Vintage Fenders

[Reggaebass]

6 minutes ago, Bagman said:

Dating Fender pickups by number stamped on the bottom? 
 

possible or not? 
 

Google has not been successful 

Normally yes, any pics Bagman

[Chiliwailer]

1 minute ago, Reggaebass said:

Normally yes, any pics Bagman

Any pot codes @Bagman ? 

[miles'tone]

Serial number on the headstock?

 

[briansbrew]

2 minutes ago, miles'tone said:

Serial number on the headstock?

 

Thats the mystery Si, no headstock serial but a date stamp on the heel for 77, it all looks genuine, pots pickups and body are 77 just the lack of serial on the neck. I have contacted Fender for some info on it

[Bagman]

3 hours ago, Reggaebass said:

Normally yes, any pics Bagman

The number stamped on the bottom of the bridge pickups 100482 

 

I can figure out how pot codes work however there seems to be different systems for pickups. Thanks

[OliverBlackman]

1 hour ago, briansbrew said:

Thats the mystery Si, no headstock serial but a date stamp on the heel for 77, it all looks genuine, pots pickups and body are 77 just the lack of serial on the neck. I have contacted Fender for some info on it

That’s odd if original, unless it was scratched?

[Reggaebass]

2 hours ago, Bagman said:

The number stamped on the bottom of the bridge pickups 100482 

 

I can figure out how pot codes work however there seems to be different systems for pickups. Thanks

I found the jazz pickup serial numbers changed over the years, so not 100% sure but as far as I know the last two digits are the year and the 04 is the fourth week, similar to this 82 jazz , hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along 

[briansbrew]

2 hours ago, OliverBlackman said:

That’s odd if original, unless it was scratched?

Here she is 

[SurroundedByManatees]

The decal isn't correct. Even if it would be a '77 with a late use of the TV decal, the patent numbers don't look like other examples I've found when looking at '76 decals (the patent numbers are supposed to be in 1 line, not 2).

[briansbrew]

10 minutes ago, SurroundedByManatees said:

The decal isn't correct. Even if it would be a '77 with a late use of the TV decal, the patent numbers don't look like other examples I've found when looking at '76 decals (the patent numbers are supposed to be in 1 line, not 2).

This is the date stamp, is there a chance that the logo has been reapplied at some stage maybe

 

 

[ossyrocks]

17 minutes ago, SurroundedByManatees said:

The decal isn't correct. Even if it would be a '77 with a late use of the TV decal, the patent numbers don't look like other examples I've found when looking at '76 decals (the patent numbers are supposed to be in 1 line, not 2

33 minutes ago, briansbrew said:

Here she is 

 

Edited March 21, 2024 by ossyrocks

[ossyrocks]

34 minutes ago, briansbrew said:

Here she is 

There are no examples of this logo in “The Fender Bass, An Illustrated History”

Rob

[miles'tone]

39 minutes ago, briansbrew said:

Here she is 

That's some nice bird's-eye maple though!

[Chiliwailer]

21 minutes ago, briansbrew said:

This is the date stamp, is there a chance that the logo has been reapplied at some stage maybe

 

 

The code is correct for a maple board ‘77 P Bass neck. So if the code is Fender legit, then it must of had a new decal. Is the body original finish? Sometimes matching headstocks were done on a refin. 

[briansbrew]

5 minutes ago, Chiliwailer said:

The code is correct for a maple board ‘77 P Bass neck. So if the code is Fender legit, then it must of had a new decal. Is the body original finish? Sometimes matching headstocks were done on a refin. 

The body is finished in white which has now yellowed and is original , no other signs of a refinish

[briansbrew]

1 minute ago, briansbrew said:

The body is finished in white which has now yellowed and is original , no other signs of a refinish

[Chiliwailer]

17 minutes ago, briansbrew said:

I know they often had 2 extra holes in the neck pocket, but there’s a fair few more there - worst case scenario is it’s an old refin that kept the stamps, it happens. I may be wrong, hard to always see in pics. 
 

edit - if resprayed, and that’s an if, it could have been put back to the original colour as a stamp seems to go just over the paint, as it would have. 

Edited March 21, 2024 by Chiliwailer

[Sparky Mark]

That decal is really interesting. I cannot find another like it anywhere online or in my various books. It doesn't make sense to me that anyone would create a fake that was different to a genuine decal. 

[SurroundedByManatees]

2 minutes ago, Sparky Mark said:

That decal is really interesting. I cannot find another like it anywhere online or in my various books. It doesn't make sense to me that anyone would create a fake that was different to a genuine decal. 

It's not necessarily intended as being fake, but as part of restoration. Good chance it's a replacement decal imo. 

 

As pointed out, there are a lot of drilling holes in the neckpocket. I wouldn't be surprised if the body and neck both have been refinished. Based on this pictures.

[briansbrew]

6 minutes ago, Sparky Mark said:

That decal is really interesting. I cannot find another like it anywhere online or in my various books. It doesn't make sense to me that anyone would create a fake that was different to a genuine decal. 

The guy whom I bought the bass from had it for over 30 years and he didnt get any work done on it so the mystery continues. He did contact Fender a few years ago and they confirmed that it was a 77 neck due to the date code on the heel, to me it just feels right and as you say why would anyone create a fake

[OliverBlackman]

1 hour ago, briansbrew said:

I haven’t seen overspray like that in the neck pocket on factory examples before. Usually there’s a thin strip of natural wood where the bass was hung for spraying.

[briansbrew]

The neck Lacquer has the usual chips down the side and the tide mark on the heel is evident...

[briansbrew]

Just now, briansbrew said:

The neck Lacquer has the usual chips down the side and the tide mark on the heel is evident...

[briansbrew]

12 minutes ago, SurroundedByManatees said:

It's not necessarily intended as being fake, but as part of restoration. Good chance it's a replacement decal imo. 

 

As pointed out, there are a lot of drilling holes in the neckpocket. I wouldn't be surprised if the body and neck both have been refinished. Based on this pictures.

I had a closer look at the decal with magnification and you can see evidence that it was cut with sissors and not as smooth on the edges as a proper factory one but a good decent job all the same 

[Chiliwailer]

5 minutes ago, briansbrew said:

The neck Lacquer has the usual chips down the side and the tide mark on the heel is evident...

Neck looks legit, especially with those stamps on the heal. You’re right about the logo, not a chance it’s legit.