# Fender Strat Date

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-strat-date/179541>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 4, 2003, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-strat-date/179541 "2003-06-04T08:09:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-strat-date/179541/1 "2003-06-04T08:09:38Z")

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Im trying to date a guitar and was wondering if any of you folk could help. Its a Fender Stratocaster, made in Japan. Its serial number is E96 52 40. Im looking for its year of manufacture.

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**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-strat-date/179541/2 "2003-06-04T09:51:53Z")

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Try this [site](http://freespace.virgin.net/john.blackman4/date.htm).

Looks like 1984-1987.

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**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-strat-date/179541/3 "2003-06-04T13:10:41Z")

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I tried to date a guitar once. It stood me up so I started seeing the piano.  
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I know. I suck.

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**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fender-strat-date/179541/4 "2003-06-04T13:45:10Z")

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The tech column in Guitar Player magazine said Strats and Teles are dated _inside_ the neck joint. If you want to know badly enough, you can unbolt the neck-to-body joint and see for yourself. That’s a lot of trouble.