Help: old P Bass date/serial number?

[sovtekking]

So this is for sale near me for a bargain. She says it's "the same as when she bought it 50 years ago" and the serial number is BP07615. Any of you guys know what year that's from? Pic below...


Sorry for the dual post. I just realized there's a bass section also.

 

[Kal-El]

You can contact Fender for this info. https://support.fender.com/hc/en-us/sections/202726846-Product-Dating

 

[bigtone23]

That's a weird serial number. Fenders from 50 years ago had just a 6 digit serial number on the neck plate.
The sunburst color and such looks correct for a 1970ish Fender, though.

 

[Jon Moody]

I did some Googling, and can't find anything with a BP + 5 digits for a serial. Perhaps the P is a typo, and supposed to be another zero? If that's the case, it would be a Japanese made Fender from '85.

 

[sovtekking]

I did some Googling, and can't find anything with a BP + 5 digits for a serial. Perhaps the P is a typo, and supposed to be another zero? If that's the case, it would be a Japanese made Fender from '85.

Looks like that's for the amp they have which is a 63 blonde Bassman. The p Bass is DES187.001 which puts it as a '66 P Bass. I'm buying the amp, cab, and the bass tomorrow for 1750

 

[Jeff Scott]

Looks like that's for the amp they have which is a 63 blonde Bassman. The p Bass is DES187.001 which puts it as a '66 P Bass. I'm buying the amp, cab, and the bass tomorrow for 1750

Those numbers make no sense, in Fender parlance, that I am aware of.

 

[eddiemac]

Neck plate numbers for a 1966 go from 110000 to 200000 - no letter prefixes.

 

[sovtekking]

Neck plate numbers for a 1966 go from 110000 to 200000 - no letter prefixes.

It's the serial on the headstock

 

[wynsmth]

It's the serial on the headstock

That's not the serial number. If it is a '66, the serial number is on the neck plate. Recent instruments have it on the back of the headstock.

How can I find out when my American-made instrument was manufactured?

DATING YOUR U.S.-MADE FENDER STRINGED INSTRUMENT For most of Fender’s U.S. instrument production history, production dates have been applied to various components. Most notably, production dates ...

support.fender.com

 

[sovtekking]

That's not the serial number. If it is a '66, the serial number is on the neck plate. Recent instruments have it on the back of the headstock.

How can I find out when my American-made instrument was manufactured?

DATING YOUR U.S.-MADE FENDER STRINGED INSTRUMENT For most of Fender’s U.S. instrument production history, production dates have been applied to various components. Most notably, production dates ...

support.fender.com

According to this it is...

Fender Guitars Serial Number Decoder - GuitarInsite

guitarinsite.nl

187001 dates to a 66. I'm going to pull the neck and check the pocket before I buy it. The serial on the neckplate doesn't make sense so it might not be original.

 

[wynsmth]

The p Bass is DES187.001 which puts it as a '66 P Bass.

This is the number you said was the serial number. It's not, even according to the site you posted. Actually, I found a '66 P Bass neck on eBay that has that exact number on the headstock. It's not the serial number. It's a patent number. As to whether that really dates it to '66, I don't know. I found '70's P Basses that don't have that patent number so it might. Definitely check the neck date stamp.

 

[sovtekking]

This is the number you said was the serial number. It's not, even according to the site you posted. Actually, I found a '66 P Bass neck on eBay that has that exact number on the headstock. It's not the serial number. It's a patent number. As to whether that really dates it to '66, I don't know. I found '70's P Basses that don't have that patent number so it might. Definitely check the neck date stamp.

I just picked it up. The serial was 62577 which puts it at a 61 and the year codes on the pots were 61 also. So it looks like it's actually a 61

 

[wynsmth]

I just picked it up. The serial was 62577 which puts it at a 61 and the year codes on the pots were 61 also. So it looks like it's actually a 61

Great! I looked a littler further & found that number on 64's & 63's so I thought it might actually be older than '66. Sounds like you scored!

 

[sovtekking]

Great! I looked a littler further & found that number on 64's & 63's so I thought it might actually be older than '66. Sounds like you scored!

Yeah I was Confused by the numbers he was giving me and nothing lining up. The date on the inside of the neck pocket flaked off with the finish because I don't think the guy ever took the neck off but everything else lined up. Here's a couple pics...


So that, and a 63 Bassman for $1750 is a pretty good deal! Haha

 

[Fitzer]

Yeah I was Confused by the numbers he was giving me and nothing lining up. The date on the inside of the neck pocket flaked off with the finish because I don't think the guy ever took the neck off but everything else lined up. Here's a couple pics...


So that, and a 63 Bassman for $1750 is a pretty good deal! Haha

Glad you went and just picked it up. That’s how you get the good stuff. Good work and enjoy.