Category Archive: Uncategorized

Joe Satriani, Chrome Boys and Vintage Guitars

August 21, 2014

| Author: Vintage & Rare

Joe Satriani is a pure legend when it comes to the guitar world, and it isn’t the first time we have focused on him on this blog (and who’s to say this will be the last time?), not only due to his amazing talent, his ingenuity and studio and live-performance legacy, but also due to the fact that he have been an influential teacher for many other guitar legends throughout the years. A self proclaimed Jimi Hendrix fanatic, Satriani have played guitar for more than 40 years now, for a large number of bands, and have due to his pure talent and constant need to evolve as a musician always been able to keep up with the rest of the world, almost consistently having all of his albums reach to rock billboard charts, a feat few instrumental focused artists can achieve in that genre.

Joe Satriani made up his mind and chose to pursue a career as a professional guitar player on the moment of receiving the news of Jimi Hendrix’s death, and spent the next couple of years completing his education all the while constantly practicing his skills. In 1978 he moved to California where his career as a guitar teacher and professional performer truly began to take root. 11 years later, after performing for a number of groups of various sizes, Satriani released his first solo album. The album was in part paid for the money he earned by touring with Mick Jagger in a period, and the combination of this, paired with his former students beginning to achieve fame as well and then in beginning to talk to the press and public about where they have received their training from gained Satriani quite some attention from the public. Though never a big rock star in the traditional way, his tenaciousness, talent and always working – always touring life ethos have ensured that Satriani is still a much beloved artists, currently playing in the supergroup Chickenfoot and playing and recording as a solo artist. Having put a considerable number of famous artists collaborations on his resume since the late 80s.

When it comes to guitars it at first appears as if surprisingly simplistic in his choice of guitars, mainly playing his own signature Ibanez JS series both when recording and when playing live, whether it be for his solo project or with Chickenfoot. And though the Ibanez JS series is in no way uninteresting – it features a series of rare chrome covered guitars after all – when one digs a little deeper it becomes apparent that like most guitar enthusiasts, and as a true Hendrix fanatic, Joe Satriani does indeed possess a sizeable collection of vintage guitars and rarities.

Here at Vintage & Rare we think that both the strange story of the Chromeboy Ibanez guitars as well as Satriani’s vintage collection deserves some room, and to that end we will now share some thoughts on both subjects. Here’s to hoping you’ll like it as much as we do!

The Ibanez JS series started off as a prototype model, modified from the Ibanez 540 Radius model, that Satriani originally endorsed in the late 80s, however when Ibanez approached him in regards to producing his own signature series, the collaboration led to the JS series replacing the Radius model completely. The main difference between the two series was originally the different pickups used, but there have since been made greater chances, both in regards to the body composition, the cutaway as well as the electronics. The JS series have also mainly been using DiMarzio pickups, and ever since Satriani got his own signature pickups from DiMarzio, the JS series have also featured these as the standard pickup of choice for the various JS guitars. For some people, the most interesting part of the story about the JS series is the Chromeboy versions of the series. Made in two generations, the Chromeboy guitar, have since then become a minor rarity, as there was only released a relative small amount of models of each version, both of which are prone to catastrophic breakdowns. As the name implies the Chromeboy guitars were actually chromed, i.e. that the body of the guitars were dipped in liquid metal that then covered the entire body. This method was highly controversial, due to a number of reasons. First and foremost the process is extremely difficult, especially on such a curved body, not to mention the difficulty in getting the metal to stick to the wood without destroying the body in the process. Besides this the process is also quite toxic, and potentially dangerous to the people involved in the process. Finally, the instability of the metal/wood combination leads to a high risk for fractures and cracks, all of which are extremely sharp and almost impossible to mend probably, leading to many a bleeding guitarist – something that everybody is keen to avoid! Though the chromeboy versions are now collector items, the regular JS series have instead become a staple product for Ibanez, and various new versions of the guitars are still being produced, all in close colaboration with Joe Satriani himself.

However, even though Satriani most often plays on his own signature series, it doesn’t mean that he only owns and only plays the Ibanez JS series. He does collect other kinds of guitars as well, but always with a very specific mindset. If he does not feel that he can play the guitars to the ability which he desires, then he has no problem with selling the guitar off again. While this might sound maddening to many collectors, there is a pureness to this mentality. Why rob other people of the opportunity to own these fantastic guitars, if he gets no joy from simply possessing them. For a technical innovator and workaholic like Satriani, having a guitar and not being able to play it properly seems to be an out of this world thought. As such his collection of rare and vintage instruments often reflects either the pursuit of a specific sound or a need for emulating they way some of Satriani’s idols played. His collection includes such rarities such as a 1948 Martin 000-21 acoustic guitar, 3 Gibsons from 1958 ( one Les Paul Junior, one TV Special and one L-5CES) as well as a beautiful 1966 Fender XII that Satriani likes so much that it have featured on almost every album he have been on since he procured the guitar.

No matter what he plays on we will be happy and content as long as he keeps up the tempo and value he have become famous for, and we hope that Joe Satriani will continue to create and inspire new works of guitar masterpieces.

For more guitar extravaganza visit Guitar world on youtube or on their webpage.
For more rig rundowns, visit Premier Guitars youtube channel or visit their homepage.
For more Joe Satriani videos, visit his fan-community youtube channel here, and if you just need more Satriani in general visit his webpage here.

And don’t forget to visit os on all these other exiting places aroun the web:

Jeff Beck and his favorite guitars

August 20, 2014

| Author: Vintage & Rare

There are few people in the world of guitar lovers, collectors, fanatics and players that haven’t heard the name Jeff Beck before. Though he may never have reached the same levels of commercial success as many of his contemporary guitar-masters, there are few people who can claim the same level on influence on how we view and uses guitars to this day. In many areas Beck have single handedly revolutionised the way people thought about and played guitars, and with such a legacy it comes to no surprise that most fans and guitar lovers have a keen interest in the instruments he uses, why he uses them and to what ends. In the following video, taken from the DVD “Jeff Beck’s Rock’n’roll Party”, Beck talks about some of his most beloved guitars, why he owns them and how he got to possess them.

What is perhaps doubly interesting is the fact that most of his prize guitars, as well as those he bring with him on tour these days (and have for the greater part of his career) is simple, unadorned and mostly unmodified Telecasters and Stratocasters. In fact, as shown in the video to follow, on his last tour he only brought four guitars, all of them Stratocasters! The reason to this seems to be manyfold. As shown in the video above, he is well aware of the nuiances that can come from using different kind of guitars, and how when reaching for something very specific, sometimes you just got to have an equally specific instrument to reach that sound. However as Beck also point out, what the reason behind having rack upon rack of guitars on stage on every tour when you don’t play half of them, nor utilise them to their full potential?

To Jeff Beck that is exactly why he for so many years have almost exclusively gone for the Telecasters and Stratocasters when it comes to recording and touring, more often than not only using the more “exotic” guitars at home or when special occasions called for it. As he puts it in many interviews, his favorite Stratocaster feels more like an extension of his body than an instrument. So while the Gretsch Rancher from The Blue Caps might have a special place in his heart and the Gibson L5, Gretsch all have a fantastic and very specific sound, and though it might feel perfectly fine to use a wonderful Maccaferri from Jimmi Page, how can one say no to the Stratocaster after so many years of near perfect symbiosis – and when you on top of that own one that used to belong to John McLaughlin – it really can surprise no one that Beck sticks to what he knows. What is almost even more impressive than his loyalty to such a well worn guitar is the things he have done with it in his hands. The list of musical genres he have helped inspire and create is truly incredible, and when one with such talents have played for more than 60 years, it is no wonder that his influence reaches as far and as wide as it does. From being an ambitious rock’n’roll guitarist himself, inspired by the creators of the genre, to being one of those people that others emulate and whose talent surpasses almost any other living guitar player (named the 5th best guitar player of all time by the Rolling Stone magazine), all we can hope for is that he continues to influence guitarist around the world as he always have, and that his playing style will continue to influence the music business to create even greater instruments.

For more rig rundowns visit Premier Guitar on youtube.
For more on Jeff Beck, visit his official homepage here.

And don’t forget to visit os on all these other exiting places around the web:

Musical Mastermind and Guitar Nerd at the same time: Joe Bonamassa

August 19, 2014

| Author: Vintage & Rare

When Joe Bonamassa first started his career at age 12, few would have believed that it would carry him this far. Though he was from the very beginning viewed as something of a prodigal son for the blues genre he would later become a master of, few indeed could have guessed how massive his success and talent would become. Bonamassa, son of a guitar player and dealer, first became noticed by the wider blues community when he was around 13 years old, due to two things: First, and most importantly; he got a gig, opening for B.B. King – something almost unbelievable, considering that Bonamossa was an unknown teenager at that time, and secondly, his opening act for King ensured that he was featured in the american TV show Real Life with Jane Pauley, which was shown all over the US at that time.

During the next couple of years he would play in the band Bloodlines, which consisted of the sons of famous and exemplary music stars. The group released a single album before parting ways, paving the way for Bonamassa’s solo career. A few years later in 2000 he released his first solo studio album and it seems that he has in now way slowed down ever since releasing 23 albums and 9 video albums since then, which comes to an average of more than two albums per year! Having partnered with his studio-producer and his very first manager to create his own label J&R Adventures, Joe Bonamassa have found his own alternative to the established music business, and as such his rise to stardom have been harder but more rewarding (at least according to himself), and his shows at the Hammersmith Apollo, the Vienna Opera House and other venues all over the world shows that he has indeed come out on top. Touring for about 9 months each year, all the while managing various trust funds and charity organisations to further musical endeavours for youth all around America plus writing and recording new material, one could easily believe it when people claim that he is the busiest of guitarists out there.

Speaking of guitars it quickly becomes apparant that Joe Bonamassa prefers one type of guitars beyond all others – Gibsons. And though the Gibson range in general seems to appeal to him, and though he in no way exclusively owns or plays Gibsons (in a recent interview he claimed to own more than 300 guitars!) there can be no doubt as to what his favorite type of guitar is after watching the rundown of his rig – The Gibson ’59 Standard.

And from the man himself:

Though most collectors would give their right arm to get to own a Gibson Les Paul ’59 Standard (or from €224859/$300906 and upwards to at least €579095/$775000) it is a testimony to Joe Bonamassa’s success that he owns no more than three of them! The famous guitars, known to be among the most expensive guitars in the whole world are not only part of a collectors passion, or a stable of iconic symbols for the blues and rock culture, they are a rarity that most guitar fanatics treasure above almost any other instrument. However to Joe Bonamassa they are even more yet; they are also instruments. Not a single of his treasured 59′ Les Pauls are left sealed away in a treasure chamber as one might expect. Instead he records and tours with them, claiming that not to use them would be the real waste, as their unique sound and the associated imagery that they carry should be shared with as many as possible.
Though many might consider this to challenge fate, Bonamassa have taken his precautions, among other things hiring an ex-secret service employe to guard his guitars. One thing is certain, as long as he handles them with care, we here at Vintage & Rare are pleased that Bonamassa is generous enough to share the wonderful sound of such great instruments with the world at large!

For more of Premier Guitar’s rig rundowns check out their youtube channel.
For more great videos, equipment walkthroughs and much more visit Musicians Friends’ youtube channel here.
For more Joe Bonamassa videos, visit his youtube channel,
and finally don’t forget to visit Vintage & Rare on your favorite social media:

Claudio Sanchez and the beauty of the Explorers

August 15, 2014

| Author: Vintage & Rare

Though Claudio Sanchez, famous for his role as frontman, singer and guitarist of prog-rock/metal band Coheed and Cambria, is widely known for his vocal range and the bands wild solos some might be surprised by the setup of his guitar rig.

While his collection of guitars might be relatively big he sits apart from many other guitar enthusiast, in that most of his guitars, both studio guitars and the ones he brings with him on tour when playing with his band are more or less unmodified stock guitars, neither custom made nor made to taylor in any way. As it is, most of those guitars that Sanchez employs are modified, but mainly with minor pickup changes and even this is mainly due to maintenance, or relatively minor changes to the original layout of the guitars. In today’s blog we will take a look at the reasons to why such a talented guitarist might choose to employ such “standard” stock guitars, and why Sanchez mainly uses Gibson guitars.

The Gibson Explorer was originally released in 1958 alongside the Flying V model, both having a futuristic look about them, and the Explorer was originally a evolved version of the Futura model. Initially unsuccessful the Explorer was discontinued in 1963, but when other companies began having success with guitars with similar body work in the mid 70s, the Gibson Explorer was reintroduced. During the next 5-10 years the Explorer achieved great popularity among the hard rock and heavy metal scenes around the world. Made famous by a large number of rockstars, and with a body-shape that is distinct and easily recognizable it is no wonder that the guitar became quite widespread it its use.

When asked about his choice in guitars Claudio Sanchez offers a very simplistic and practical reason as to why Gibsons and especially the Explorer have become his go-to guitars, both in and out of the studio; Back when Coheed and Cambria first began touring extensively his old guitar, a banged up Gibson SG, almost fell to pieces quite literally, he needed a replacement guitar – and fast. The choice fell upon the Explorer due to four simple reasons: It was light weight, easy to use, comfortable to hold at length during shows and finally it had a look about it that fitted together with the theatrical visions that Sanchez had for his band. Following this strain of thoughts it also makes great sense that most of his Gibsons are reissue models, copies of the vintage guitars that made the series famous in the first place.

When reviewing all of Sanchez’ tour guitars it becomes clear that this is a viewpoint that have carried over to his guitar selection in general. Having 3 almost identical Explorers in his rig, seems almost redundant, however it quickly becomes clear that all of his guitars are chosen from either a practical viewpoint – they are tools of his trade as much as instruments he love – or they are beautiful theatrical instruments that all can fulfill very specific roles within the bands discography. Good examples of this are his Gibson Doubleneck SG guitar and his Minarik Medusa Custom guitars (not featured in the videos above), which all have a extravagant look to them, yet with all carries a unique sound, not easily replicated in harmony with the rest of the bands music.
All in all it paints a clear picture of a great understanding for the capabilities of both Claudio Sanchez as a experienced and talented guitarist, but also of a man who has a clear vision of what a specific guitar model is capable of delivering.

For more rig rundowns visit Premier Guitar’s youtube channel.
For more Coheed and Cambria videos, visit their youtube channel here.

Finally, don’t forget to visit us on all the other social medias:

AC/DC: Malcolm Young and his Gretsch Roc Jet Guitar

August 14, 2014

| Author: Vintage & Rare

A couple of weeks ago, some of you might have noticed that guitarplayer.com posted an article on a Gretsch Roc Jet guitar (1971), previously owned by Malcolm Young of AC/DC fame, which we had for sale here on the site. With the guitar having been sold a few days ago, we thought it would be interesting to have a look at the history of AC/DC, Malcolm Young and his guitars.

No matter how you look at it, the story started in November 1973, when the Young brothers, Malcolm and Angus formed the band that would soon be called AC/DC. When vocalist Ronald Belford “Bon” Scott replaced original singer Dave Evans in 1974, the first epoch of quintessential AC/DC history truly began. Bon Scott infused the band with a lot of the lyrical of visual imagery that they are famous for, and his punch-in-the-gut attitude and vocals were in perfect harmony with the vision the Young brothers had for the group. The first three years with Bon Scott as frontman proved successful, and though the band were still in its formative years, this period laid the foundation for the massive international success that would follow in the years to come. The years 1976-1980, shortly after AC/DC signed with Atlantic records, proved to be some of their hitherto most successful yet, with their popularity seemingly unstoppable in its rise, despite various problems, such as new bass players, and being linked to the Punk scene by the UK press. However AC/DC powered through all of this, and it was only in 1980 that they met the first real show-stopper of their career. When Bon Scott died in 1980 due to alcohol induced circumstances, many believed it to be the end of the band, and AC/DC themselves also considered breaking up the group. Yet when they were spurred on by Scotts parents they realised that he would have wanted the group to go on, and then began the hunt for a new frontman and singer, not to replace Bon Scott but to fill the place in the band he had left vacant.

Brian Johnson was found to be a suitable new vocalist, and with him the band recorded the album Back in Black, an album which functioned as both a tribute to Bon Scott as well as a clear signal of the bands continued power and energy. Though the band continued to rise during the next three years, the period 1983-1987 signalled a decline in commercial success, even though the group continued to play for huge crowds around the world. The next seven years was spent regaining the previous success and popularity of their former glory, and there can be no doubt about the success of this endeavour. Since then it seems that AC/DC have been on a continually ascendant, and the five studio albums released since then have all become platinum releases many times over. A notable example of the bands fame was their show in Russia in 1991, when the played for an estimated 1 million people! The Young brothers and Johnson have continued to drive the band ever forwards, and just a short while ago they finished recording their latest album. However more on that and the bands current status a bit later. First a nice little video and a talk about some lovely guitars.

The way Vintage & Rare came into contact with AC/DC and Malcolm Young this time around was due to a seller contacting us wanting to sell his 1971 Gretsch Roc Jet guitar that have been previously owned by Malcolm Young. The guitar does actually have a nice little story behind it and is also a beautiful and genuinely nice musical instrument. The seller of the guitar was nice enough to explain the story of the guitar for us:
“My father met Keith Evans (known as Evo) to buy a jukebox, as that’s his trade (jukesofstafford). He was buying a jukebox that turned out to once belong to Bill Ward of Sabbath, as Keith was a guitar tech for them plus AC/DC (…) As my father is also a guitarist, he got talking to Evo about guitars & he mentioned selling the Roc Jet that Malcolm Young had given him after a US tour. He said it was destined for spares originally but Malcolm liked playing it, using it mainly in sound checks, and gave it Evo as a gift at the end of the tour (…) I bought the guitar in original case, only changing the plastic pickup surrounds which were cracked, although they were replaced with genuine US Gretsch spares.”

Though it is lovely to tell the story of such a great band and such a beautiful instrument, there is also a certain sadness to the subject of AC/DC these days. Even though the band have just recently finished recording their next album, the plans for a 40 year anniversary tour and the general future of the band is subject to much scrutiny following the long term sickness of rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young. Having issued a formal break from the band via their official homepage, the internet is rife with rumours about the band disbanding and similar bad news. However following the completion of the recordings of the new album, frontman Brian Johnson have multiple times stated that Malcolm’s departure is only temporary, and that they have high hopes for his recovery. Johnson have also said that they have considered naming the album Man Down in reference to Malcolm’s absence.

Here at Vintage & Rare we of course respect AC/DC and the Young families wishes of further privacy regarding Malcolm’s illness, and wishes him and all the members of the AC/DC family all the best for the future, with high hopes for more shows, incredible rock and even more fantastic guitar handling in the future.
We look forward to the next great album, and hope that you will indulge our fascination with this little article springing from a curious guitar sale.

For more music videos, interviews and rarities visit VIOPify’s youtube channel.
And don’t forget to visit Vintage & Rare’s other social media as well:

Steve Vai and his Ibanez partnership

August 13, 2014

| Author: Vintage & Rare

Steve Vai, guitarist supreme, a man who was called a “little Italian virtuoso” by Frank Zappa, is a man who if any, has an intimate relationship with his guitars. In the mid 1980s Vai struck a deal with guitar production company Ibanez, a relationship that have lasted ever since, and which have spawned a series of guitars that have since become the staple for many guitarists around the world, from happy amateurs, to serious collectors and heavy metal super stars.

The story of the relationship between Steve Vai and Ibanez all starts in 1985 when Vai joined the supergroup David Lee Roth formed after his departure from Van Halen. Vai was to be the main guitarist in this group and his sudden explosion on the world guitar scene as one of the most famous and recognized faces made it clear that he needed some newer and more flashy gear. Having played for a couple of years with hand build prototypes, Steve gave each of the guitar companies that wanted to endorse him a specific set of plans for the guitar he wanted. Only Ibanez complied with a guitar build almost exactly to Vais specifications, and within months the Ibanez JEM series was born as a result. Officially released upon the world in 1987, the Ibanez JEM series featured a number of unique elements that was not to be found in other guitars at that time, from the unique whammy bar, the way the pickups were arranged, to the handle cut in the body work; lovinging referred to as the monkey grip.

However the story doesn’t end there. With the JEM series being a signature series, most of the various versions of the JEM guitars are in limited numbers, with a few series being the exception, most notably a cheaper Korean version. However what is most interesting are the versions of the JEM guitars that are truly rare and unique. The two most famous versions of the JEM guitars is most likely the JEM2KDNA and Steve Vais personal go-to guitar the EVO. The original JEM777 series was the first ever JEM series available, with 777 models released, however stranger and more exclusive version of the JEM have since been created. Among those are the JEM2KDNA guitars, of which only 300 were only made. Though the guitar in an off itself is just a classical JEM guitar in regards to the parts that it is constructed of, however the paint is truly unique, as it is made from 1:8 parts of Steve Vais own blood, and painted with a dip and drip method; ensuring that each guitar is truly unique, as well as creating a (albeit slightly weird) bond between the owner of the guitar and Steve Vai.

Finally there is the JEM EVO guitars, of which only 100 were released, and steve way being in possession of additional 2 more models; the original, and one of the clones. We say clones because this series of JEM guitars are all made to be as identical as possible in any way to Vais own original EVO guitar, his longest lasting JEM guitar, which have seen use at countless live shows, recordings and so on. 100 copies were made, all hand signed by Vai, and released for collectors to seek out.

Though most of the JEM guitars differs mostly from each other in their looks more than in the way they sound, there are notable differences between the older and newer models, with changes having been made both in regards to the wood and other materials used to produced the body of the guitars as well as different types of pickups used for various series of JEMs. However this is all part of the plan, as Vai’s wish have always been to have a series of guitars available, that will sound more or less the same, no matter where you pick up a new model. For the same reason, almost all of the JEM guitars uses Dimarzio pickups, and have the same fret arrangement and whammy bars.

And even so, sometimes there is need for something completely different. In 1990, Ibanez released the very first Ibanez Universe guitars, also made in close collaboration with Steve Vai. What makes the Universe series markedly different from the JEM series, is that even though it resembles the JEM series closely there are two defining elements that really sets the Universe apart: first it lacks the signature monkey grip of the JEM guitars, and second it boasts a second string, making it a 7-string guitar, a feature that at its release was highly unusual.

Since then a number of different JEM and UNIVERSE series have been released, and both of these brands of Ibanez guitars are still going strong, proving that the partnership between Steve Vai and Ibanez have produced more than just a couple of beautiful guitars, they have also produced a high quality series of instruments, for musicians and collections around the world to enjoy.

Also: Remember to visit us on our social media:

And don’t forget to pay our guitar loving friends a visit as well:
Ibanez Guitars
Guitar Center

Serial number identification and decoding

August 2, 2013

| Author: Vintage & Rare

How to date and identify your Fender instruments using serial numbers and production date stamps.

No one likes it when you forget their birthday and neither does your Fender. Well, don’t despair. For most of Fender’s production history they have applied serial numbers and production dates that can help you determine their production date (within a few years’ margin, at least).

Determining the date can also be important from a collector’s perspective, since the pre-1966 vintage Fender guitars are generally considered the most valuable. Fender was sold to CBS in the first week of January 1965, but already in late 1964 mass production was slowly being introduced, which gradually lowered quality and ultimately collectibility.

It is important to remember that Fender serial numbers are NOT conclusively chronological. Why is this? Back in the day, Fender made their serial number plates in big batches and the assembler simply grabbed a decal or more from the crate and slapped it on the guitar. As a result, many numbers and dates overlap. To get as close as possible to determining the age of your Fender, make sure to check all dates on both body, neck and pots.

The locations of the serial numbers and dates change from model to model and in some cases they have simply been omitted. Also, labeling techniques have changed with Fender owners, slightly adding to the confusion.

This article deals only with U.S.-made Fender guitars and basses from 1950 until today, since they are some of the predominant vintage guitars for sale on VintageandRare.com.

How do I find the serial number on my U.S.-made Fender?

Typically the serial number is penciled or stamped on the butt end of the heel of the neck of most guitars and basses. Neck dating can be useful in finding the approximate age of your guitar. Since the neck is only a component of the guitar, it could have been produced a number of years before the actual instrument was assembled, hence the date on the neck is not necessarily the production date of the whole guitar.

On early ’50s Stratocaster guitars serial numbers were stamped on the back vibrato cover plate.

On some Telecaster guitars the serial number is found on the bridge plate between the pickup and the saddles.

Fender neck dates from 1950 to today.

From the production of the first solidbody Fender guitars and until 1976, Fender tagged a production date at the butt of the detachable neck of their guitars. Only about half the guitars still carry any intelligible information here.

Below is a list of date formats and how they were marked on the neck-butts:

1950-1954: Hand-written below the truss rod adjustment at the butt end of the neck. Date format is usually M-D-YY and often features the woodworker’s initials as well.

1954-1959: Same as above, only the format is M-YY, leaving out the day.

First half of 1959: No markings for a period after a customer complained about an obscenity written on the neck butt. Markings start to appear again around mid-year.

Mid-1959-March 1962: Same as ’54-’59.

March 1962 to 1965: Dark blue or red ink stamps below the truss rod adjustment at the neck butt. Date format written as “XX MM-YY W”. The “XX” does not refer to the day; it is a code for the neck type (e.g. “02”=Stratocaster, “3/4″=3/4 scale Musicmaster). The “W” stands for neck width: “A” is the narrower, “B” is normal width, and “C” wider and “D”, though rarely seen, is the widest.

1966: the model number (the number stamped on the neck before the month) change (for example, “13”=Stratocaster).

1969: A new type of neck stamp of six, seven or eight digits was used on some models. The new stamp was usually green ink. Example: “529129B” (more info on reading there in the “nack stamps” section below.) This new green stamp was used simultaneously with the earlier “XX MMM-YY W” format. Models from this period could have either code system.

1972: A new eight-digit neck stamp was introduced colored either green or red. Example: “02033923”, as found on a Jazz Bass. From 1972 to around March 1973, this new system was used simultaneously with the previous “XX MMM-YY W”. Again, either stamp can occur on instruments from this era. A example of this is “02033923” found on a Jazz Bass. From 1972 through about March 1973, this new system was used concurrently with the previous “XX MMM-YY W” format. Again, a neck was stamped with either the new or the old date stamp, but not both. The model numbers change yet again (for example, “09”=Stratocaster). See “neck stamps” section below for more info.

April 1973-1980: Fender dropped the old style date stamp after March 1973 and continued with the new 8-digit code. April 1973 to 1980: After March 1973, Fender dropped the old style date stamp and continued to use the new style, 8-digit code. See “neck stamps” section below for more info..

1976 to present: All non-vintage reissue instruments have the serial number printed on the decal on the face of the peghead. The approximate production year can be determined from this (more about serial numbers will follow). Sometimes a date is stamped or hand-written on the butt of the neck. Vintage reissue instruments have the date on the butt end of the neck like the originals.

1980: Little glued labels with MM-DD-YY date stamps appear in the neck pocket, pickup cavity and/or back of the neck.

How to read the 1969-1971 neck stamps

The neck stamps on Fenders from 1969 to 1971 can be most logically translated by reading from right to left. For example, let’s take a Stratocaster with the serial number 279515 and the code 22384109B. Starting with the letter B, this is the same neck width code Fender has been using since 1962. The next number is the production year, in this case 9 = 1969. The next one or two digits are for the month, here 10 = October. The following three digits, here 384, could be a batch or lot number, or i could be the count for how many of this one instrument that was made within the month. Since Fender could probably produce more than 999 of any one type instrument in a month, it is more likely a batch or lot number. Finally, the first one or two digits of the code tells you which model you are holding; 22 being a Stratocaster.

There are some exceptions as you can see in this information provided by Mike Gagliano. A few Telecasters have shown up with neck codes that show a ’67 date and one with a possible ’68 date, while the rest of the guitar appears to be from ’69. If Fender used this code system as early as ’67, then we should be seeing more ’67 and ’68 guitars with the code stamped in green ink. A likely explanation is the use of leftover necks, which Fender is known to have done at several occasions. Other exceptions exist as well. For example, a 1970 Strat with the neck code 2231008B. The first “22” is the model (Strat), and the ending “B” is the neck width. But the “008” is not the month and year. There aren’t really any explanations to this, but it appears on the occasional Fender guitar from this era.

How to read the 1972-1980 neck stamps

The ’72 to ’80 eight digit code is similar to the ’69-’71 system that we just discussed. Example: a Music Master with serial number 595121 and the code 49002153. The first 6 digits are in pairs and the last two digits are standalone, giving us 49 00 21 5 3:

49 = model code (Musicmaster, Mustang, Bronco)

00 = neck code (rosewood fingerboard)

21 = week code (week 21)

5 = year code (1975)

3 = day of the week code (Wednesday)

1972-1980 model codes.

Model codes (first two digits):

01 = Precision Bass

02 = Jazz Bass

04 = Mustang Bass

08 = Telecaster Deluxe

09 = Stratocaster

13 = Telecaster, Telecaster Custom, Telecaster Thinline

49 = Musicmaster, Mustang, Bronco

1972-1980 neck codes

Neck codes (second pair of digits):

00 = rosewood fingerboard

01 = rosewood fingerboard

03 = fretted maple neck OR skunk stripe neck with rosewood board

10 = fretless maple neck

Fender dating charts and serial numbering schemes

The chart below shows the serial numbers used by Fender from 1950 to 1964. You may notice the significant overlap in numbers and years.

The only way to try to narrow the date range of your instrument is to remove the neck and check the butt end of the neck heel for a production date as mentioned above.

Some users may find the prospect of disassembling their Fender unsettling; if so, please refer to an experienced professional guitar tech for help.

SERIAL NUMBERS	PRODUCTION DATES
Up to 6.000	1950 to 1954
Up to 10.000	1954 to 1956
10.000s	1955 to 1956
10.000’s to 20.000’s	1957
20.000’s to 30.000’s	1958
30.000’s to 40.000’s	1959
40.000’s to 50.000’s	1960
50.000’s to 70.000’s	1961
60.000’s to 90.000’s	1962
80.000’s to 90.000’s	1963
90.000’s up to L10.000’s	1963
L10.000’s up to L20.000’s	1963
L20.000’s up to L50.000’s	1964

Fender was sold to CBS in January 1965. Serial numbering didn’t change immediately because the production methods and tools remained the same. The chart below shows Fender serial numbers from 1965 to 1976. Again, notice the overlap in numbers and years.

SERIAL NUMBERS	PRODUCTION DATES
L50.000’s up to L90.000’s	1964
100.000’s	1965
100.000’s to 200.000’s	1966 to 1967
200.000’s	1968
200.000’s to 300.000’s	1969 to 1970
300.000’s	1971 to 1972
300.000’s to 500.000’s	1973
400.000’s to 500.000’s	1974 to 1975
500.000’s to 700.000’s	1976

In 1976 things were made a little easier. Fender introduced the “S”-prefix for guitars made in the 70’s, and the “E”-prefix for guitars from the 80’s as seen in the chart below.

SERIAL NUMBERS	PRODUCTION DATES
76 + 5 digits S6 + 5 digits	1976
S7 + 5 digits S8 + 5 digits	1977
S7 + 5 digits S8 + 5 digits	1978
S9 + 5 digits	1979
E0 + 5 digits S9 + 5 digits	1980
E0 + 5 digits E1 + 5 digits S9 + 5 digits E0 + 5 digits E1 + 5 digits	1981

In 1982, Fender introduced the U.S. Vintage series. These instruments have a “V”-prefix serial and the only way to definitively date these is, like with the earliest serial numbered guitars, by removing the neck and checking the butt of the neck for a production date, which may be stamped or written there. Again, if you don’t feel confident about taking apart your instrument, leave it to a pro.

SERIAL NUMBERS

PRODUCTION DATES

V + 4,5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1982

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)

E2 + 5 digits

E3 + 5 digits

V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1983

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)

E3 + 5 digits

E4 + 5 digits

V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1984

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)

Fender was sold again in 1985 to the existing owners, but the numbering remained the same.

Serial numbers from 1985 to 1990 are as follows:

SERIAL NUMBERS

PRODUCTION DATES

E3 + 5 digits

E4 + 5 digits

V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1985

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)

V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1986

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)

E4 + 5 digits

V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1987(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)

E4 + 5 digits

E8 + 5 digits

V + 4, 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1988

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)

E8 + 5 digits

E9 + 5 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1989

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)

Keeping in line with the decennary numbering scheme, the “N”-prefix serial numbers were introduced in 1990. The numbers and decals were made years in advance, and some N9 decals (denoting 1999) were, in a blunder, affixed to some instruments in 1990. As a consequence, some 1990 guitars bear 1999 “N9” serial numbers.

SERIAL NUMBER

PRODUCTION DATES

E9 + 5 digitsN9 + 5 digits

N0 + 5 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1990

(For U.S. Vintage Series, check neck date for specific year)

N0 + 5 digits

N1 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 v (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1991

N1 + 5 or 6 digits

N2 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1992

N2 + 5 or 6 digitsN3 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1993

N3 + 5 or 6 digits

N4 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1994

N4 + 5 or 6 digits

N5 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1995

N5 + 5 or 6 digitsN6 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1996

N6 + 6 or 6 digits

N7 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 v (U.S. Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1997

N7 + 5 or 6 digits

N8 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series)

1998

N8 + 5 or 6 digitsN9 + 5 or 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster)

1999

“Z”-prefix serial numbers denote the new millennium and they appear on U.S.-made instruments from 2000 and onward. Z0 is 2000; Z1 is 2001, etc. American Deluxe Series instruments use the same dating convention, but with the addition of a “D” in front of the “Z”; that is, DZ1, DZ2, etc. As usual, there is some overlap from year to year.

SERIAL NUMBERS

PRODUCTION DATES

N9 + 5 or 6 digits

Z0 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ0 + 5 or 6 digits (American Deluxe)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)

2000

(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)

Z0 + 5 or 6 digits

Z1 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ1 + 5 or 6 digits (American Deluxe)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)

2001

(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)

Z1 + 5 or 6 digits

Z2 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ2 + 5 or 6 digits (American Deluxe)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)

2002

(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)

Z2 + 5 or 6 digits

Z3 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ3 + 5 or 6 digits (American Deluxe)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)

2003

(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)

Z3 + 5 or 6 digits

Z4 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ4 + 5 or 6 digits (American Deluxe)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)

XN4 + 4 digits

2004

(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)

Z4 + 5 or 6 digits

Z5 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ5 + 5 or 6 digits (American Deluxe)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)

XN5 + 4 digits

2005

(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)

Z5 + 5 or 6 digits

Z6 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ6 + 5 or 6 digits (American Deluxe)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)

XN6 + 4 digits

2006

(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)

Z6 + 5 or 6 digits

Z7 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ7 + 5 or 6 digits (American Deluxe)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)

XN7 + 4 digits

2007

(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)

Z7 + 5 or 6 digits

Z8 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ8 + 5 or 6 digits (American Deluxe)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)

XN8 + 4 digits

2008

(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)

Z8 + 5 or 6 digits

Z9 + 5 or 6 digits

DZ9 + 5 or 6 digits (American Deluxe)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)

XN9 + 4 digits

2009

(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)

Toward the end of 2009, Fender abandoned the decennary numbering scheme and switched to using the number “10” as a prefix, followed by a space, followed by seven digits. The “10” prefix identifies the first year of the 10’s, and while it appears on the instrument decals, it was not captured in Fender’s operating system. Only the seven-digit suffixes were actually entered into the database. These serial numbers did not identify the country of origin in the body of the number. Instead, the instrument’s country of origin appears on the decal on the back of the headstock, near the serial number. This system was short-lived and only a few months later it was replaced by an improved scheme that identifies an instrument’s country of origin and year of manufacture in the body of the serial number.

This new scheme uses the letters “US” as a prefix if the instrument is made in the United States, followed by an eight-digit number. The first two digits of the number identify the year of manufacture, (10 for 2010, 11 for 2011, etc.). The next six digits are the unit identifier.

This new system is now standard on the majority of U.S.-made Fender instruments, except the American Vintage series and certain special-run instruments.

SERIAL NUMBERS

PRODUCTION DATES

“10” prefix followed by a space and sevendigits (late 2009 through March 2010)

US10 + 6 digits (beginning in about March 2010)

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)

2010

(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)

US11 + 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)

2011

(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)

US12 + 6 digits

V + 5 or 6 digits (American Vintage Series except ’52 Telecaster, which uses a five-digit number stamped into the bridge plate)

2012

(for American Vintage series, check neck date for specific year)

If your Fender’s serial number does not appear in the above, you might find it in among the “odd” serial numbers below. These apply to instruments that exist outside the more well known Fender serial number schemes.

SERIAL NUMBERS	PRODUCTION DATES
AMXN + 6 digits	California Series electric guitars and basses; 1997 and 1998
DN + 6 digits	American Deluxe series instruments; 1998 and 1999
NC(XXXXXX)	Squier® Strat Bullets (dating unclear)
FN(XXXXXX)	U.S.-made guitars and basses destined for export market. Some may have stayed in the U.S. or found their way back (made to Standard Stratocaster specs; dating unclear)
I(XXXXXXX)	A limited number of these “I” series guitars were made in 1989 and 1990. They were made for the export market and have “Made in USA” stamped on the neck heel.
LE(XXXXXX)	Blonde Jazzmaster® and Jaguar® guitars with gold hardware made in 1994. Sold as a promotional three-piece set with a Blonde Deluxe Reverb® Amp
CN(XXXXXX) VN(XXXXXX)	Korean-made Fender/Squier guitars (dating unclear)
CA(XXXXX)	Gold Stratocaster; 1981, 1982 and 1983
CB(XXXXX)	Precision® Bass Special from 1981, CB(XXXXX) Gold Jazz® Bass from 1982
CC(XXXXX)	Walnut Stratocaster; 1981, 1982 and 1983
CE(XXXXX)	Precision Bass Special from 1981; Black and Gold Telecaster from 1981-1982
CD(XXXXX)CO(XXXXX)	Precision Bass Special (Walnut) from 1982
GO(XXXXX)	Precision Bass Special (Walnut) from 1982, Gold Stratocaster from 1982-1983
D(XXXXXX)	Jazz Bass from 1982
SE(XXXXXX) SN(XXXXXX) SZ(XXXXXX)	Signature Series Instruments SE8(XXXXX)-1988, SE9(XXXXX)-1989 SN0(XXXXX)-’90, SN1(XXXXX)-’90, SN2(XXXXX)-’92, etc. SZ0(XXXXX)-2000, SZ1(XXXXX)-2001, SZ2(XXXXX)-2002, etc.
3 digits of 500	35th Anniversary Strat from 1989-1990
G(XXXXXX)	“Strat” from about 1980, (Gold hardware, two-position rotary tone switch)
4 digits stamped on bridge plate	U.S. ’52 Vintage Telecaster 1982-1988 (Check neck date for specific year)
5 digits stamped on bridge plate	U.S. ’52 Vintage Telecaster 1988-present (Check neck date for specific year)
T(XXXXXX)	Tribute series instruments
C(XXXXXX)	Collectors Series
XN(XXXXX)	FSRs and ’52 Teles

For dating on non-U.S.-made Fender products, please refer to the Fender website where you can also find source material for this article along with other useful material: http://www.fender.com/support/articles/?category=product-dating

For serial number look-ups on Fender and other brands go to: http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html, where you can also find source material for this article.

Venues

July 24, 2013

| Author: Vintage & Rare

At VintageandRare.com, we have been searching the net for other great vintage instrument sites that you could find useful.

Here are some of our online friends in the world of vintage and custom-built instruments:

Clubs:

1st Class session
-“1st Class Session” guarantees a memorable evening filled with superb live music and artists, touching their audience as well as enthralling it. “1st Class Session” offers a mixture of Soul, Pop, Rock and Funk together with fusion titles, in general extended by excerpts of the guest singer’s, respectively the soloist’s, repertoire, interpreted a little differently. In addition “1st Class Session” gives the audience a chance to meet music legends and stars in a different surrounding, closer by and more accessible.

Music Festivals:

Tampere Guitar Festival
– International Tampere Guitar Festival, Finland since 2005. Acoustic guitar festival held annually in June.

Vintageandrare.com – Sell instruments online!

Vintage Guitars For Sale Spain

June 12, 2013

| Author: Vintage & Rare

At Vintage & Rare we have assembled the finest vintage and rare guitar dealers from Spain. We have carefully selected which dealers to include in our network and we specialize in representing only the best vintage guitar dealers. If you are on the hunt for a rare Fender Stratocaster, a Gibson Les Paul or any other vintage guitar, Vintage & Rare is the place to look. Browse our website to find a variety of collectible vintage Guitars for sale in Spain. Among the top Spanish vintage guitar dealers are the following:

Al’s Music Factory

Dorian Vintage Guitars

Vintage Guitars For Sale France

June 10, 2013

| Author: Vintage & Rare

At Vintage & Rare we have assembled the finest vintage and rare guitar dealers from France. We have carefully selected which dealers to include in our network and we specialize in representing only the best vintage guitar dealers. If you are on the hunt for a rare Fender Stratocaster, a Gibson Les Paul or any other vintage guitar, Vintage & Rare is the place to look. Browse our website to find a variety of collectible vintage Guitars for sale in France. Among the top French vintage guitar dealers are the following:

Vintage Guitars France

Woodstore