It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:41 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 6 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: does the serial number have a date of manufacturing on it
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:31 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:18 pm
Posts: 8
I have a beautiful fender p bass that is pretty old. the serial number is on the head stock. I would like to know how old it is , does the serial number have the date in it ? if not how can I find out when it was born ?


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 8:22 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:08 pm
Posts: 72
nope, date is not part of the S/N but you can get an approximate date by going to this place here

http://www.fender.com/support/usa_instruments.php

_________________
The bass player is the house into which all the other players come to find shelter and have a good time. If you forget that responsibilty, you're leaving everyone without shelter.

Abe Laboriel


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: does the serial number have a date of manufacturing on i
Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 2:32 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:12 pm
Posts: 6355
Location: Albemarle, NC
buzznod wrote:
I have a beautiful fender p bass that is pretty old. the serial number is on the head stock. I would like to know how old it is , does the serial number have the date in it ? if not how can I find out when it was born ?


Actuallly....YES on your instrument the serial number WILL tell you the year!

Prior to mid 1976 the serial was on the neck plate and would not tell you just by looking what year it was made, HOWEVER, since your serial is on the headstock, assuming it is a USA bass the following excerpt from the BROTHER DAVE FIELD GUIDE TO FENDER INSTRUMENTS will date your bass solely by looking at the SERIAL NUMBER:

U.S. made Fenders, starting in mid-1976 has the serial number on the peghead. Note the following number could be off as much as two years. Generally speaking, a "S"
prefix equals the 1970's, "E" prefix equals the 1980's, and "N" prefix equals the 1990's, Z equals 2000’s. The next number is the year of that decade.
Note "E" and "N" prefix models are sometimes also Japanese-made (see below).
7600000 ("76" appears bold) = 1976-1977
800000s = 1979-1981
1000000 to 8000000 = 1976-1981 (7 digits)
S1 to S5 + 5 Digits = 1979-1982
S6 + 5 digits = 1976
S7 + 5 digits = 1977-1978
S8 + 5 digits = 1977-1978
S9 + 5 digits = 1978-1981
E0 + 5 digits = 1979-1981
E1 + 5 digits = 1980-1981
E1 + 5 digits = 1982
E2 + 5 digits = 1982-1983
E3 + 5 digits = 1982-1984
E4 + 5 digits = 1984-1985, 1987-1988 *
*March 1985, CBS sells Fender name, patents & trademarks but no physical property or machinery to FMIC. It takes FMIC 2 years to establish Corona plant from scratch. Fender continued using the same “E4” prefix. 1985 to 1987 Fenders are made Japanese-made & may have slight serial number differences such as a "J" serial number prefix and are clearly marked Japanese.
E8 + 5 digits = 1988-1989 USA production resumes
E9 + 5 digits = 1988-1990
N9 + 5 digits = 1990
N0 + 5 digits = 1990-1991
N1 + 5 or 6 digits = 1991-1992
N2 + 5 or 6 digits = 1992-1993
N3 + 5 or 6 digits = 1993-1994


The complete FIELD GUIDE is downloadable from my website on the INSTRUMENT HISTORIC DATA page. It is the first link on that page.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 5:17 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:08 pm
Posts: 72
actually, he asked if the serial number had the date of manufacture "in it"...as far as I know it doesn't. You have to take the serial number to a chart like what you showed him and it will give you the year manufactured that way.

As far as I know, the only way to know month of manufacture with in the year is if the body and heel of the neck have a stamp or penciled date.

_________________
The bass player is the house into which all the other players come to find shelter and have a good time. If you forget that responsibilty, you're leaving everyone without shelter.

Abe Laboriel


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 5:40 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:12 pm
Posts: 6355
Location: Albemarle, NC
dedmouse wrote:
actually, he asked if the serial number had the date of manufacture "in it"...as far as I know it doesn't. You have to take the serial number to a chart like what you showed him and it will give you the year manufactured that way.

As far as I know, the only way to know month of manufacture with in the year is if the body and heel of the neck have a stamp or penciled date.


Obviously Ded, From July 1, 1976 on, with a few exceptions such as the transition from Fullerton to Corona the serial will tell you the year. Even the neck date is not the "date of manufacture." But you can nail the year from the serial in many cases.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 6:20 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:08 pm
Posts: 72
well, raise my rent! brotherdave, apologies all around...I just found out that you CAN tell the date on the SerNo of at least some of the newer basses. I have a Cal series P Bass Special that the serno starts with AMXN7, AMX meaning built in Mexico and USA cooperatively and the N means 90 and the 7 means, well, 7...so the bass was built in 97.

hmmm...I'll have a bit of mayo and ketchup on my foot please as I insert it into my mouth...

_________________
The bass player is the house into which all the other players come to find shelter and have a good time. If you forget that responsibilty, you're leaving everyone without shelter.

Abe Laboriel


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 6 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: