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Dating Your For Sale Fender Bass


Clarky
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Pleased to have found this thread, I'm havin a bit of bother dating my MiJ '51 P, bought from Old Horse Murphy - Nick a long time ago, as a 94/95 manufactured, which I've always believed , (so did Nick), & has checked out on every website I've tried. Having spoken to Nick it seems he was told the same when he bought it from a well known guitar/amp/keyboard shop in Brighton almost 3 years ago.

Now I've fitted new strings & decided to give it a good set-up, I've removed the neck & found what I have to assume is date stamp!

So what do you think?
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/kjon51/Fender%2051%20Precision%20Bass/120420121336.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/kjon51/Fender%2051%20Precision%20Bass/120420121334.jpg[/IMG]
Serial # if you can't read it is T057673
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/kjon51/Fender%2051%20Precision%20Bass/130420121339.jpg[/IMG]

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They're reusing MADE IN JAPAN (note the caps) for recent Japanese Fenders, hence the confusion - most serial dating websites haven't caught up with the changes. So for your serial to make sense it should be treated as a CIJ serial - hence a 2008 date. All the recent T serial numbers seem to be followed by a 0.

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Thanks for that, was the old 'Made in Japan' consistently both upper & lower case then? Possibly a date of change to all Caps could be established?

Does this also mean the 08.11.20 [b][i]is[/i][/b] a date stamp & maybe common to find on these? Therefore a easy way of more accurate dating?

Cheerz, John

Edited by KiOgon
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My memory must be totally shot - I was going from [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/fender-japan-serial-numbers-complete-555678/index4.html#post8140725"]this thread[/url] on TB, so I've got things totally about face. It's the newer ones that have mixed case. Allegedly.

A quick google revealed [url="http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaster-discussion-forum/173387-fender-japan-confusion-mij-old-new.html#post1980729"]this thread[/url], which shows a newer one with upper case lettering. In both the examples of the newer instruments the fonts are bolder than the older ones, so maybe that's an indication of age. Or maybe not. :rolleyes: It'd be handy if other owners of newer MIJ's could confirm if theirs have bold fonts.

So although it's not 100%, I'd still go with yours being a newer one. The 'date' in the pocket seems a little too coincidental, especially as it coincides with the manufacture of T+0 serials.

Sorry about any confusion I might have caused!

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  • 4 weeks later...

[quote name='Beno' timestamp='1313789822' post='1345922']
Found this one recently.

Seems good. Lots of info for the old gear. Its confirming what I suspected with my P. Not 76, but a very early 75.

S/N # Info near the end.

[url="http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html"]http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html[/url]
[/quote]

Nothing sharper than this site : the man gives all the details on all the subjects. Respects and congrats.

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  • 1 month later...

[quote name='Emanew' timestamp='1336576788' post='1647811']
Nothing sharper than this site : the man gives all the details on all the subjects. Respects and congrats.
[/quote]
Would agree this is one of the best sites around - although I don't think its been updated for some years. There are excellent books by George Gruhn and Andre Duchossoir amongst others which I would highly recommend if you're into this.

Something which I don't think I've seen here is reading pot codes (apologies if you have). This will give you a year and week of production of the pot. Although (like every other method) its not 100% fool proof it can be very informative in dating, or more often ruling out certain dates for an instrument. There's plenty of info on the web regarding dating pots from the codes - it's pretty easy. See here [url="http://zeus.lunarpages.com/~jimshi2/potcodes/potcodes.htm"]http://zeus.lunarpag...es/potcodes.htm[/url] and you'll also find a bit on the site mentioned above. For owners of 70s Fenders beware though - in '66 Fender bought tons of pots, so they crop up frequently on later instruments.

I think the message is that dating Fenders is often not an exact science - this is inherent in their 'bolt together' construction method, such that different parts can straddle a year (or even a couple) of years - I have a 1989 serial numbered Jazz bass with a September 1990 neck date, a good 9 months difference at least. Given that no one indicator is going to offer 100% exact dating my advice would be to check all the things you can - model, finish, hardware, logos, serial, neck date, pots codes, case style (if you've got the original), the list goes on. The may come together to pinpoint a date. Unfortunately in many cases, they lead to a contradiction - Fender eh?!

Bets of luck

Edited by vintage_ben
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  • 5 weeks later...

[quote name='Beno' timestamp='1313789822' post='1345922']
Found this one recently.

Seems good. Lots of info for the old gear. Its confirming what I suspected with my P. Not 76, but a very early 75.

S/N # Info near the end.

[url="http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html"]http://home.provide....cfh/fender.html[/url]
[/quote]

An excellent site, but the appalling spelling, grammar and typos make me grit my teeth while reading it ...

:rolleyes:

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  • 2 months later...

How yis, Im struggling to find any info on a chinese squier i picked up. The links here show me nothing and I dont trust the info on wikipedia. Its a Squier P-Bass with a serial no. CY 081204319. Wiki thinks this is C = China Y = Yako (factory) and 081 is the year 1981?? I really dont think so as the bass is in top nick and was previously owned by a teenager (who wrecked some other guitars) Its a lovely bass with exceptionally low string action , even lower than my USA P bass and it sounds great. Any Ideas ???

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[quote name='Ska Man' timestamp='1349064657' post='1821238']
How yis, Im struggling to find any info on a chinese squier i picked up. The links here show me nothing and I dont trust the info on wikipedia. Its a Squier P-Bass with a serial no. CY 081204319. Wiki thinks this is C = China Y = Yako (factory) and 081 is the year 1981?? I really dont think so as the bass is in top nick and was previously owned by a teenager (who wrecked some other guitars) Its a lovely bass with exceptionally low string action , even lower than my USA P bass and it sounds great. Any Ideas ???
[/quote]
The year will be 08 i.e. 2008 (not 081 i.e. 1981).

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  • 3 weeks later...

Would love to see pages with actual photos of neck pocket markings, neck stamps, headstock decals, etc.

I have 2 SQ-series P-basses. When I got the first (a magic plank) I had to shim up the neck pocket using vulcanized fiber spacers to keep it aligned (because I had to unscrew the neck every gig to tweak the neck relief). Little did I know I had a 2.4375" SQ neck on a body with an American 2.5" pocket. The SQ s/n was on the neck plate. The one the bass came with was blank. I'd love to have some way to ID the body.

Have a CAR J body with ground strap that I bought as being MIJ, Stamped CAR JBD in the neck pocket. Has an oddball control cavity shield. Would love to ID it, but would need pix.

Only my "new" SQ is in original shape.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...

Hey guys,

i hope you can help me

there is a Noel Redding Jazz bass for sale in my country, but something is strange about it.

The original pickguard is missing (it's so sad, becaus there was an original Noel Redding signature, and it was Tortoise)
other question is, that on this bass on the back of the neck, at the neck pocket there is no "Crafted in japan", or "made in japan" decal, but there is a "Printed In U.S.A" decal (never seen before?)
a decal is also missing from the headstock: "contoured body"

so, the serial number is in the right place, and right style (4 digit), and there is a Noel Redding signature on the headstock. Anybody can recognise this bass?

Check out please!

[url="http://gitarshop.hu/hu/hirdetes/151536/elado-fender-basszusgitar"]http://gitarshop.hu/hu/hirdetes/151536/elado-fender-basszusgitar[/url]

thank you!

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[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1363458757' post='2013043']
... bu' ... bu' ... isn't it lejárt hirdetés? ;)

best,
bert
[/quote]

:D sorry for hungarian, only check the pictures! i don't wanted to spam the topic with that kind of lowres pictures :)

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  • 2 months later...

Hey all

New to the forum, I acquired a Fender Jazz Bass from a friend who I played in bands with in the 90's. It's had a hard life and has got some serious 'character' but it's still great to play, I just can't quite pin down the model etc.

I used the database mentioned and I'll add a pic of the results, it was manufactured in Japan in 94, 95 which sounds right for time of purchase, but it doesn't give any info on model etc and I wondered if anyone could shed any light?

One person has suggested 62 re-issue foto flame and from the research I have done, 62 re-issue sounds about right, but I'm looking for other opinions.

Not sure if I'm going to sell, just don't want to give it away. Even though the body has some damage, it still feels great to play.

any help appreciated.

Ross

[attachment=137000:photo 4.JPG]
[attachment=137001:photo 3.JPG]
[attachment=137002:photo 1.JPG]
[attachment=137003:photo 2.PNG]

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  • 3 weeks later...

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