You have also to check the engine code, which is placed before the number. The last known production number for Dearborn is '220317' and for San Jose '104363'.

The VIN is the fist indication to look for, if you found a car without data plate and you are not sure if it's a 64½. It start's with 100001 at Dearborn at the 5th of march, 1964 and at the 13th of july at San Jose. It's a six digit number and placed behind the Engine-Code. The consecutive number is part of the VIN which you found on you data plate and/or at your lh inner fender. For a while both Fujigen, Dyna and Tokai manufactured the very first “Crafted in Japan” Fender guitars together.Of 2 64 ½ Data Plate Decoding Ford Mustang Factory OptionsĦ4 1/2 Consecutive Number 64 1/2 Consecutive Number This happened virtually at the same time as the Fender Japan idea to change the Made in Japan decal. Ace, suggested bringing Dyna Gakki into the picture.

At that time, Fender was increasing their orders to Fujigen and delays were starting to happen. In fact, in the second half of the 1990s, Sam Sekihara, Managing Director of Fender Japan, approached Fujigen with the idea to change the “Made in Japan” decal with “Crafted in Japan” with the aim of giving a little boost to the image and setting their instruments apart from other Japanese instruments. However, this change was not due to the shift of production from a factory to another, as often reported. Between 19 Fender gradually shifted to the 'Crafted in Japan' decal, paving the way for the CIJ Era. Until 1997, the serial number of these guitars was paired with the 'Made in Japan' decal (period called MIJ Era). Probably the 1984-1987 date might have come from one wrong source - most likely the 'How can I find out when my Japanese-made instrument was manufactured?' page of the Fender website - and everyone since has copied it. In fact, as suggested by Bill Alston, they were manufactured until 1989. A common mistake is dating a Japanese Stratocaster with “E” serial number from 1984-1987, as often reported.

Mustange fender serial number location