Ever since Fender started making basses in 1951, they dated certain parts and components to give a general idea of when the instrument was produced.The problem is that a neck might be made and dated and then sit in the factory for a while until its finally bolted to a body that is dated months later.They just grabbed whatever part or component was ready and put the instrument together to fill an order as fast as possible.
The general rule of thumb is that a bass is as old as its newest part, or at least its latest dated part. So, if you have a Fender with a neck date of 1964 and the pots are dated 1965, then you have a 1965 Fender Bass. There are some years in particular that can get really tricky. Some 1959 Precision Basses have no neck date stamp at all, and several Fender basses from 1969 to 1980 have neck stamp codes that are difficult to decipher and sometimes impossible to read. After 1981, most Fender neck dates are easy to read and understand, however, Ive still seen a few Fender basses from the 1990s with no neck stamp at all. Potentiometer codes are pretty reliable for dating, usually indicating the year and week it was made. One exception is that most Fender pots from 1966 to 1969 are dated to 1966. ![]() Serial numbers can also be tricky when trying to get an accurate build date. 1951 Fender Precision Bass Reissue Serial Number II once had a Japanese Fender 75 reissue Jazz Bass that I bought used, and according to the serial number I looked up, was made around 1985. I was suspicious because I didnt think they made the 75 reissue that early on, so I popped the neck off, and it had a date stamp of 1998. 1951 Fender Precision Bass Reissue Serial Numbers Used ByIt turned out that this was a case of overlapping serial numbers used by Fender Japan on different models. The lesson here is that until you see the date stamp on either the neck or body, the serial number is only a guess. The earliest Fender serial numbers were stamped on the bridge, moving to the neck plate in 1954. ![]() Sometime in 1963, Fender added an L prefix with 5 digits to all the serial numbers that lasted to mid-1965. Fender then dropped the L and started using a large stamped F with 6 digits on the plate, which they used until 1976. Later in 1976, Fender moved the serial number to the headstock just below the logo. All serial numbers now began with an S for seventies and then later an E for eighties, N for nineties and a Z for 2000 and later. You can actually send your serial number to Fender, and they will give you a pretty accurate date on when your bass was made, but again it wont be exact. If youre determined to get the precise date locked down, youll have to take all these factors into consideration and then realize that its still just an approximation.
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