FENDER PRECISION... 1978??

[DiegoRR]

Hey gang, it has been brought to my attention (I just felt like saying that...) that my fender precision might in fact not be a 1978 as I thought. I contacted fender directly and they told me 1978 but I recently read something about serial number starting with S might not necessarily be from the seventees. Where are the fender experts?
Serial number: S883107

*fingers crossed*

[AMJBASS]

With that serial number it should be a 78. Check that pot dates as well if they are orginal.

[joeyl]

http://www.guitardaterproject.org/fender.aspx

says 78, Fullerton plant, CBS era

[audiomitch]

The way I understand is that the S8 serial numbers covered a number of years. They had left over decals or something. The best way to check is to take off the neck and check for a date stamp or handwritten date. There may also be a date sticker in the cavity under the pickup.

[ttomom]

I have one with a S7 serial and back in 1988 a guitar tech told me it was probably a '78, not a '77. Don't really know or even really care though

[johnk_10]

Originally Posted by DiegoRR

Hey gang, it has been brought to my attention (I just felt like saying that...) that my fender precision might in fact not be a 1978 as I thought. I contacted fender directly and they told me 1978 but I recently read something about serial number starting with S might not necessarily be from the seventees. Where are the fender experts?
Serial number: S883107

*fingers crossed*

i you check the potentiometer date codes, it will tell you more accurately what year it is.

[Caca de Kick]

S8 serial numbers were used well into 1982.

Use the date stamps on the pots, pickups, and neck (if stamped) to date it.

[coreyfyfe]

Yup, as said above S8 is usually 78, but was also used until the early 80s. Check the pot codes, pickup codes, neck stamp, or the routing for a solid answer.


Your pots should say 137YYWW with YY = year, WW = week.

The neck code should be an 8 digit code in the format MM NN WW Y D (model, neck, week, year, day) - for example a 78 P with a maple fretboard built on tuesday of the 25th week would be 01 03 25 8 2. For this, 01 is P bass, 03 is fretted maple, 00 or 01 is rosewood, 10 is fretless maple.

The pickup codes should have a 78 in them for a 78 date of manufacture.

Pictures would help us help you as well.

[thebisch]

S8 was used until early '83. I know someone with a D&B Jazz with an '83 neck date and a S8 serial. I also have had a '82 Strat with an S8 serial.

[JTE]

Fender serial numbers were never intended to identify the date of manufacture (whatever that is- when the neck was cut? when the body was painted? when the neck and body were bolted together? when it passed inspection?), but to track inventory, sales, and warranty registration/claims. The neck date is the most often used indicator based on the assumption that after they built a neck they'd get it on a body and the instrument finished right away. Pot codes can help some, but they're not good on their own because Fender wasn't careful about inventory rotation. Pots and serial number plates were issued to work stations, and the person at the work station could grab them in any order they wanted.

You really have to use all the tools to narrow down the date. And, the "year" is also pretty vague at times. A "78" would have the features they introduced at NAMM in the summer of '77. Until the late '80s, the summer NAMM show was the big one, and the one where all the new stuff was introduced. They'd try to get the new features into production so items ordered at NAMM would have the new features. So, a bass made in 1977 could very well have features that identify it as a '78. And if they didn't make changes, those features would be consistent for several years.

When CBS started using the serial number scheme with the "S" and a number to show the year, the intent was to date the instruments. However, they also bought a huge load of "S8" decals that were used well into when CBS finally put the company on the market in late '83 or early '84.

John

John