Given the frequency with which it has been applied in the years, that on the neck is usually considered by collectors the date of birth of a Fender instrument. In fact, it has always been highlighted, with the sole exception of a few months of 1959 and the years between 1973 and 1981, when, for the dating of the Stratocasters, the serial number or other dates are used.
The dates were written by hand under the screw of the truss rod until 1962, when they started to be printed, and it was frequent to find, in particular between ’54 and ’55, also the initials of those who workedat the quality check of the neck. For example, "TG-7-54" means “Tadeo Gomez, July 1954”. In 1956 it is frequent to find Xavier Armenta’s initial, “XA”.
In this regard it is important to point out that Tadeo or Xavier had never built any necks. There are many photos documenting that the necks were signed on the heel before their sanding, finishing and fret markers insertion. So they probably took care of verifying the correct installation of the truss rod.
There are also Stratocasters made in the spring of 1959 that does not have any date; according to legend, this is due to a complaint from a guitarist who had found obscene writings at the base of the neck.
In this regard it is important to point out that Tadeo or Xavier had never built any necks. There are many photos documenting that the necks were signed on the heel before their sanding, finishing and fret markers insertion. So they probably took care of verifying the correct installation of the truss rod.
There are also Stratocasters made in the spring of 1959 that does not have any date; according to legend, this is due to a complaint from a guitarist who had found obscene writings at the base of the neck.
Fender employee carving a neck (Photo: "Fender: The sound heard 'round the world" di Richard R. Smith)
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Tadeo Gomez at work
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There are also Stratocasters made in the spring of 1959 that does not have any date; according to legend, this is due to a complaint from a guitarist who had found obscene writings at the base of the neck.
Since March 1962 to 1973 the date had no longer been marked by hand, but stamped with a dark blue, black, red or green ink, always under the screw of the truss rod. The year and the month were always indicated (the last no longer with numbers but with the three initial letters), but now there was printed also a number indicating the guitar type and a letter from “A” to “D” which referred to the width of the neck at the nut.
In particular, the Stratocaster was indicated with the numbers:
The code used instead for the width of the neck at the nut was the following:
According to this table, that indicated with “B” was the standard neck which is possible to find on almost all Stratocasters; the others were generally mounted on specific request and with the payment of a surcharge; that indicated with “D” is particularly rare. But also in this case there are some exceptions: about one in ten Stratocaster necks have not been dated.
Since March 1962 to 1973 the date had no longer been marked by hand, but stamped with a dark blue, black, red or green ink, always under the screw of the truss rod. The year and the month were always indicated (the last no longer with numbers but with the three initial letters), but now there was printed also a number indicating the guitar type and a letter from “A” to “D” which referred to the width of the neck at the nut.
In particular, the Stratocaster was indicated with the numbers:
- "2", between 1962 and November 1965 (neck with small headstock)
- "13" between December 1965 and the end of 1967 (on the necks with large headstock and Kluson tuning machines)
- "22" between 1967 and April 1973 (on the necks with large headstock and Fender Keys)
- "09" since 1972 (but "22" was still present until April 1973)
The code used instead for the width of the neck at the nut was the following:
- "A" = 1 1/2"
- "B" = 1 5/8"
- "C" = 1 3/4"
- "D" = 1 7/8"
According to this table, that indicated with “B” was the standard neck which is possible to find on almost all Stratocasters; the others were generally mounted on specific request and with the payment of a surcharge; that indicated with “D” is particularly rare. But also in this case there are some exceptions: about one in ten Stratocaster necks have not been dated.
August 1963 Stratocaster neck date: "2" stands for Stratocaster (not 2nd August) and "B" means standard neck depth
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December 1963 Stratocaster neck date: "13" means Stratocaster (not 13th December) and "B" indicates standard neck depth
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Towards the end of the 1960s a fully numeric code with 6,7 or 8 digits, printed with a green stamp also indicating the lot, began to circulate at the same time as the classic one seen so far.
For example "22 396 109 B" stands for:
"22" = code for the Stratocaster
"396" = lot
"10" = October
"9" = year 1969
"B" = size of the neck.
For example "22 396 109 B" stands for:
"22" = code for the Stratocaster
"396" = lot
"10" = October
"9" = year 1969
"B" = size of the neck.
Between 1972 and 1980 Fender used another code to date the neck, numeric and eight-digit, red or green, which indicated also the fretboard type and the week of production. However, the old one was not abandoned until April 1973; hence, for a while on the neck could be printed both the old code and the new one.
Once again the numbers indicating the model were changed: Stratocaster was now identified with “09”. Moreover, also the code for the fretboard was introduced: "00" and "01" for the rosewood, “02” (rare) for the maple and “03” for the rosewood and the maple with walnut skunk stripe in the back of the neck.
The eight numbers could be divided in two blocks sometimes separated by different symbols, such as "x", "-", "•", "½" or "¼". With this new numbering, the numbers "0900 2153" on the neck of a ‘70s Stratocaster could be coded as follows:
09 = Stratocaster
00 = rosewood fretboard
21 = week number 21
5 = 1975
3 = third day of the week (Wednesday)
Once again the numbers indicating the model were changed: Stratocaster was now identified with “09”. Moreover, also the code for the fretboard was introduced: "00" and "01" for the rosewood, “02” (rare) for the maple and “03” for the rosewood and the maple with walnut skunk stripe in the back of the neck.
The eight numbers could be divided in two blocks sometimes separated by different symbols, such as "x", "-", "•", "½" or "¼". With this new numbering, the numbers "0900 2153" on the neck of a ‘70s Stratocaster could be coded as follows:
09 = Stratocaster
00 = rosewood fretboard
21 = week number 21
5 = 1975
3 = third day of the week (Wednesday)
In the '70s there could have been other stamps on the neck: one "INSP" circled or, since the end of the '70s, one "FRR" circled with a numeric code of the WWYD type (which sometimes was also present on the body in the neck pocket or under the pickguard), in which “WW” stands for the week, “Y” the year and “D” the day of the week. “0304” indicates therefore the third week of 1980, Thursday. This dates, however, referred to the quality check of the instrument.
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Since Autumn 1981, with the purpose of highlighting a better quality control on its instruments, Fender has began to apply on the neck two more decipherable codes which clearly showed the year: one stamped on the heel – although on the first American Standards the date was marked in pencil – and another through an "inspection" sticker that in addition to the date of the quality check indicated also the quality control officer on the neck-body conjunction part.
1996 American Standard Strat neck
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1987 American Standard Strat neck
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1992 American Standard Strat neck
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On the Elite Stratocasters was used a stamp in which the date was even more evident (ex. DEC 9 1983), while on the Vintage reissues, respecting the old way of dating the necks, Fender preferred to write in pencil the exact date of production (ex. 1/14/83).
