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Post subject: Date Old Fender Cabinets
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:38 pm
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I have searched the internet all over and I see people asking this question but no answers. How can one date old Fender speaker cabinets? I have a Bassman 2-15 Silverface. I was told it has the Jensen speakers, but need to pull off the back to make sure.

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Post subject: Re: Date Old Fender Cabinets
Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:48 pm
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Pre-CBS and later blackface gear up until around mid '66 usually had an ink-stamp date (periodically hand-written in pencil) located inside, on one of the interior cleats. Failing that -- especially with the later silverfaces -- one must rely on the cosmetics to establish the vintage. This will be less precise but will yield a ballpark "birthday". The grill cloth color, presence of the drip-edge molding around the baffle, the type of baffle (screw-in or glued-in) will all provide clues. Original speakers if present are also an excellent method for dating a cab.

HTH

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Date Old Fender Cabinets
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:42 am
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I've dated some females, I considered "Old Yugos," but never an "Old Fender Cab." :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Date Old Fender Cabinets
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 8:46 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
Pre-CBS and later blackface gear up until around mid '66 usually had an ink-stamp date (periodically hand-written in pencil) located inside, on one of the interior cleats. Failing that -- especially with the later silverfaces -- one must rely on the cosmetics to establish the vintage. This will be less precise but will yield a ballpark "birthday". The grill cloth color, presence of the drip-edge molding around the baffle, the type of baffle (screw-in or glued-in) will all provide clues. Original speakers if present are also an excellent method for dating a cab.

HTH

Arjay

Thanks Arjay, I will pull the back off tomorrow. I have a AB165 Bassman head and picked up this cab to match it. I think they are pretty close to the same vintage. Really great amps for playing guitar through. I will post answers and picts if I get them!

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Post subject: Re: Date Old Fender Cabinets
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 7:15 pm
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Ok, I did some digging around on the internet and found little. I am thinking that since the logo on the Bassman 2-15 can is like the one on my Bassman 10 amp they are close to the same vintage:

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The speakers I was told were Jensens but in pulling them out I find Fender logo so maybe they are what was called the Utah speakers??? But the picts I have seen of those had black magnets and these have silver. Maybe some people just do not know what they are talking about too. I saw one 15 Utah that had a big square magnet on the back and some had a brownish ring on the edge of the cone paper. Here is what mine look like:

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Any you Amp guys know what I have? The cab is rather boxy with one vent on the bottom. I think she is maybe around 1972ish. Sound great with my Bassman 50 (AB165) head. For you Strat lovers (that is where I post most of the time on the Forum, here is a new Strat Ultra i just did a build on:

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Post subject: Re: Date Old Fender Cabinets
Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 9:02 pm
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What's the dimensions on this cab, Xhefri?

I'm thinking that it may have mated to the first-generation (silverface) Bassman 135 --it's the only Fender bass-reflex box I know of that had a full-width port at the bottom of the baffle board.

The speakers looks like CTS to me -- any other numbers stamped on the magnet structure or the frame?

Fender used the rust/orange-striped grill cloth from '74 through '78 or thereabouts then switched back to the turquoise blue......I'm thinking this enclosure might be a '79 or an '80 since the logo has the "MADE IN USA" at the bottom.

HTH

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Date Old Fender Cabinets
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2011 7:36 am
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I will pull a speaker again and look for numbers stamped on the frame. I did inspect the inside of the cab with a flashlight and no dates anywhere inside. I will measure the cab this morning—but very boxy shaped compared to the old Duo-Showman cab I had with 2 x 15 silver coned JBL speakers. The guy told me it was a early 70s or late 60s cab but then he also said he opened it and it had Jensen speakers.....so you know how those kind of stories go! Thanks tons for your help!

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Post subject: Re: Date Old Fender Cabinets
Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 10:03 pm
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If it has the tilt back legs, the cab may (some have em, some don't) have the date stamped in black ink on the inside (closest to the tolex) of the legs. I found this while cleaning a 66 Bassman Cab up and was sort of shocked because I had never thought to look there, I always opened up the cab to check for dates on the inside or check speakers codes as stated previously.

Good luck.

T2

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Post subject: Re: Date Old Fender Cabinets
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 5:58 pm
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This is a Bassman 135 set but I believe the speaker enclosure is identical to the cab in question......

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(photo shamelessly purloined off of an Ebay listing and posted under "Fair Use" copyright protocols)

HTH

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Date Old Fender Cabinets
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:35 pm
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As usual Arjays scores another victory in I.D.'ing a Fender Product! I guess the full-width port at the bottom of the baffle board should have been a big clue, but I think the old eyeballs must be going because I didn't even see that in the picture :!: Damn and they told me the knees were the first thing to go...oh crap they are already shot, now the eyeballs...sorry for geezering out...

T2

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Post subject: Re: Date Old Fender Cabinets
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:35 pm
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As usual Arjays scores another victory in I.D.'ing a Fender Product! I guess the full-width port at the bottom of the baffle board should have been a big clue, but I think the old eyeballs must be going because I didn't even see that in the picture :!: Damn and they told me the knees were the first thing to go...oh crap they are already shot, now the eyeballs...sorry for geezering out...

T2

:mrgreen:

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Post subject: Re: Date Old Fender Cabinets
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 9:37 pm
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Oh crap now I have repeat posted, ok, it is officially Monday...

T2

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Post subject: Re: Date Old Fender Cabinets
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 3:34 pm
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I thought you were merely having a "senior moment", Tango Two-Sierra!

:lol:

Arjay

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