Blackface Bassman help!!!

selfblessed · #1 02-15-2011, 12:31 AM

Hello. Its been a while. But I need some help with this Bassman I found. Its a Blackface Bassman. I was told its from 66. But the serial number points to it being more of a 65. So my questions are quite simple...
1. What year is this from? Serial Number-A04066
2. Pre CBS? (this will be fun)
3. Has this thing been modded to hell?
4. can it be fixed?

I have more questions that I will post with pictures to point at specific details.

Also. If you need a specific picture don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks!

selfblessed · #2 02-15-2011, 12:33 AM

What mod was this? There is an input and a potentiometer by the speaker jack.

selfblessed · #3 02-15-2011, 12:35 AM

Here is the tube chart. It says AA864. But I guess that can be misleading. Also. By Production #1 is stamped next to it. Parts of the tube chart are ripped off. But there is a letter B stamped on there to, right next to the most left 6L6 on the chart. This is the best picture I can get of it.

oddio · #4 02-15-2011, 05:12 AM

I've used information from this site to assist in dating older Fender gear. The "Fender Electric" vs. "Fender Musical" is a good indication that the amp is from summer '65 or earlier, although these days it's also one of the more common targets for repro faceplates and charts. If you poke through that page you'll find information on pot codes, etc.

billfitzmaurice · #5 02-15-2011, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by selfblessed

Hello. Its been a while. But I need some help with this Bassman I found. Its a Blackface Bassman. I was told its from 66. But the serial number points to it being more of a 65. So my questions are quite simple...
1. What year is this from? Serial Number-A04066
2. Pre CBS? (this will be fun)

http://www.ampwares.com/

Quote:

Originally Posted by selfblessed

What mod was this? There is an input and a potentiometer by the speaker jack.

One can only tell by tracing the wiring. The pot is probably an added master volume, but one can't tell by a picture of the pot alone. The jack probably a pre-out, but the same applies.

selfblessed · #6 02-15-2011, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

http://www.ampwares.com/
One can only tell by tracing the wiring. The pot is probably an added master volume, but one can't tell by a picture of the pot alone. The jack probably a pre-out, but the same applies.

Ok. Well it looks like the mod has been abandoned since. There are no wires leading off them to board or any where. The guy I bought it off of said it was "hot roded" and it can run EL34s.

s_mcsleazy · #7 02-15-2011, 08:51 AM

i have a master on my silverface

selfblessed · #8 02-15-2011, 09:14 AM

Hello. I found a stamp on the chassis that says OK0565 it is by the 3rd and 4th pre amp tubes.

selfblessed · #9 02-15-2011, 01:27 PM

Found a similar stamp on the inside of the head cabinet too.

christw · #10 02-15-2011, 01:30 PM

I would guess from those stamps and the other info you have that it's from May of 1965. However, I'm no expert.

selfblessed · #11 02-15-2011, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christw

I would guess from those stamps and the other info you have that it's from May of 1965. However, I'm no expert.

From what I understand. 05 would mean the 5th week.

jimbilly · #12 02-15-2011, 05:17 PM

I'd look at the back of the volume and tone pots and see what date they are: 137xxyy (yr/mo).

selfblessed · #13 02-15-2011, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbilly

I'd look at the back of the volume and tone pots and see what date they are: 137xxyy (yr/mo).

Will do. I got to go pay uncle sam.

BillyIVbass · #14 02-15-2011, 11:24 PM

I'm going to say from my casual knowledge it's a '65. Great amps, I love mine!

selfblessed · #15 02-23-2011, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbilly

I'd look at the back of the volume and tone pots and see what date they are: 137xxyy (yr/mo).

Billy. 137xxyy. Is the 137 a rough number?

Oren Hudson · #16 02-24-2011, 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by selfblessed

Billy. 137xxyy. Is the 137 a rough number?

I'm not Billy, but the 137 is the manufacturer code. 137 is for CTS (Chicago Telephone System) with the next 2 numbers being the year and the next 2 being the week of the year of manufacture.

zachoff · #17 02-24-2011, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by selfblessed

Ok. Well it looks like the mod has been abandoned since. There are no wires leading off them to board or any where. The guy I bought it off of said it was "hot roded" and it can run EL34s.

EL34s draw more current and can fry your amp if the mod wasn't done properly. I'd take it to a tech to make sure.

lbwdog · #18 02-24-2011, 08:39 AM

I forget exactly, but on the tube chart, there should be a stamp with a code that will indicate production date. Seems like there was a circle around the stamp on mine (IIRC) This may seem vague but it's the best i can remember.

I had a similar year Bassman that was given to me in '85. like yours, someone had tried to "Boogieize" it with a master pot added on the rear. It never worked right,so stayed in my shed until last year. A local fellow who loves rebuilding old tube amps volunteered to refurbish it for free, but lately, hard times forced me to sell it.

JTE · #19 02-24-2011, 09:21 AM

The date stamp on the tube chart is two capital letters, generally stamped in black ink. There's a code I used to know (20+ years ago when I managed a guitar store) that tells you the month and year the amp was manufactured from that two-letter code. I'm sure it's out in the 'net somewhere, I just don't get too fired up about whether something is 1965 or 1966.

CBS bought Fender Musical Instruments from Leo Fender with the sale effective January 1, 1965. It took them a while to make major changes in the amps, so even a '66 is generally considered to be built to "pre-CBS" specs. And most amp geeks also say the very earliest of the silver-faced amps had the same circuitry as the black-faced ones. It took 'em a while to mess over the amps because (I suspect) they were trying to develop a solid-state amp line so they left the old tube technology alone for a while.

But the solid-state stuff failed (in fact, Forrest White quit Fender because he refused to sign off on the production of the solid state stuff) and they turned their attention to upgrading the existing tube amps.

John

lbwdog · #20 02-24-2011, 10:47 AM

FOUND IT!!
http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fender2.html#amps

Date of Manufacturer for Fender Amps.
First check the cosmetic features of the amp in question. The above text should ID the amp's year into a general range of years. Next, check the date code(s). Fender amps made from 1951 to 1967 have a date code in the back. This is stamped with an ink stamp in black ink (or green ink in 1966) on the tube chart. Note this ink stamped designation should not be confused with the model number, serial number or production number. The first letter of the ink stamp is the year, the second the month of manufacturer.

First Letter (year):
A = 1951 J = 1960
B = 1952 K = 1961
C = 1953 L = 1962
D = 1954 M = 1963
E = 1955 N = 1964
F = 1956 O = 1965 (black ink)
G = 1957 O = 1966 (green ink)
H = 1958 P = 1966
I = 1959 Q = 1967

Second Letter (month):
A = January G = July
B = February H = August
C = March I = September
D = April J = October
E = May K = November
F = June L = December
Note: In January 1966, Fender forgot to change the year stamp for the tube chart stamp! Because of this, early 1966 amps (January/February) have the same letter stampings as early 1965 models.