Period Series Comment
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1953-1954 2 or 3 digits maybe prototypes until start in 1954
1953-1956 4 digits through 1111 mainly 1954
1955-1957 4 digits starting with 7 or 8
1954-1957 08999 ... 14514 mainly 1956
1957 15054 ... 22647
1958 28250 ... 30747
1959 30892 ... 43125
1959-1960 44606 ... 48490
1960-1962 55045 ... 71331 mainly 1961
1961-1964 76281 ... 90745 mainly 1962
1961-1963 91954 ... 98691 mainly 1963
1963-1964 L 00186 ... L 33650 few 1962
1964-1965 L 34983 ... L 99809
1965-1966 100 173 ... 124 061 mainly 1965
1964-1969 125 115 ... 195 270 mainly 1966
1966-1969 195 663 ... 215 825 mainly 1967
1966-1968 217 602 ... 240 407 mainly 1968
1966-1972 250 025 ... 293 692 exceptions through late 1970s
1968-1972 303 802 ... 375 967 mainly 1972
1979-1980 25 + 4 digits Anniversary Strat
apr 73 - sep 76 4 + 5 digits
sep 73 - sep 76 5 + 5 digits
aug 74 - aug 76 6 + 5 digits
sep 76 - dec 76 7 + 5 digits
aug 76 - apr 77 76 + 5 digits on headstock
mar 77 - aug 78 S6 + 5 digits on headstock
jan 77 - apr 78 S7 + 5 digits on headstock
dec 77 - dec 78 S8 + 5 digits on headstock
nov 78 - aug 81 S9 + 5 digits on headstock
jun 79 - jan 81 E0 + 5 digits on headstock
dec 80 - jan 82 E1 + 5 digits on headstock
dec 81 - jan 83 E2 + 5 digits on headstock
dec 82 - jan 85 E3 + 5 digits on headstock
dec 83 - early 88 E4 + 5 digits on headstock
Since 88: E or N + 1 digit + 5 digits on headstock
the E is for Eighties, the N for Ninties; the second digit
gives the year. Thus if your Strat has first two cifers
of the SN as N1, it is a '91.
Patent Numbers
Another source of information in the range from 1961-1976 are the patent
numbers. Those numbers are fixed numbers (i.e. the same number on EVERY
Strat made during a certain period) and written on the headstock until
1976, when the serial number moved there from the neck plate.
1961 2 numbers PAT 2,573,254 2,741,146
1962 3rd added in spring 2,960,900
1963 same 3 numbers
1964 4th added mid-'64 with transition logo 3,143,028
1965 5th added mid-'65 2,817,261
1966 after Jan '66 only 3 numbers PAT 2,741,146 3,143,028 DES 169,062
1967 same 3 numbers
1968 after mid-'68 2 numbers PAT 2,741,146 3,143,028
1969 same 2 numbers
1970 about mid-'70 one number 2,741,146
1971 same number
1972 about mid-'72 one number 3,143,028
1976 last time with PAT number, first time with serial# in the headstock
Misc.
- The 5 - digit serial numbers were preceded by a dash from late 1956 to
early 1958 and between late 1957 and late 1958 some neck plates were
double stamped, 6 digits outside and 5 digits with dash (different
number) on the underside.
- First scratchplates were anodized aluminum, then white plastic.
Laminated scratchplate from 1959 on.
- Early Strats show a "spaghetti"-logo (thin, quite simple letters). From
July '64 it changed to a more modern looking gold "transition" logo and
mid '68 until '77 they had the black "CBS"-logo. Then it got the gold
outline, and mid-1983 the smaller silver logo appeared.
- Three color sunburst was used from mid-'58.
- Large F on the plate since CBS-takeover in Jan. '65, until late '76.
- Wider headstock generally from December '65. The new small headstock
appeared in fall '81. In addition to these, a medium size headstock was
used on special models (The Strat, Walnut Strat and Gold Stratocaster)
in early 80's.
- 3 bolt Micro Tilt adjustment from fall '71 to Anniversary '79, std.
Strats till fall '81.
- Staggered Pickups appeared in 1954 and vanished in late 1974. Reappeared
late '81 along with the smaller headstock, when Dan Smith took over the
design front (Smith Strat).
