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Post subject: Dating Issue of my PBASS!!!!
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 3:04 pm
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alrighty so my buddy recently acquired this pbass and is letting me use it at will. its a cream color, white pickguard, the pickups are white, and it has a metal cover over the bridge (taken off). the headstock has the serial, and made in USA on it. Now heres the problem... the serial number 2nd digit is scratched, it is S 912104. i will post some pictures soon! thanks!


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Post subject: Clarification
Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 5:31 pm
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So the serial starts S9? Or is there a digit in between the S and the 9?


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 10:53 am
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the gap is between the S and the 9, pics soon to come

edit: i put in just the "S 912104" with the gap and found out it was made at the Fullerton plant between 1978 and 1981!


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Post subject: Pot codes?
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 1:07 pm
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krazyglue wrote:
the gap is between the S and the 9, pics soon to come

edit: i put in just the "S 912104" with the gap and found out it was made at the Fullerton plant between 1978 and 1981!


I have seen serials with these gaps before. However, it is important to know whether or not there was once another character in that gap. If there was one there at one time then your dating result could be erroneous. To verify the serial result there are two things I know of that you can do.

1. Look for the neck date on the neck paddle by removing the neck.
If your code is readable then this is a very accurate way to tell when the neck was crafted. Sometimes the neck dates are not 100% legible and other times they just stamped the model name instead of the date. Pencil dates were used pre-March of 1962 and ink stamp dating began in March of 1962. Here is a link with a section on neck dating: http://www.provide.net/%7Ecfh/fender.html

2. Date the Pots.
Remove the control plate or if the pots are attached directly to the pickguard you will have to remove it. Then see if you can read the date codes on the pots. Sometimes you can't because of solder and wires. Other times pot get changed out too but might confirm your serial dating. Here is one link you can use to decipher Fender pot dates: [http://www.provide.net/~cfh/pots.html Here is another link about pot dating: http://home.exetel.com.au/mosrite/Date%20Your%20Guitar_Pot%20Codes.php

Additionally sometimes pencil dates or even stickers were used in the pickup cavities. This is very rare though. A real appraisal service like Gruhn Guitars http://www.gruhnguitar.com/ could tell for sure. They use lots of methods beyond reading date codes.

The neck and pot dates might confirm your serial reading or could put you in a completely different ballpark. It would be sweet if it was a '78!


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:26 pm
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brotherdave is a fountain of information for his many years of experience.


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Post subject: White covers?
Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:25 pm
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Hey I think the first P-bass with white pickup covers might have come along in 1980. I believe that was on a P-bass Special. You may have an 80 P-Bass Special. Does it have gold hardware on it?


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