Hank Marvin Squier Strat

[eventrygve]

Hi Mike, it must be my age and eyes...the forrett serialnumber is: G006988
Best regards EvenT

[stephen]

After seeing this post, I dug around in my files and came across the serial number of the new Squier Marvin that I bought (for £199!) mid 1992. It was definitely : K 014586 ! Apparently the letter K + 6 digits was used for Fender Japan output in 1990-1991, L + 6 digits for 1991-1992 & M + 6 digits for 1992- on. C + 6 digits was 1985-1986 and G + 6 digits was 1987-1988. How's that for confusion? If anyone on this site now owns my old guitar (part ex'd for a PRS Custom 22 at an Ipswich guitar shop in 1999) do let me know.

Regarding the Lace Sensor pickups..............
At the same time that I bought the Marvin, I also had an American Strat Plus fitted with Gold Lace Sensors. After playing both guitars for some months, I decided that I much preferred both the sound of the pickups in the Squier and its neck shape to the Strat Plus and ended up selling the £750 Strat Plus. Despite the quietness of the Lace Sensors, they just didn't sound 'right' to me.

A final note on the serial number question, taken from Bacon & Day's 'The Fender Book'.......
"Fender Japan have confirmed evidence that certain series have been used beyond the production spans listed above (table on page 93), in particular the A-, C-, G- prefixed numbers. This underlines the need for caution when dating using serial numbers."

Stephen.

[anniv 63]

The first Squier Marvin I bought in January 1993 had a K serial no so I guess this
to have been manufactured sometime in 1992.
A year later in January 1994, I swapped over for another one with an L number, mainly
because the K one had been badly set up and the lower frets were badly indented. The
exchange only cost the price of a set up / fret dress, and the guy who exchanged gave good
advice as I knew little then!!! The L I was told was originally brand new in 1993.
Most reference books seem to point to a run of 1500 in total, so could they have been
manufactured I.E
G/K 500 in 91/92
l 500 in 93
M 500 in 94
its only a guess without removing the neck as Howard from Oasis suggested to confirm any
date marking.

Mike

[keithmantle]

I have a HBM sig L XXXXXX fugijen made 1991/2 all original with case forsale £375

[stephen]

This post has had me looking back 20 odd years to when I bought my Squier Marvin............

I remember taking it into the shared, Sudbury workshop of Martyn Booth & Robbie (Guitarist mag's 'Dr. Robert') Gladwell, for Martyn to look over. After he'd cast his expert eye over it and given it a strum, any initial flush of pride in ownership was quickly doused by Martyn's comment, "So Hank likes his fret-ends protruding & sharp, does he, Stephen?" Robbie just chuckled.
A fret dress was obviously in order.........!

Stephen.

[leddo]

It is NOT an original Squier Marvin because of the pickups. Lace pickups were never part of the Squier Marvin Stratocaster setup. You would appear to have done well out of this because those pickups are worth more than the original factory fitted ceramic efforts.
The Squier Marvin was a budget guitar aimed at the lower end of the market and was built to a budget. I have owned a few and I think only one of them remained original. In the others I changed the pickups, electrics, bridge and even the tuners. They are okay guitars but are not as good as the later Japanese Fender Marvins. In my opinion, of course.
Check under the pcikguard to see if it has Clapton boost electrics fitted. Fender Japan had their own version of the Clapton Strat round about this time too and they came fitted with Lace pickups.

[stephen]

As Dave Robinson observed (and the rest of us previous or current Squier Marvin owners also saw from the outset) Lace Sensors were not the standard p/u's on this model. Perhaps a previous owner wanted to try and approximate the look & sound of the 1990, small-run Fender Hank Marvin Stratocaster with active circuitry that pre-dated the 'official' signature model of 1992. Phil's (Leddo's) suggestion to check if active circuitry is present, is a good idea as maybe the complete electronics have been installed.
I know that Lace Sensors are a good deal more costly than the original Squier p/u's, but as I've said before, despite the welcome absence of single-coil 'noise', I just didn't like their sound. However, I've never had an opportunity to try a guitar with the Lace Sensor/active mid-boost circuitry. Clapton could certainly get great clean and driven sounds out of them, without any additional boost/overdrive pedals.
The Squier Marvin may have been built (down?) to a price, but as I said previously, I found myself reaching for it far more than my American Strat Plus and eventually sold the more expensive one.

Stephen.

[kipper]

Hi Even
Are you sure the serial no starts with a C ?
Some very early examples I have seen selling on E Bay start with a G from around late91/early 92
Could the number marking have been rubbed or altered?

Mike

g is serial for 1987 1988. 1991 is k and l surely. the first silver series without the logo didnt go back that far as far as i know. peter

[Col1861]

As far as I'm aware, the Squier Hank Marvin Signature Stratocaster was issued in 1992. Unfortunately, Fender's serial numbers weren't assigned in exact chronological order, so discrepancies of several years can occur. According to 'The Fender Book' by Tony Bacon and Paul Day, 'Fender Japan have confirmed evidence that certain series have been used beyond the production spans ..., in particular the A-, C- and G-prefixed numbers. This underlines the neeed for caution when dating by using serial numbers.' So it appears that this particular neck had been hanging around for quite some time before being attached to the body. My own Squier HM Sig has a K-prefix number, which suggests 1990-91, but the guitar wasn't issued until 1992. Fender's serial numbers really should be viewed as approximate.
Col.

[hansaustria]

Hello Shadsfriend!
Today I was so lucky that I managed to buy a Hank Marvin Squier Stratocaster. The seller told me that the actual guitar was from 1991, which seems ok regarding when the modell was introduced. But the numbrs on the neck tells me that the guitar was produced in Japan i 1985/86. The number is: C006988. Anyone with some information about this guitar?
Regards EvenT[/quote]

This is my Squier:

L xxxxxx - Ser. nr. / according Squier Japan database built in 1991 / Fujigen Gakki Plant
PU: stock PU`s - alnico ( no ceramic ones )

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This is the sound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFZZ4rsGuvs