1965 Fender Bassman Help

The "OH" means that it was built in August "H" of 1965 "O".

 

Also, there should a serial number stamped on the metal chassis on the back that begins with and "A". You can go to a website www.ggjaguar.com that has a discussion about dating vintage fender amps.

 

Sorry about the multiple postings. Here's a link to the serial number discussion page. fendamp5

 

According to the website I linked to, yes it's 1965.

 

I have a Silverface Bassman and went to the website also and couldn't figure out what year mine is. The serial on the metal chassis is A37906, it's got an AB165 chassis and it's a drip edge, that much I do know, any ideas. Is there a decoder there like the Rickenbacker site has or a list of serial numbers by years, if so I missed it.

Never mind I went to the wrong site. OK mine's a 67, thank you also for putting this info here, I always figured my Bassman was an early Silverface but know I know it was made in the first year of Silverface Bassmans.
Incidentally there's no printed letters on my tube chart.

 

Glad it helped! Sometimes the letters on the tube chart fade away or are barely visible. Sometimes the part of the tube chart that had the letters is torn off.

 

Well I had a hard time seeing the whole thing, it may have faded, I'll have to pull the back off and check

 

Drip edge should be 68-69 as far as I know

 

I just looked it up and I guess they started drip edge with Silverface production which according to this guy was in August of 67, I also have the black lines on mine:

Drip Edge Fender Amp Years of Production | Warehouse Guitar Speakers

 

Interesting, I've only ever seen them regarded at 68-69. I know fender tended to use up old circuit labels so his evidence being a drip edge deluxe with an AB763 sticker isn't really conclusive to me, component date codes might be more informative. Here's the ampwares page, pretty useful website for old fender circuit changes and such. They seem to also list the drip edge deluxe under 68, but I'm not really well versed in the fender minutia so 67 may be right.

 

It makes sense to me that they would start drip edge right with Silverface production, everything he says about my amp fits, the serial looks to be somewhere in the middle of 67, it's a Silverface and it's got drip edges and the black lines on the face plate, I too did always think that Silverface amps started in 68. I'm going to pull the back off my head and see if I can find the letters for the date.

 

The Fender Amp Field Guide