FMWoodeye
725 posts
Jul 07, 2013
9:57 PM
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The plate on the back of my Fender Bassman reads
Model 59 Bassman, no RI or LTD. I'm wondering what
is the year of manufacture. I guess it doesn't really
matter because it's mine and it is what it is. Still...
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Rick Davis
2071 posts
Jul 07, 2013
10:25 PM
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I took that plate off and threw is away a long time ago. I have no idea what it said. Isn't there a date code on the tube chart?
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
Tip Jar
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Kingley
2859 posts
Jul 07, 2013
10:41 PM
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The Bassman RI never had RI written on it. So it's most likely a 1990's model. Does it have blue speakers in it? If so then it's a '90's one. The Bassman LTD has LTD written on the plate. You can also tell the year of manufacture by the serial number of the amp I believe. If you do a Google search it should tell you how to read it.
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Rick Davis
2074 posts
Jul 07, 2013
11:00 PM
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from eHow.com (of all places):
Locate the production stamp on the tube chart. From 1953 to 1967, this was a two-letter stamp that corresponded with the month and year the amp was manufactured. For instance, if the amp was manufactured in March of 1955, the serial code would be EC. E for 1955 and C for March. This two-letter production stamp continued in 1990 when Fender began reissuing Fender Bassman Amplifiers. Here is a comprehensive table for identifying the production stamp:
A - 1951, 1990 B - 1952, 1991 C - 1953, 1992 D - 1954, 1993 E - 1955, 1994 F=1956, 1995 G - 1957, 1996 H - 1958, 1997 I - 1959, 1998 J - 1960, 1999 K - 1961, 2000 L - 1962, 2001 M - 1963, 2002 N - 1964, 2003 O - 1965, 2004 P - 1966, 2005 Q - 1967, 2006
A - Jan B - Feb C - Mar D - Apr E - May F - Jun G - Jul H - Aug I - Sep J - Oct K - Nov L - Dec
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
Tip Jar
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FMWoodeye
726 posts
Jul 08, 2013
5:32 AM
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@Kingley...Google, of course. This is a tool I've used to date horns on multiple occasions. What was I thinking?
@Rick Davis....Thanks for going to the trouble, Rick. I'm not usually so helpless.
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Rick Davis
2075 posts
Jul 08, 2013
8:36 AM
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FM, I had to look it up when I got my Bassman.
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
Tip Jar
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Moon Cat
286 posts
Jul 08, 2013
10:54 AM
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ones with the blues speakers early 90's baby beloved!
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1847
902 posts
Jul 08, 2013
12:56 PM
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a friend and i, both bought one when they first came out
i remember it had a stamp A1 if i remember correctly
it could of been AA , but as i remember
it was A1 January 1990
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third times a charm!
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FMWoodeye
727 posts
Jul 08, 2013
2:00 PM
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Yes, blue speakers. No wonder it sounds so good. I thought it was me.
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Harpaholic
278 posts
Jul 08, 2013
2:11 PM
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Should be AA which is what mine is. I was looking for an early model and found out later it was first production.
The eminence blues are real close to vintage P10R's IMO
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Rick Davis
2077 posts
Jul 08, 2013
3:11 PM
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Mine is BD.
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
Tip Jar
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528hemi
376 posts
Jul 08, 2013
4:40 PM
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The reissues with the blue frame were not all early 90's. I have one from 1998 with original blue frames not the LTD that dates 1998.
528hemi
Last Edited by 528hemi on Jul 08, 2013 4:41 PM
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Harpaholic
279 posts
Jul 08, 2013
4:54 PM
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I've seen a 1996 with the blues didn't know they made them later, that's a good thing!
Last Edited by Harpaholic on Jul 08, 2013 4:55 PM
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528hemi
377 posts
Jul 08, 2013
4:58 PM
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This is strange. On the tube chart next to production mine looks like 3 letter script like someones initials.
on the quality sticker I see a IB on one of the lines so now am really confused.
Dating by Serial Number: Here's the part everyone has been waiting for. Yes, we are confident that we have cracked the date codes on the reissue amps! We have some transformer date code information to support this, too. There are two letters stamped on the tube chart on the line that says "Production." The first letter denotes the year and the second letter denotes the month just like on the amps made in the '50s and '60s. However, the reissue codes are as follows:
A = 1990 A = January
B = 1991 B = February
C = 1992 C = March
D = 1993 D = April
E = 1994 E = May
F = 1995 F = June
G = 1996 G = July
H = 1997 H = August
I = September
J = October
K = November
L = December
Last Edited by 528hemi on Jul 08, 2013 4:59 PM
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tmf714
1832 posts
Jul 08, 2013
5:31 PM
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@528-That would be February 1998 . Use the fender amp field guide for specs on all years including the Reissue-
Last Edited by tmf714 on Jul 08, 2013 5:32 PM
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Harpaholic
280 posts
Jul 08, 2013
5:33 PM
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I read on the Internet so is must be true from a few different sources that the Emi blues are identical to the discontinued Legend 102 and they where actually 20 watt speakers. I found an old discontinued sale add where they show the 102 and it has the blue frame and Eminence label. 100-6000 HZ, 6 oz alnico mag, 100 db.
Apparently the old 102's used a paper former voice coil and the new ones use a Kapton, hence the 1028K part number.
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Albey
34 posts
Jul 08, 2013
8:44 PM
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I bought my RI Bassman the first year they were offered for sale. At the time I was playing through a Black Face Concert and carrying a Black Face Super Reverb as a backup amp in case the Concert decided to take the night off. I wanted a amp that I knew was going to work every night and luckily the music store here in Atlanta that most of the Blues players frequented got four of them in for me to try. Mine has a serial number - AA01691 The production code on the tube chart says AJ. Anybody have an idea what that means?
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Thanks,
Albey Scholl
The Shadows
Blind Willies Blues Club
Atlanta, GA
http://www.blindwilliesblues.com/
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Rick Davis
2078 posts
Jul 08, 2013
8:51 PM
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Albey, AJ = October of 1990
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-Little Rick Davis
The Blues Harp Amps Blog
The Mile High Blues Society
Tip Jar
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Johncn
69 posts
Jul 12, 2013
11:38 AM
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Hi,
So, following the chart from Rick, this Bassman Reissue LTD would be JA = 1999, January?
A - 1951, 1990
B - 1952, 1991
C - 1953, 1992
D - 1954, 1993
E - 1955, 1994
F= 1956, 1995
G - 1957, 1996
H - 1958, 1997
I - 1959, 1998
J - 1960, 1999
K - 1961, 2000
L - 1962, 2001
M - 1963, 2002
N - 1964, 2003
O - 1965, 2004
P - 1966, 2005
Q - 1967, 2006
A - Jan
B - Feb
C - Mar
D - Apr
E - May
F - Jun
G - Jul
H - Aug
I - Sep
J - Oct
K - Nov
L - Dec
The problem with that is that the one I am looking at is so freakishly clean that it can't be from 1999...unless it was in a box in a warehouse someplace.
Do I have the dates twisted somehow?
Thanks,
Johncn
Last Edited by Johncn on Jul 12, 2013 1:36 PM
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