Stamp on inside chassis of vintage Fender amp...

[Bob M.]

Hi,

I just acquired a AB165 Bassman head. Inside the (very clean) chassis is stamped in black ink 'T354067' very near the power transformer. I'm wondering if any of the Fender-aholics frequenting this forum can decipher the nomenclature of this letter/number code. What does it all mean? I'm not necessarily trying to date the amp - I know I can use pot codes and transformer codes, etc. (I already have a real good idea when it was built), but I'm just wondering if there is any information gleaned with any regularity or predictability from these stamped chassis numbers one sees inside Fender amps. Are these date codes, production lot numbers or what? Maybe it's Leo's boat registration number! And, no, the amp is not for sale.

Thanks in advance for your informed comments,

Bob M.

[Leo_Gnardo]

decipher the nomenclature of this letter/number code

You see these a lot in mid/late 60's amps. I always took it that 67 was the year of chassis assembly. Sometimes the stamp is also found on a transformer cover or the bottom of the chassis as well as its typical location between the PT and circus board inside the chassis. You can correlate this with the date codes on pots, caps, transformers and somewhere on the interwebs is at least one serial number/year guide.

Typically completed chassis did not sit around gathering dust. I expect most were fitted to cabs ASAP and shipped, so it's a pretty good guess your amp is a '67.

[52 Bill]

I always took it that 67 was the year of chassis assembly.

And the two numbers in front of the 67, i.e. 40 represents the week of the year.

[Bob M.]

Hi,

Thanks for the replies.

As I said in my original post, I'm not really trying to date this particular amp but instead, I'm trying to understand the stamped code inside the amp, for this amp and all other similar-stamped Fender amps. Yes, I figured the the '40' was probably the week of the year from my familiarity with manufacturing processes. I was hoping for a (former) Fender employee, or someone of similar knowledge, who could speak with first-degree authority who knows exactly what it means. Most of the rest of us have seen many, many Fender amps inside and can make semi-educated or anecdotal guesses but who really authoritatively knows exactly what this amp stamping nomenclature really represents and how it related to the Fender manufacturing process?

Thanks,

Bob M.