Fender P-Bass Neck Heel Stamp

[Z Axeman]

Trying to date a bass I have been offered, starting with deciphering one of those odd 6 digit neckheel stamps. The neck is off a 1970 P-Bass (as per serial number plate), that has oddly enough two 137 6642 pots.
I find hints online how to decipher these, and as per those this may be a 5 (P-Bass) off batch # 22, made in 016 (01/66) with a B size nut.
Can anyone confirm if I decipher this correctly?

I read that Fender in the CBS era started later than 66 to use these codes, so I am not certain, especially since it has a 1970 serial number plate.
It comes with a grey bottom picked stamped 7170 for the bass strings, and a black bottom pickup w/o legible any number for the treble strings. Shouldn't it have two grey bottom pickups?

Any help to shed more light on this instrument is appreciated...

 

[Texaspandj]

Bump... curiosity.

 

[Z Axeman]

Bump... curiosity.

Meaning ??

 

[Texaspandj]

Bump = bringing it to main page for more folks to see your post/question... curiosity about your bass is the reason for bump.

 

[coreyfyfe]

Scroll down a bit here and you'll find the section on neck codes.

Vintage Guitars Info - Fender, collecting vintage guitars fender stratocaster, strat, telecaster, tele

There were two systems used, the first from 69-72ish, the later from 72-80. I have two 69 fenders, one uses the earlier simple stamp, one has the code system like this, so the transition was sometime in that year. You also see them revert to the simple stamp system in 72 between the two code styles. Not every instrument I've seen has matched the system perfectly though.

For your case 5 is correct for P bass. 016 should be your month/year but is definitely not 66 as this stamp system wasn't used. It could be 22 0 is still batch, 1 for 1971 and 6 for the month and the stamp was just reversed on this. Like I said, I've seen some 70s models with stamps that didn't fit the layout from the site above perfectly.

The 6642 pots are correct, in 1966 fender/CBS bought a huge surplus of pots for instruments and amps, basically everything from then until the early 70s will have 66 pots. Both of my 69s have 6642 dated pots.