Conference napalm::guitar

    
    A qualified "yes", sort of....Fenders numbering system wasn't/isn't
    exact, but the number will give you an approximation of the build
    date.  What is your serial number?
    
    I have also recently picked up a used Fender Bass that I believe
    to be built somewhere between '68 to '70, according to the serial
    number list in "American Guitars"....however, the book says the
    only way to tell for sure is to remove the neck, *carefully*, from 
    the body and look for the date stamped on the end of the neck, it 
    should say month and year...I intend to do that to my Bass next
    time I change the strings.
    
    There are also external indicators of the vintage of the Bass, assuming
    that it's original...like the fret markers, round vs rectangle,
    and the design of the "Fender" logo on the peghead, etc.
    
    
    D.C. 
    

    Yes, remove the neck and it will tell you day, month and year.
    

    yep !! 
    That's the way to tell !

    Not all fenders have the date on the neck..my three don't so I was
    forced to use the serial number apporoximation method. Fender will
    send you a list of serial numbers and the approximate year they were
    made. Gibson will tell you based on your serial number also.
    
    dave

Hmmm. Well I'm not real anxious to take off the neck right now, so 
could one of you kind soles give me the approximation for

	SN   7648975 ?

thanx a lot.

greg

    
    Well, I have a problem with that S/N...it has too many numbers...my
    serial number chart shows numbers up through 1976...the largest
    S/N is six characters long....if your S/N is actually a 700,000
    series number, then that would mean that the build date was between
    Sept. 1976 to Dec. 1976...but you say that it's "7 million-etc"...
    Maybe it was built after 1976?
    
    Example, the serial number on my Bass is 339402, that makes it a
    1968,'69, or '70 model...
    
    D.C.
    

    My list ends prior to you serial number....I suggest a letter to
    fender.
    
    dave

    
    
    	I bought a 66 Mustang this week end (I must be destined to own
    Mustangs...).  It used to be a white one but now it's a blond (filed)
    one.  Neat thing is that I finally have a Mustang with all original
    equipment including the tremolo bridge... a friend of mine is telling
    me that I should put this guitar in a time capsule cos it's gonna
    be worth big bucks... and I'm saying that if it were in very good
    condition, it would never be worth more than $400... anyone care
    to resolve our little argument??
    
    
    
    Steve

    Since it's been refinished the vvalue is considerably less than
    if it had been left alone...
    
    I hesitate to guess...mustangs aren't in demand like strats or teles
    
    dbii

    
    
    
    	Jeeze.. I'm really struggling with dating my gear (just for fun of
    course)... I've got this amp book, and strat book, and I thought that
    they'd tell me, but they're ambiguous!!  I start out with my Concert
    head:
    
    Concert Head, newer black face, fender script with no tail on the "R",
    SN: F316282.. I thought that the last 2 numbers would be the year, so I
    said "1982" no prob... fits...
    
    Now I look at my new (and beloved deluxe reverb)... Silver face, BUT
    fender script with tail on the "R" (the tail was used in 63... on
    pre-CBS black-faces, sheesh) SN: A33853, so even if I assume that it's
    a pre-cbs cab, with a silver face amp stuck in it, I look at the serial
    number and it doesn't follow my naive "last two digits" rule.
    
    My new strat, purchased in 1990, has a serial number of E469885
    
    And, my Squire (franken-strat) has a SN: SQ03694 ( I assume the SQ
    means squire, but again for my guits the last two digits don't make any
    sense.
    
    	Can someone help me date this gear, and recommend a book that would
    help me do it myself in the future....?  Hey dudes.. you oughta see
    that script with the tail on the "R"... thing a beauty to behold..
    maybe I should upgrade my concert Heh Heh..  Jay??? Somebody, help!!!
    
    
    Gree Vee King "serious" gear dater

According to a book that I have called "The History of Fender" (or 
somthing like that) by that guy that wrote the book on Rickenbacher,
the code date of manufacture is rubber stamped on the tube chart located 
inside the cbinet. It is also sometimes stamped on the inside of 
the amp chassis. The code is two characters, for instance "OH".
Count the position of the character in the alphabet. "O" is 15, "H"
is 8. The first is the year of manufacture offset from 1950, the second 
is the month of manufacture. So "OH" translates to August 1950+15 or 1965.
Get it? Do not confuse this with the design code printed on the tube chart.
(AB763 is a famous one).

The only thing I'm not sure about is that I may have confused the year-month
position, that is I might have them ass-backwards. I'll check tonight and
verify.

This should work with all black-face and silver-face Fenders.

Can't help you on the other stuff.

--Ron Burati

    
    
    re: .-1
    
    	Could you please post the *exact* title of the Fenderb
    book, as well as the publisher and ISBN number?
    
    

    
    
    	Tom, it's "The AMP Book" by Donald Brosnac, isbn 0-933224-05-2. 
    I've got it and it's a pretty cool book, but it's only got a couple of
    pages of "dating" information.  If you're looking for a nice general
    book about amps.. get it, if you're looking for help dating stuff, I
    bet there's better references out there.  I tried iding my amp using
    this method.. but there ain't a two letter code on the tube chart of
    either of my amps... so much for that... kind of fun detective work
    though... any other remarks???  Any other advice??
                             

    
    re: .-1
    
    	Awww, shoot.. I was hoping it was a more or less generic
    Fender book, kinda like the history of Rickenbacker Guitars. 
    
    Oh well....
    
    

Same guy, different book

The book I referred to in the earlier reply is:

********************************************************
Guitar History Volume#1 (Guitars Made By The Fender Company)
by Donald Brosnac
Copyright 1983, 1986 by The Bold Strummer Ltd.
ISBN No. 0-933224-06-0
********************************************************

I did state the mfg code correctly, except that Mr. Brosnac
claims that the date is written inside the chassis -- I
said it was also stamped there. I don't believe I've ever
noticed it in my Deluxe Reverb or Bandmaster so...what can I
say. I will say that this is not a great book. There are bits
of info in it that I've not found elsewhere (like the mfg date 
code), but if you want to date guitars, I recommend 

********************************************************
Guitar Identification (Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Martin) 
by A. R. Duchossoir
ISBN No. 0-88188-387-5
********************************************************

and if it's Strats in particular you want to date

********************************************************
Fender Stratocaster
by A. R. Duchossoir
ISBN No. 2-903648-06-9
********************************************************

both of which are published in France by Mediapresse and
published in the U.S. by Hal Leonard Publishing Corp
under its D.I.S.C. Instruments International Reference 
Workbooks series (I think)

********************************************************
Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation
8112 West Bluemound Rd.
P.O. Box 13819
Milwaukee, WI 53213
********************************************************


Taht's lal floks
rjb

    
    
    re: .-1
    
    	Yes! This is exactly the type of book I wanted. Thanks muchly for
    posting it. 
    
    -T
    

    
    
    
    	yeah, wow, rjb, that's pretty helpful info... I've got that other
    book by Bronsac too, and I agree with you, nice general book... Hey
    you've got a deluxe reverb too???  Don't you love it???
    
    Steve, thanks again
                                  

Yes, and I'm glad I never sold it. Had it 24 years. Of course
the speaker went south about 23 years ago. But the rest of it's
indestructable -- almost. The filter caps need to be replaced so
I haven't been able to use it for about a year. (want to fix it 
bad) 

R. Aspen Pitman of Groove Tubes fame says its about the best 
sounding amp ever made and "his all round favorite". Now, I can't 
vouch for his ears, but he has a *HUGE* collection of tube 
amplifiers to compare it to. Also, silver panel Deluxes are usually 
exactly the same as black ones. In fact, my guess is that the blackface 
Deluxe Reverbs made in the early eighties are the same as well. I've 
just glimpsed the innards of one.

I've often wondered what two or four of 'em would sound like together.
Something to ponder, isn't it? 

--ron

    
    
    	Yeah, deluxes, weren't changed when CBS took over...  Ask Brian
    Rost, he tells me that the guitar player on his "Hubcaps" tape was
    playing through 2 deluxes one hot-rodded one not...  Pretty cool sound!
    
    
    
    Steve

    
    	Jerry saw a Tele today and would like some date info please.
    	The serial number is: S712290.  Is it a '71?  Hmmm?
    
    	Thanks,
    	-pat-o-logical

I've been told that the fact that my Precision bass has a finger
rest rather than a thumb rest indicates that is an older bass.
Does anyone no if this is true?  And if so, how old would that
make it?

Hal Laurent

    I have my Guitar history book at work today,, if you know the serial #
    I may be able to date it for you.. I am looking at photo of a 62
    Precision and it has a finger rest.  There are no pictures of new ones.
    
    Bruce (241-4063)
    

re: .23

>    I have my Guitar history book at work today,, if you know the serial #
>    I may be able to date it for you.. I am looking at photo of a 62
>    Precision and it has a finger rest.  There are no pictures of new ones.
    
Darn!  I meant to write down the serial number last night, but I forgot!
A mind is a terrible thing...    

I'll try to remember to check the serial number tonight.

-Hal

I dated a fender once.  She was alright but her brother was a hood.




It's been a long day.

    Didja bumper?
    
    :^)
    
    Edd

OK, I finally got around to looking for the serial number on
my Precision bass.  Assuming that the number stamped on the metal
plate behind where the neck bolts on is the serial number, than
it's 413033.  Anybody have any idea how old it is?

Thanks,
Hal

    According to my book "American Guitars, an Illustrated History", your
    Precision bass was made between 1958 to 1960.  
    
    	32912-45749: 1958 to 1960, most are 1958 to 1959
    
    Hope that makes you happy
    
    Bruce May
    

    It would certainly make *me* happy...

    Uh, try again.  Those late 50's serial numbers are 5 digits, the one
    quoted is 6 digits.   A six digit numbers puts it at least late 60's,
    my guess would be mid-70's.
    
    /rick

    '73ish is more like it.

    Sorry Hall,,,  the first mistake I made this year,,,, and I almost made
    it to the end!!!!   Sorry to say that the last note is right!!!!  the
    400,000 serial number series ran from April 1973 to 1976 so it look
    like you got a 73 or a 74.   I was only 14 year off!!!  
    

Had a smooth ride but wound up with a fouled plug.