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FENDER BODY DATES

Vintage Fender guitars were often supplied with a body date. This date combined with the date found on the pots, neck date, and other guitar features, can be helpful in determining the age of your instrument. Depending on the year, body dates on Fender guitars are found in various places on the body. Fender wasn't as consistent at dating the guitar body as they were in dating the neck. Sometimes the date is there and sometimes it's not.


If both the neck dates and body date of the guitar are present they seldom match. Depending on the year of the guitar, body dates can be found in the trem cavity, in the neck pocket, and in one of the pickup routes.


If you stop and think about it, guitar body dates are great on see-thru finishes, but can't be used when a solid custom color is applied. As custom color guitars became more available in the '60s, the use of body dates disappeared.