Fender Vibrolux Reverb serial #/production date?

[audioarc]

I'm hoping someone can help me identify the production date on my Fender Vibrolux Reverb.

The serial # stamped into the metal chassis is F951352.

The Fender serial # lookup yields no results.

thanks, bob

[Pickergibson]

If it’s a blackface date it with the ink stamped code on the tube chart. If it’s a silverface and you’re sure the speakers are original use the date code on the speakers and add about six months to a year. If the speaker are not original pull the head and use the date codes on the control pots…again add about six months to a year for a good ballpark figure on when your amp most likely was shipped.

[phantomman]

A blackface model will have an "A" serial prefix followed by five digits. Likewise I wouldn't bet the ranch on speaker codes since so many drivers are replaced on older amps. Tube charts on silverface editions will yield no usable dating data either. The best way to nail down an approximate date of manufacture is to rely on the EIA codes stamped on the four transformers. Each tranny will have one and -- if they're original -- should give you a ballpark idea of when the amp was built. Date codes on the pots and the reverb tank (if its a Biggs/Hammond) can help confirm your findings.

[journeyman]

Transformer EIA codes are followed by dates. I recently acquired a 1968 Princeton and the chassis number indicated 1965. The transformers both confirmed 1968 as the year of manufacture though. Schumacher (EIA code 606) was very common but Fender also contracted with Better Coil and Transformer (EIA code 831). My Princeton has a Schumacher output transformer and a Better Coil power transformer. Schumacher has 606 followed by the year and then week. The year is indicated by only one digit, so unless it is obvious, it could be a 1960s year or 1970s date. For example 606 224 could be the 24th week of 1962 or 1972. It looks like Better Coil has 831 followed by the year and month with two digits each, so less confusing.

[phantomman]

The Fender part numbers on trannies can also yield clues. FEIC iron prefaced by a "125XXX" will be found in all pre-CBS blackface models (ie: 1964 or earlier). They're periodically seen in early CBS-era amps as well, until the inventory was exhausted. The later CBS-FMI part numbers were all formatted as "022XXX".