- FENDER
- chevron_right DATING FENDER AMPLIFIERS
When trying to determine the date of an Fender amplifier, it is useful to know a few things about feature changes that have occurred over the years. Serialization on Fender amps is not a reliable way to date them as records of these were not kept until 1994; however, Greg Gagliano has compiled several hundred serial numbers on Fender amplifiers and has put together an extensive list. Currently, Gagliano's serialization is a six-piece article that was first published in 20th Century Guitar magazine in 1997 with the most recent addition appearing in Vintage Guitar magazine.
The following information may help you to determine the approximate date of manufacture of a Fender amplifier by visual observation, without having to handle (or disassemble) the instrument for serial number verification. Check a number of these procedures together to try to get the right year. Sometimes parts weren't used for a time and the amps are actually newer than the dates on certain procedures may indicate.
1946-1948: Several variations including uncovered wood cabinets, early tweed variants, and gray.
1948-1953 TV Front: Vertical or diagonal tweed (some two-tone brown) covering with a brown speaker grille that looks like the front of the TV .
1953-1954/1955 Wide Panel: Diagonal Tweed covering with a brown grille (no stripes) and wide panels above and below the speaker grille.
1954/1955-1959/1960 Narrow Panel: Tweed covering with a brown striped grille and a narrow panel front where the grille is larger than earlier models.
1957: Fender introduced the use of treble, bass, middle, and presence controls.
1959/1960-1963/1964 Brownface: Brown or white Tolex covering with white, brown, or Oxblood red grilles and a front facing brown control panel.
1963/1964-1967 Blackface: Black Tolex covering with a brown/silver grille and a front facing black control panel.
1967/1968-1980 Silverface: Black Tolex covering with a silver/blue grille and a front facing silver control panel.
1976: Introduction of the Master Volume control/feature.
1980/1981-1982 New Blackface: A black control panel was re-introduced again with slight changes from the 1960s Blackface models.
The following information may help you to determine the approximate date of manufacture of a Fender amplifier by visual observation, without having to handle (or disassemble) the instrument for serial number verification. Check a number of these procedures together to try to get the right year. Sometimes parts weren't used for a time and the amps are actually newer than the dates on certain procedures may indicate.
1946-1948: Several variations including uncovered wood cabinets, early tweed variants, and gray.
1948-1953 TV Front: Vertical or diagonal tweed (some two-tone brown) covering with a brown speaker grille that looks like the front of the TV .
1953-1954/1955 Wide Panel: Diagonal Tweed covering with a brown grille (no stripes) and wide panels above and below the speaker grille.
1954/1955-1959/1960 Narrow Panel: Tweed covering with a brown striped grille and a narrow panel front where the grille is larger than earlier models.
1957: Fender introduced the use of treble, bass, middle, and presence controls.
1959/1960-1963/1964 Brownface: Brown or white Tolex covering with white, brown, or Oxblood red grilles and a front facing brown control panel.
1963/1964-1967 Blackface: Black Tolex covering with a brown/silver grille and a front facing black control panel.
1967/1968-1980 Silverface: Black Tolex covering with a silver/blue grille and a front facing silver control panel.
1976: Introduction of the Master Volume control/feature.
1980/1981-1982 New Blackface: A black control panel was re-introduced again with slight changes from the 1960s Blackface models.