50's Fender Neck Dates: A Poll

[Gill]

Hi All,

I've recently set out to become the proud owner of a '59 Jazzmaster and the research involved has dregged up a few more questions than I originally started out with.  One in particular is the 1959 Fender neck dating scheme.  There are many theories regarding '59 neck dates (or lack thereof) and they all center around a supposed obscenity written on the heel of a Fender neck sometime in late '58/ early '59.

Most people on the net seem to think that Fender stopped dating necks in mid to late '59 and into the first part of 1960...however, I've come across some information counter to this theory, including from our own Jim Shine, who believes that Fender stopped dating necks in early 1959 and had started the process again as early as June 1959, or mid-year.

In an effort to pool our collective knowledge in a somewhat scientific manner, I'm hoping that all of you with 59 necks will contribute your date or lack thereof...Jazzmasters are the main focus but I think the wider the net, the better...so, if you happen to have other '59 Fender neck dates you could contribute those as well.

Hopefully we have enough resources here to get an idea of what is what when it comes to 1959 Fender neck dates...It's worth a try, anyway!!!

Thanks,
Gill

[mezcalhead]

Great idea!

To cover all bases, shouldn't your poll start in late 1958 and extend through into 1960 sometime? I'll have to check my '59 later, but I can tell you the '58 has a pencil date of 11/58.

[Gill]

Hey Mez,

Yes, It should!  I've fixed it...

Gill

[zhivago]

god, I wish I could take part in this poll!

my fave year is '61 though


great thread guys...ther's quite a few 50s Jazzmasters on this forum

[mezcalhead]

OK, I voted my 11/58.

Another interesting thing might be to investigate the pot codes etc in the guitars with no neck dates, if any turn up. However I suppose you can never be 100% sure if the neck date was never written or if it was written but removed later on.

[Gill]

Sweet!

Yea, mez...it seems like a pencil date could fade pretty easily over the years, especially if the body or neck had a refin or what-have-you.  Still, though...maybe we could do a follow-up poll with the participants that would include pot codes...then serial #'s, etc.

In the end we could have something!

Gill

[andrewaward]

put on a few I've had with dates........1/59, 2/59,  3/59, 6/59.

edit - only allowed 3, so I left out 6/59

[andrewaward]

59 Jazzmaster mainly had 59  coded pots - ie no dates ..............Some had dates , but few................

[Gill]

Can someone else without a '59 put up that 6/59 forAW? 

Just for accuracies sake...

Gill

[Soiouz]

Can someone else without a '59 put up that 6/59 forAW? 

Just for accuracies sake...

Gill

Will do.

Edited to add:


Done!

[Gill]

Thanks!

Gill

[dltinter]

My 1960 has no neck date.

[fullerplast]

12-58 and 7-59... I have the pot codes for both in a thread around here somewhere.

[lalalandstudios]

3/59, 3/59, no neck date on mine from that year...

[dinosaur]

3-59, with 906 pot codes