 to 2006, and yours is a rare sunburst model.
Still only worth $150, and yours is worth every penny.
I covet that guitar, and really want one some day.
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#26
2 years ago
Thank you so much for all your help and information! It is greatly appreciated!?
#27
1 year ago
SN IC010510317 crafted in Indonesia. Can you tell me what the exact wood did they use here. Thanks. ?
#28
1 year ago
Made in 2001, Juluis.
The neck is made of maple, and may or may not have a rosewood fingerboard.
The body may be made of any number of woods. It depends upon what blocks of wood that the manufacturer could get ahold of at the time.
Typically, the body would have been made of either agathis, basswood, and/or alder.
I hope this helps!
?
#29
1 year ago
Sparky! I just bought my first guitar today, a Squier Strat, and can't find any information on it! Any help?!
s/n IC080442418
Korean Squier Serial Number Lookup
Thanks!
#30
1 year ago
She is a Squier Strat, made at the Cort factory in Indonesia in 2008. https://salonyellow387.weebly.com/best-photo-enhancer-app-mac.html.
Maple neck with a really pretty rosewood fingerboard, and an alder or similar hardwood body.
Squier Serial Number Decoder
Humbucker/Single Coil/Single Coil (HSS) pickup configuration, and the finish is Ebony Black.
Large '70's style headstock.
Worth $120 in the condition I see there.
Nice!
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