Fender body - What does this date say?

[Johnny Alien]

What date is this??

[Gecko 5]

Looks like May 23, 1982 to me

[Johnny Alien]

I thought 1982 as well. Does it look like it has a small router bump on the side?

[FranF]

I see the router bump too. My wife and I are thinking it's 92 though. And the date under it looks like 91 or 92 to us. A few other thoughts: I owned an '82 Vint. '57 P with the s/n of V000360 which was the lowest anyone seems to have seen to date. That bass had body dates of mid July '82. Something tells me having one from May like the one you pictured would be too early for the Vintage series. I've owned and worked on several Vints from '82-'84 and have never seen one stamped "62 P Bass" like that either. But as we all know, never say never!

[Johnny Alien]

Thanks Fran. It's a little odd. I think the month says Sept but I can see May too. This was sold to me as a 1989. The neck is dated early 88 so a 1992 body is possible if they held onto the neck for a long time or I suppose an 82 would be possible if it was old stock. The pickguard is a pepperoni Fullerton guard and the pickup I believe is a Fullerton era pickup. I will need to check the pots. But the small router bump and early 80's pieces made me wonder. It sucks that the 23 is the only number that is easy to read.

[Johnny Alien]

Here's a photo of the body and whole bass. Oddly the grain is very priminant almost like ash but nor quite that darkly grained.

[deeptubes]

I immediately see MAR 23 1962. Perhaps the 62 PBASS is affecting me subliminally. But, the third digit seems to have a break and/or a sharp edge in the loop on the upper right hand side, near the 2. Perhaps you can take a piece of 400 paper and VERY GENTLY see if you can eliminate some of the ink bleed. Just an idea.

[FranF]

Okay, more hints. The logo is from the late 80's to early 90s. Misplaced and too far to the left, quite common. The Fullerton ones almost always got it correct, in the center. The knobs are also post-Fullerton with the tiny lip around the top between the knurling and smooth surface.

[Rockmusician]

It is probably March 23, 1992 off of a 1962 reissue.

[Johnny Alien]

Originally Posted by FranF

Okay, more hints. The logo is from the late 80's to early 90s. Misplaced and too far to the left, quite common. The Fullerton ones almost always got it correct, in the center. The knobs are also post-Fullerton with the tiny lip around the top between the knurling and smooth surface.

Yeah the neck is definitely dated 1988. I bought it as a 1989. The pickup looks like an early one, the pickguard is leftover stock from the Fullertons, the neck is 88. I was a little thrown off by the date at first. I was thinking maybe it was some old stock. I suppose it's possible that they used an older body but marked it with a newer code "62PBSB" I am not sure that the router bump is large enough although my later reissues had absolutely no bump at all. It seems more logical that it is an older neck on a 92 body I suppose. But that is a long time to hold onto a neck and I thought they usually dated the neck only when they used it. Like on the S9 1979 necks that are dated in the 80's on the heel. Or perhaps that is just leftover decals vs actual leftover necks.

[Johnny Alien]

I think the lesson is that in the late 80's-90's when the Corona factory was in infancy they threw anything together.

[FranF]

Logical! With a pinch of FDP 'never say never' thrown in! Beautiful bass though.

[Johnny Alien]

It plays fantastic and the neck is super skinny front to back like my 83 Fullerton. Not sure how long they kept doing that but this one has it and it's dated 88. I wish they still made them that way.

[Gecko 5]

Beautiful bass..... Regardless of the date.

[Diplowmatt]

Working in retail where I see smuged dates all the time, I'd say it's May 23rd, 1982.

[elgranluis]

classical fender. Same thing happened in the early 80s., I had a 78 or 79 necki in a 82 body. It came that way from the factory. I guess they just kept doing it all the way into the 90s!

[Johnny Alien]

I'll post some photos of the contours when I get back from work. That is another identifying factor.

[jay tay]

Originally Posted by Johnny Alien

What date is this??

wow that nearly as illegible as mine, looks like 1982 to me, but I can't be sure!

wish I could help

[Johnny Alien]

This was really hard to photograph. The issue is the black edge of the sunburst.

[Bongolation]

Why is everyone else's house cleaner and more orderly than mine?

That's what these pictures say to me.