Fender Lap Steel Serial Numbers Dating

courtesy of pianowow

• Fender Lap Steel Serial Numbers Dating Sites
• Fender Lap Steel Guitar Models
• Fender Lap Steel Serial Numbers Dating Online
• Fender Lap Steel Serial Numbers Dating Site
• Fender Lap Steel History

Left: The 'inked on' serial number on a 1955 Les Paul standard solidbody guitar. This style serial number was used on all 1953 to 1960 solidbody Gibson guitars. Right: The 'inked on' serial number on this 1959 Les Paul Junior has no space between the '9' digit (year) and the rest of the numbers. This happened only in 1955, 1956, 1959 and 1960. Fender Champion Student lap-steel guitar - di Stefano Tavernese - Duration: 3:03. ChitarreMagazine 14,410 views. Lap Steel Demo Artist Guitars - Duration: 3:02.

Neither the date nor the value can be determined from the serial number. Fender's amps, unlike their guitars, are not tracked by the serial number. In order to date a Fender amp or provide the value, you need to know one of the below:

* The 2 letter date code rubber stamped on the Tube Chart, or

* The 2 letter date code on the QA Sticker, or

1. Sometime in 1970, Fender ordered a bunch of Twin Reverb/Dual Showman Reverb chasses from their supplier. The machine that stamped the serial number into the back of the chassis got stuck on number A23373 and a lot of pieces were stamped with this number. It would have been very costly to destroy these units so two remedies were implemented.
2. Neither the date nor the value can be determined from the serial number. Fender's amps, unlike their guitars, are not tracked by the serial number. In order to date a Fender amp or provide the value, you need to know one of the below:. The 2 letter date code rubber stamped on the Tube Chart, or. The 2 letter date code on the QA Sticker,.

* The Transformer Number that starts with '606-XX-XX', with the 3 or 4 Xs being the unknown numbers that need to be provided by the owner of the amplifier asking the question.

NOTE: The transformer number tells you when the transformer was made and not necessarily the date the amplifier left the Fender Factory, the '2 Letter' date code on the Tube Chart or QA Sticker actually tells you that and that makes it the most accurate option for dating the month and year it was made..

The type of face, grille cloth, type and number of speakers, type and number of knobs, etc. only come into play when you're trying to value the amplifier in the Blue Book for Guitar Amplifiers per the model description that is provided. They are not of a concern with dating as only the 2 letter date codes on whichever chart or sticker and the transformer number comes into play for that.. There are other ways but the above is a more accurate method.

Per Blue Book and Fender Consumer Relations Department. For more information, please visit this site: Fender Support

kcbuck

So.. what do you think? Please leave me a comment.

Kcbuck isa master administrator and an all time top contributor at My Guitar Buddies.

28 Comments:

Fender Lap Steel Serial Numbers Dating Sites

• Vale:It seems like this question comes up quite often. Did Fender have any reason for using this method over the serial number?
• kcbuck:Evidently they did, or why would they have used it?
• kcbuck:That's what I'm here for just ask The Bonehead.
  Bubba Doll
• joe:You can date a Fender amp by serial number:
  http://www.superiormusic.com/page195.htm
  At the very least, it's one more bit of data to add to the mix.
• kcbuck:No.. You need one of the following;
  1. The 2 letter date code rubber stamped on the Tube Chart, or
  2. The 2 letter date code on the QA Sticker, or
  3. The Transformer Number that starts with '606-XX-XX', with the 3 or 4 Xs numbers being the date code when the transformer was made and not necessarily when the amp was made.
  Just exactly as indicated in the blog post above. Did you read it first?
• joe:Yes, I read it. Instead of repeating yourself, why don't you explain why the link I posted is inaccurate? That would be very helpful.
• kcbuck:Well Dah!!!! You have to select what you're looking for in the pull down menu to the right and go from there through the various categories. Did you think it read your mind or something?
• joe:'That's what I'm here for just ask The Bonehead.'
  Very appropriate name. I'm out.
• kcbuck:She earned that name and answers to it too. She is a sweetie most of the times and my favorite aggravation, just like the kids.
• Luca:I have a Fender hot rod deville 410, serial B170582 Made in mexico, type PR 247. What are the dating and value? Thanks a lot. Luca. Italy
• kcbuck:This is a blog post and I will not answer dating questions in a blog post. Therefore, you'll have to create a question by clicking on 'Ask A Question' and provide the make, model, and one of the below 3 listed items in order to date the amp;
  * The 2 letter date code rubber stamped on the Tube Chart, or
  * The 2 letter date code on the QA Sticker, or
  * The Transformer Number that starts with '606-XX-XX', with the 3 or 4 additional numbers.
• Mikey T:Super reverb NK
  Transforme 605-4-20
  Above that acode # 125C1A
  Serial no.A05897
  The transformer looks like its been replaced
  This is believed to be a black face 1964 Super Reverb
• kcbuck:It was born in the 20 week of 1964. If you post a picture, I can confirm the model.
• Mikey T:Age
• Mikey T:Email correction
• kcbuck:Open a new post by clicking on the icon in the upper right hand corner of the opening page, select a forum, write your post and at the bottom where you write your post there is an option to 'Add a Photo'. Click on that button and navigate to where your photo is and insert it into your post.
• Billy:I am trying to date my Fender Vibrolux
  serial # AB 011158
  Any help would be greatly appreciated
  Thanks In advance
  Bill
• kcbuck:This is a blog post and I will not answer dating questions in a blog post. Therefore, you'll have to create a question by clicking on 'Ask A Question' and provide the make, model, and one of the below 3 listed items in order to date the amp;
  * The 2 letter date code rubber stamped or hand written on the Tube Chart,
  * The 2 letter date code on the QA Sticker, and/or
  * The Transformer Number that starts with '606-XX-XX', with the 3 or 4 additional numbers.
• T.H.Smith:I am trying to determine the worth of my Super 60 Fender Amp. The model # LL66385 SN# LO 106926 Fender Musical Instruments The Numbers on the silver & black sticker I cannot read & doesn't show up on a photo.
• kcbuck:T>H>:
  The Fender Super, which is a 60W tube amp has a current listed resale value of:
  Exc. Cond: $$650.00 to $800.00 USD
  Ave. Cond: $475.00 to $500.00 USD
  Please put any future question in a post and not piggy-backing onto any blog posts. FYI: It was made between 1992 and 1995.
  Regards,
  kcbuck - Texas Boy
• Loren:In all of these amp dating sites they do not list the 'Ultra Chorus PR 204'. The serial # is LO-627197 the # on the QA sticker is CJ 316290..any ideas?
• kcbuck:Loren:
  Your amplifier was made in October of 1992 per the 2-Letter Date Code.
• SSpeer:I'm looking for a listing of all the model numbers of Fender Frontman 15B amps. Any idea where such a list might exist?
• Sparky2:SSpeer,
  The Frontman series was introduced in 1997. These amps replaced the H.O.T., J.A.M., and R.A.D. models.
  In 2003, the Frontman series was renamed the Frontman II Series. With the change of series the amps received a facelift with a silver grille and silver-top knobs to look like the blackface amps of vintage. The external speaker jack was also replaced with an auxillary RCA input.
  Copy and paste the link below to review specs on the two Frontman 15 amps listed in the Blue Book.
  https://www.dropshots.com/sparkmaj/date/2019-12-19/16:54:25

Gretsch used several different serial number schemes through the years. Each of them can be used to accurately pinpoint the age of a guitar, if you have the correct information.

Unfortunately, correct information can be very difficult to come by.

Most online guides (and quite a few print guides) are based on Jay Scott's groundbreaking book 'Gretsch: the guitars of the Fred Gretsch Company,' which is a fine book, but is nearly two decades old. Subsequent research has unearthed quite a few inaccuracies in Scott's numbers, so any serial number guides cribbing from Scott are also incorrect.

The Gretsch-GEAR database exists to get it right: to document the actual serial numbers, to determine once and for all what was built and when, and to harness the collective knowledge of thousands of Gretsch fans to put the pieces together.

Fender Lap Steel Guitar Models

If you'd like to learn more about Gretsch serial numbers, we highly recommend Ed Ball's 'Gretsch 6120: The History of a Legendary Guitar.' Ball is one of the key researchers who have determined the actual dates, years and features Gretsch serial numbers correspond to.

From the beginning of the Synchromatic era until 1966, Gretsch guitars were sequentially numbered and can be used to reliably date the guitar. However, it is important to note several key points:

1. Gretsch annual changes corresponded to model years, like automakers, not necessarily calendar year. Just as a '57 Chevy may have been built in late '56 to hit the showrooms in the fall, a '57 6120 may have been constructed in '56. Nevertheless, if it has all the typical '57 features, it is considered a '57 model, not a '56.
2. Gretsch guitars were built in batches, typically of 100, but sometimes 50. Guitars typically did not change much within a batch – with some exceptions – but they often changed from batch to batch. Which means two examples from the same year could have different features, depending on which batches they came from. You can see this as you browse Gretsch-GEAR or chart the changes.
3. Numbers restarted after World War II, which can lead to considerable confusion on very old Gretsches. If it has a 'light bulb' headstock, it's probably pre-war.
4. The numbers here are generally considered the most accurate numbers publicly available at the time. However, research has indicated that they could be substantially off. If you have questions, ask on the forum. One of our resident Gretsch-sperts will be able to help.

Gretsch began numbering guitars sequentially, probably in 1939 but possibly earlier.

The numbers, by model year:

Less than 1000

Pre-war

10xx to 20xx

Approximately 1945-1947

20xx-30xx

Approximately 1948-1949

30xx to 40xx

Approximately 1950

40xx to 50xx

Approximately 1951

50xx to 70xx

Approximately 1952

70xx to 90xx

1953

90xx to 130xx

1954

130xx to 180xx

1955

180xx to 210xx

1956

210xx to 260xx

1957 Note: 1000 serial numbers from 1957 were misplaced and later turned up, with original '57-style labels, in 1965.

260xx to 300xx

1958

300xx to 340xx

1959

340xx to 390xx

1960

390xx to 450xx

1961

451xx to 530xx

1962

530xx to 630xx

1963

630xx to 770xx

1964

770xx to 840xx

1965 Note: the misplaced 1957 serial numbers, as well as some odd four-digit serial numbers, show up in 1965-1966, during the transition to the date-coded system in mid-'66.

Gretsch began date-coding serial numbers in August 1966. Date-coded serial numbers are typically found stamped on the back or top of the headstock, and 'Made in USA' is stamped next to the number starting in June 1967.

The first digit or first 2 digits = month (1-12).
The next digit = last digit of the year (1966 to 1972: 6,7,8,9,0,1,2).
The remaining digits = number of individual instrument, probably.

For example, 27136 should be February (2), 1967 (7) and the 136th instrument made that month.

A hyphenated number was embossed on the back of headstock.

The digits before hyphen = month (1-12).
The first digit after hyphen = last digit of year. (i.e., 1974 would be 4)
Last 3 digits = number of the instrument.

For example, 3-8094 would be March (3), 1978 (8) and the 94th guitar made that month.

Serial numbers have six numbers, with a three digit suffix.

The first two digits are the year of manufacture.
The next digit is the month.
The next three digits are the model number, without the 6 at the beginning.
The final numbers are the sequential order of the model made during the lifespan of the model (not that year).

For example, 946119-976 would be a June 1994 Tennessee Rose, the 976th made.

• 94 is the year 19'94'
• 6 is the month '6' = June
• 119 is the model 6'119'

Lower numbers will always appear on earlier guitars, higher numbers on later guitars. Remember that 2000 and 2001 guitars will, of course, not begin with a 9. Also, on guitars built in October, November or December, the third AND fourth digits denote the month.

A special note on pre-Fender MIK models (Electromatics, Synchromatics and Historics

Serial numbers on Korean made guitars in this era were printed on a sticker affixed to the back of the headstock. This sticker, along with the 'Made in Korea' sticker, went missing almost immediately — sometimes before the guitar even left the store.

In addition, these guitars followed no known numbering scheme. As of July 2011, the current thinking is that the first digit probably denotes the year, while the following numbers remain a mystery.

This only pertains the pre-Fender Korean-made guitars. Free crack starcraft 1 free. The Fender-era 51xx guitars follow the normal Fender numbering scheme.

When Fender took over production in January 2003 the serial number scheme changed again, and Fender-era serial numbers have a two-character originating factory code, followed by year and month, and finally a sequential ordering number.

For example, serial number JT03074463 would break down as:

• J: Japan
• T: Terada factory
• 03: 2003
• 07: July Production
• 4463: 4,463rd guitar built that year (all models combined)

The two-letter factory code prefixes include:

Fender Lap Steel Serial Numbers Dating Online

• CS: US, Custom Shop
• CY: China, Yako
• KP: Korea, Peerless
• KS: Korea, Samick/SPG
• JD: Japan, Dyna Gakki
• JF: Japan, Fuji-Gen Gakki
• JT: Japan, Terada
• IS: Indonesia, Samick

Xion audio player for mac. Of those, JT is by far the most common on the pro-line instruments. However, other Japanese facilities have been used, so it's not particularly unusual to see JD and JF prefixes.

Most Electromatic hollowbodies carry a KS designation, although KP was fairly common prior to about 2007.

CY is usually seen on Electromatic solidbodies such as the Corvette/CVT.

The last four numbers are sequential for the given year (all models combined) and are broken into two categories as follows:

• 0001 - 0100: Reserved for prototypes, samples, one-offs, and other special things.
• 0101 - 9999: Regular production (all models combined).

So, JT05070014 would be made at the Terada factory in July 2005 and would be the 14th of something special that year (all special models combined).

Unlike the pre-Fender codes, specific models are no longer designated within the serial number.

In the beginning, Gretsch simply wrote serial numbers inside the guitar in pencil. These pencilled-in numbers often fade and become illegible, or even disappear.

After World War II, some guitars had a serial number embossed on the head, but reliable numbers didn't really appear until the advent of the first labels, around 1949.

Early labelled Gretsches will usually have a printed serial number and a handwritten model number. On hollowbodies, the label is usually visible through the f-hole. On other models such as solidbodies, it should be inside a control cavity.

From about 1949 to 1957 watch for a white rectangular label that reads:

Fender Lap Steel Serial Numbers Dating Site

The serial number will probably be printed in red, and the model number written in blue or black. The label has a fairly ornate border around it, but the 'Gretsch' is usually printed in a plain font. However, some have 'Gretsch' printed as the familiar logo.

Beginning in about 1957 a new label was introduced, which lasted until about 1965. On this one, 'The Fred Gretsch Mfg. Co.' was printed in black on an orange shape that vaguely resembles a musical note. This was superimposed on a gray over white label.

On the white part, the serial number is printed, and the model number should be handwritten. This label should be on all guitars after number 25000.

This would be a good time to note that some models, particularly 1962 -'65 models, had the serial number embossed on the headstock in lieu of a label.

Beginning in 1965, the model number was printed either on top or on the back of the headstock or engraved in the metal model plate on the headstock, and no label was fitted. How to technic launcher on mac.

Fender Lap Steel History

In the late '60s the labels returned on most models. For a brief period rarely found labels were used that look like the second-generation labels, except 'That Great Gretsch Sound' is printed across the bottom.

Finally, sometime around 1972 a plain black and white label was introduced. With 'Gretsch Guitars' in a logo-type font across the top. These labels list model and serial numbers and along the bottom reads 'Made in U.S.A.'

On modern Gretsches, the serial number is usually readily visible on the back of the headstock.