Strat Serial Number Confusion

[unclej]

i just took in a mexican strat on consignment...serial number MZ3095997... the official fender site states that a mexican strat with MZ3 plus five digits was built in 2003 or 2004. unless i've gone completely blind there are 6 digits behind the MZ3 and i can't find any exceptions on their site. i know it's fairly new and i know that it's a genuine strat and i'm not terribly worried about it but i am curious. anyone got an explanation?

thanks

unclej

[Southpa]

I've had a little look around and could not find any specific info as to "why" there is 6 no's after MZX rather than the usual 5. Chalk it up to another Fender anomaly. My US made strat is also an oddball serial number, EE 104621. I DID find a website that featured some of the strange ones and mine was listed under 1987-88 , just as I suspected. And after inputting my serial number at the Guitar Dater Project website its mentioned that the extra "E" means that my guitar was marked for export. This makes sense because I just happen to live in Canada, And HEY! My strat was one of the first produced out of the then new Corona , Calif. plant after they sold off all the CBS junk.

Anyway, here are a couple places with info worth reading, differences between US and Mexi as well as "The Guitar Dater Project". And can't forget the "Strat Central" website

http://www.allthingsguitar.com/mimvsmia/strattable.htm

http://www.guitardaterproject.org/fender.aspx

http://www.strat-central.com/

OK, unclej, found some mention of you are looking for at "Strat Central". The guitar you have is "special" but don't know why. Click on FMI type strats and scroll down to the last entry of 2003 remarks.

Edited August 23, 2006 by Southpa

[unclej]

thanks southpa..i figured it was something like that and like i said, i wasnt' too worried about it just curious.

thanks for the links.