Here are the three most important places to look for how to date a Fender amp: tube chart code, transformer date codes, and the speaker date code. Since the serial numbers on Fender guitar amplifiers were pre-stamped on the chassis before the amp was assembled, they're not a very good way to date the amp.
Unfortunately, Fender amplifier serial numbers are specific to each model. Not only that, they're not necessarily sequential, and even if they were, Fender never released the records of how many they made during the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. We don't have documentation to cross reference these numbers so any attempt to date with a serial number is often a few years off. For this reason, Fender amp serial numbers are usually not very helpful to answer the question of how to date a Fender amp.
fender bassman 10 serial number
The previous known Fender Bassman amplifier model was the 1951-1953 Fender 5B6 1x15 Tweed Bsssman line with serial numbers from approximately SN#0001-SN#0599 during those three years. It is known but mostly undocumented that the 1953 Fender 5B6 Bassmans were continued to be produced into early 1954 and used the serial numbers SN#0600 to approximately SN#0670. Fender had decided that the 1953 5B6 Bassmans were to be the "end of the line". Therefore, Fender kept building the 5B6 Bassmans until Fender ran out of parts and completed vendor inventory supply agreements for the 5B6. Personally, I believe Fender stopped producing the 1953 Fender 5B6 1x15 Bassman by May of 1954. Fender then stopped making any Bassman amplifiers for six months.
Following is from Wikipedia. Most of it is accurate, but as you will read, it is still not correct with the serial order numbering. From Wiki on Fender Bassman: "The first 4x10 Bassman amplifiers started with a batch of prototypes in November and December 1954, model 5D6. No schematic for the 5D6 circuit has ever been found, but Ken Fox and Frank Roy have created a few from originals, and copies are freely available online. Only 11 of these early 5D6 Bassman examples are known to have survived. The lowest serial number known to still exist is 0013 (Frank Roy), but 0035 (Albert Talley), 0075 (Jim Cornett), 0077 (Perry Tate), 0089 (Mark Grandfield), 0701, 0745 (Walter Horton), 0769 (Hayes Kolb), 0780 (sold on eBay Nov 2006), and 0783 are among those still known to exist. These rare few are known to sound better than the revered 1959 5F6-A circuit."
It can be quite hard to accurately date vintage and older Fender amps pre-1994 by serial numbers, because records for those were not kept. However, there are a few ways you can get a approximate date.
Mackie 24x8x2 8-BUS analog mixing console model 24.8 serial number H18368, with Mackie 220-Watt power supply Class A Triple-Regulated low-ripple design serial number G 19801. Note - The Mackie 8 BUS series is a flexible in line monitoring style condole with 24 microphone/line inputs fed into 8 submix busses. Notes found in online manual (not included with lot). Turns on and appears to be in working condition.
PreSonus audio electronics Central Station with analog and digital inputs serial number CS17010093 and Central Station Remote serial number CSR7090302. Turns on and appears to be in working condition.
Motu (Mark of the Unicorn) 896 MK3 FireWire audio interface 192kHz CueMixFX digital mixer with FX, 192K HD audio, adat 96K optical, WORD Sync, SMPTE Sync, DDS clock Direct Digital Synthesis, number 893mk3, serial number 896MK31002936. Turns on and appears to be in working condition.
NASHVILLE PUSSY's irreplaceable Vintage 1964 Black Fender Bassman Guitar Head was stolen out of the bus after last night's (April 29th) show in Ottawa, ON at Mavericks. The serial number is BP 12094; a picture can be seen below: 2ff7e9595c
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