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Help! 70s fender logo question

JaySpade

JaySpade

Jul 11, 2010
501
7
42
Nashville TN
#1
I've got a 76 jazz that I'm trying to sell and have a buyer with a logo question. Some 76's have pat pending followed by 4 sets of numbers. I've also seen some that have serial numbers on the headstock that go s6xxxxxx. Mine has serial on neck plate and pat pending followed by 2 numbers. Anyone seen this before.
 

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#2
They must have been transitioning from the "tv logo" (big serif font like yours) to the late 70's-80's narrower sans-serif font. (I gather '76 is when they started transitioning...)

My '71 P with "tv logo"
71_p_headstock.jpg


My '79 Jazz
79_jazz_headstock.jpg


Yours has the serial on the neckplate (like you said..., and neckstamp for dating...) Later ones had serial on the headstock only.

This is the page I use for Fender dating info, and they cite 1976 as the year they made the switch:

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html

Serial Number on Peghead Decal.
U.S. made Fenders, starting in mid-1976 has the serial number on the peghead. Note the following number could be off as much as two years. Generally speaking, a "S" prefix equals the 1970's, "E" prefix equals the 1980's, and "N" prefix equals the 1990's. Note "E" and "N" prefix models are sometimes also Japanese-made (see below).
7600000 ("76" in bold) = 1976-1977
800000s = 1979-1981
1000000 to 8000000 = 1976-1981 (7 digits)

S1 to S5 + 5 Digits = 1979-1982
S6 + 5 digits = 1976
S7 + 5 digits = 1977-1978
S8 + 5 digits = 1977-1978
S9 + 5 digits = 1978-1981
E0 + 5 digits = 1979-1981
E1 + 5 digits = 1980-1981

E1 + 5 digits = 1982
E2 + 5 digits = 1982-1983
E3 + 5 digits = 1982-1984
E4 + 5 digits = 1984-1985, 1987-1988
E8 + 5 digits = 1988-1989
E9 + 5 digits = 1988-1990
Click to expand...

There have been minor discrepancies with the info on this page (regarding some body woods, finishes, etc...) but it's a good place to start.

I'd nominate TB user JohnK_10 as the "go to guy" for these kinds of questions. He had his hands all-up-in Fender basses back in those days, so he knows many first-hand answers to these kinds of questions.
 
#5
Looks good, what are the numbers stamped on the neck, I can see 0203, hard to figure out the rest. Anyway, here is a decoder from the above mentioned site:
Link Removed

1972 to 1980 Neck Stamps Explained.
This information was provided by Greg Gagliano. The 1972-1980 eight digit code is similar to the previous 1969-1971 system. Example, Music Master (s/n 595121) with code 49002153. The first 6 digits are paired off and the last two digits are taken singly. So that gives us 49 00 215 3 where:

* 49 = model code (Musicmaster, Mustang, Bronco)
* 00 = neck code (rosewood fingerboard)
* 21 = week code (week 21)
* 5 = year code (1975)
* 3 = day of the week code (Wednesday)

Model Codes Used from 1972 to 1980.
Model codes (first pair of digits):
o 01 = Precision Bass
o 02 = Jazz Bass
o 04 = Mustang Bass
o 08 = Telecaster Deluxe
o 09 = Stratocaster
o 13 = Telecaster, Telecaster Custom, Telecaster Thinline
o 49 = Musicmaster, Mustang, Bronco

Neck Codes Used from 1972 to 1980.
Neck codes (second pair of digits):
o 00 = rosewood fingerboard
o 01 = rosewood fingerboard
o 03 = fretted maple neck OR skunk stripe neck with rosewood board
o 10 = fretless maple neck

Now try and decode a Precision Bass (s/n 647149) with code 01031051. You should get:

* 01 = Precision Bass
* 03 = fretted maple neck
* 10 = Week 10
* 5 = 1975
* 1 = Monday

Here's a Telecaster (s/n S725092) with rosewood fingerboard and code 1303167?.

* 13 = Telecaster
* 03 = rosewood fingerboard on skunk stripe neck
* 16 = Week 16
* 7 = 1977
* ? = day unknown as digit was illegible
 

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