There are several ways to determine when a Fender amp was produced. First use the cosmetic features to get a range of possible years. Next, (if applicable) look for the date code on the tube chart. If your amp dosen’t have a date code, flip the amp upside-down and check the transformers, and speakers for their manufacturer codes. If possible, open up the chassis and check a few of the pots’ and capacitors’ manufacturer codes. Remember, many components could have been changed over the years, speakers blow, caps dry out, transformers melt down, and pots wear out.
Here is a cool link to a Vintage Fender Amp price history chart that tracks sales data for specific amp models by the month.
| Date Code: Wide panel, narrow panel, brown, blonde, and black face amps have a date code hand-stamped on the tube chart. This code is made up of two letters. The first letter translates to the year and the second to the month. The reissue amps also made use of this code. Example: FG=July 1956, QA=January 1967, and a reissue CG=July 1992
| EIA Source-Date Codes: Electronic components such as transformers, potentiometers, speakers, and some capacitors are often stampted with a date code indicating who manufactured them and when. The code follows the format: XXXYY ZZ where: XXX = a two or three (possibly four on newer amps) digit number indicating the manufacturer. (see chart below) YY = is a one or two digit code indicating the year. If it’s a one digit year you need to determine the correct decade of the amp some other way. ZZ = a number from 1 – 52 indicating the week of the year. Remember, your amp is newer than the newest component. So if you find pots from late 68 and transformers from early 69 you can be pretty sure your amp is a 1969. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Take a look at this ’62 Fender Princeton Amp, and you’ll see that exact speaker, as well as the typical Schumacher transformers (EIA 606) used in Fender amplifiers. Serial Number ranges from amplifiers made between the late ’40s – late ’70s: Bandmaster 5C7, 5D7 (tweed) 0001 to 0800 – 1953 5000 to 5500 – 1954. Bandmaster 5E7 (tweed). Fender was sold to CBS in January 1965. Serial numbering didn’t change immediately because instruments continued to be made using existing, tooling, parts and serial number schemes. The chart below details Fender serial number schemes used from 1965 to 1976. Notice that there is quite a bit of overlap in numbers and years. For mid to late ‘70s silverface amps and early ‘80s “blackface” models, the serial numbers are date encoded much the same way as Fender guitars from the late ‘70s: A6 + 5-digits – 1976 A7 + 5-digits – 1977 A8 + 5-digits – 1978.
Serial Number: There is no information readily available for dating Fender amps by serial number but there are people working on it. Check out this Google search for more resources.
Fender Amp Date Serial Number Location
Circuit Code: In 1963 Fender stoped using model numbers to identify schematics and began using the model name and an assigned circuit number. These circuit numbers which are located on the tube chart can be usefull for getting a rough date on an amp. Fender often used the same circuit for many years so this is not a very accurate method for amp dating. The code is simple, the first two letters are the revision, where AA is the first revision, AB is the second, etc. The next one or two numbers are the month where January is 1 and December is 12. The last two numbers are the year.
Example: AB763 = second revision, July, 1963
AA1070 = First revision, October, 1970
Misc Dating Info:
Silver face amps with the aluminum trimmed grilles are from 67 or 69.
Fender Amp Chassis Serial Number Date Codes
The fist Master volume controls were first installed in 72.
The raised “Fender” grille logo lost its tail around 76. There are exceptions to this rule like the the Bronco.
Fender Amp Date By Serial Number
Fender installed casters on some larger amps and cabs beginning in 72.