Dating fender telecaster pickups

They were designed to help identify the approximate manufacturing date of the guitar.

For example: a guitar whose serial number begins with the letter and number "E8", would have "theoretically" been manufactured in 1988 (E = in the Eighties, 8 = the 8th year...

The single coil pickups used in the Contemporary models have a DC resistance which is approximately 5.6 kΩ.

The Contemporary models that use a TBX tone control use 500 kΩ volume pots and use 0.022 µF tone capacitors.

so, 1988); a Fender USA guitar serial starting "N4" would "theoretically" mean 1994 (N = in the Nineties, 4 = the 4th year... Additionally, Fender USA sometimes adds letters to the serial number to make special designations.

The Fender USA serial format was used on the Fender Japan E series because most of them were exported to the USA while Fender was undergoing a transitional period.The System II and III tremolo systems use a height adjustable locking nut.The System II tremolo system was designed by John Page, Chip Todd and Charlie Gressett.While a "CRAFTED" In Japan guitar with a serial number starting with the letter "A" would have been made in 1997 or 1998.The Fender Japan serial numbering system is - on the face of it - a little more complex than the Fender USA system.