But even some very expensive guitars seem to have duds occasionally.

IMO, the higher quality parts gives a better margin of error and the lower grade parts, there's more chance of getting a dud. The Fender EVH Wolfgangs are an example of pretty much the same parts (except the maple cap) whether it's made in USA, Japan or now Mexico.īoth my guitars that are MIM have high quality parts, which helps but they are also are put together very well. or the parts could be good but sloppily put together. Because no matter how well assembled, the parts might be lower quality (like a dead piece of wood). You have to separate the parts from the people who assemble them. nothing to complain about, just flawless. I just know that my CP60's strat and Jackson Pro Series are very impressive, higher quality than expected. There you have it! There are many exceptions, and of course many other brands out there, but now you can tell how old most Fenders or Gibsons are within seconds.Click to expand.I read a negative comment about a Mexican Charvel on here but it's hard to judge an entire factory of guitars by one person and their opinion on one guitar.

A serial number ending in 501 could be the first instrument made at factory #5 that day, or it could be the 501 st instrument of the day.

The remaining characters (RRR) can indicate the order of instruments created that day, as well as which factory the instrument was made in.

00027xxx for the 2 nd day of the year of 2007 (January 2, 2007).

Gibsons have this pattern stamped onto the back of their headstocks: YDDDYRRR.

Gibson serial numbers are even more interesting, because you can find out the specific date that your instrument was completed! Here's how:.

Shop our selection of Fender Guitars Gibson Serial Dating

Serial number coding for Mexican-made instruments is largely the same, except they will start with an M.

The remaining digits are important for product identification, but the first few characters are all you need to determine the instruments age.

The second character will usually be a number.

For US instruments, the serial number will start with a letter.

Serial dating is easiest for instruments made in the USA or Mexico, but is also possible for those made in Japan, Korea, China, and Indonesia.

First, narrow it down by the country of origin.

Here's a brief rundown of how to do it, plus resources for more information.

Well, good news it's very easy to figure out the age of Fender and Gibson instruments from the last 30 years. How Old Is My Guitar? Use the Serial Number!Įver wonder exactly when your favorite guitar was made? You sort of remember when you got it, but you want to really know its history, especially if you're not the first owner.

Mexican charvel serial numbers