Fender serial number and date stamp on neck miss match.

[soulstar89]

Hi peeps,

 

hope all is well.  I have a bass I am interested in purchasing. A Fender MIJ P bass. On the base of the neck it's stamped with the year 89 (1989), and the serial number at the back of the neck starts with E. When I looked up the serial number everywhere, it showed E serial number basses are made between 1984-1987. 

 

Is this normal? I would have thought it probably would have been the other way around. stamp on the base of the neck earlier date and serial number later.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

Edited July 17, 2023 by soulstar89

[Pow_22]

My E numbered MIJ 57ri P has a pencil date on the neck (85) rather than a stamp? Do you have any pics?

[Beedster]

Of you like the bass and the price is right, buy it. If you don’t and/or it isn’t, don’t. Most of the best Fenders I’ve owned have been mongrels of one form or another 👍

[soulstar89]

53 minutes ago, Pow_22 said:

My E numbered MIJ 57ri P has a pencil date on the neck (85) rather than a stamp? Do you have any pics?

Hey,

 

I should have said written. Here are some pics of what I was talking about. 
 

everything seems legit tbh. Loads of pictures of pots, underneath of pick ups etc. 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 17, 2023 by soulstar89

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Looks okay if you date it according to this guide: https://www.fuzzfaced.net/serial-numbers-stratocaster-japan.html

[soulstar89]

10 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

Looks okay if you date it according to this guide: https://www.fuzzfaced.net/serial-numbers-stratocaster-japan.html

Hey. That’s weird I looked on around four guides which was all the same. this is interesting I’ll dig more. 
 

https://reverb.com/uk/news/how-to-date-a-fender

https://support.fender.com/en-us/knowledgebase/article/KA-01874

 

https://www.andybaxterbass.com/blogs/news/fender-serial-number-guide

 

 

 

I could show more but all show the same. I don’t have experience in this. I just wanted peoples input before I decide to buy 

 

 

[hooky_lowdown]

Dates don't mean a whole lot with fender, they have a history of using necks, bodies, parts etc to make guitars and basses years apart. Heck, there's a rumour fender Japan guitar/bass necks and bodies which didn't make quality control where shipped to India in the late 80s and then sold as Sunn, Squier II and Encore basses.

 

So a fender Japan bass with 89 serial number, actually assembled in 90 seems reasonable to me. The 89 part on the neck would be the year the neck was made, probably left on a shelf of necks, and finally assembled in 90, hence the 90 on neck heel and neck pocket.

[Bassassin]

14 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

Looks okay if you date it according to this guide: https://www.fuzzfaced.net/serial-numbers-stratocaster-japan.html

 

That's a lot of info I've not seen before & a lot of contradictions to what's accepted/established as the basis of dating MIJ/CIJ & identifying manufacturers.

 

Would be interesting to know sources for the new info. Unfortunately this makes dating & correctly IDing Japanese Fenders more complicated - especially those bloody E serials!

 

 

[AntonioC77]

On 18/07/2023 at 14:20, Bassassin said:

 

That's a lot of info I've not seen before & a lot of contradictions to what's accepted/established as the basis of dating MIJ/CIJ & identifying manufacturers.

 

Would be interesting to know sources for the new info. Unfortunately this makes dating & correctly IDing Japanese Fenders more complicated - especially those bloody E serials!

 

 

 

Hi, I wrote Fuzzfaced. My sources are many books, personal experience with Fender guitars and, above all, contacts with some Fender former insider and vintage collectors. Reagarding this topic, you'll find always the same list of Japanese serial numbers because all sites cut and copy old list. I checked a lot of instruments and I updated these lists. I personally own a 1992 Japanese Stratrocaster dated with K serial number.

Edited November 11, 2023 by AntonioC77

[BlueMoon]

I think the “90” in the PB 57-90 stamp might be confusing you. The 90 does not refer to a year. In Japan such a number refers to its selling price (90k ¥) when first placed on the market. Models for domestic market and those for export often had different specs - and hence - different sales prices (and different end numbers).

 

From what I see in the pics, everything looks genuine. Nice instrument.

[Burns-bass]

Yeah the “E” serial thing comes up from time to time. Looks legitimate to me (and you have to ask why anyone would go to such lengths to fake a Japanese bass when a US one would make more cash?)

[miles'tone]

Yeah 90 means 90000yen which was the price and therefore spec description, ie it's a good one.

I don't think 89 on sn signifies anything other than it being part of  the unit number that this bass is as part of all the E series instruments across all ranges.

Time wise it's 84-87 as when the E series was in production. 

 

I've had 2 E series basses and both were really well made and played as great as their reputation suggests.