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ES-150DW dating and philosophical question


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I have an ES-150DW (aka DCW), serial number 960920, which Fjestad lists as 1968. However, the ES-150DC series wasn't announced until 1969. Is it reasonable to assume that this guitar was built in 1968 as part of the initial inventory for the 1969 launch, or was the assignment of serial numbers chaotic enough so that you can't really determine the exact year? It has the orange oval sticker and the serial number is not stamped on the headstock, so it's definitely prior to the changeover in 1970.

Philosophically. does this work like cars, i.e., would it be the model year, not when it was built, that counts? I suspect not.

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When it was built is more important. "Facts" in a book sometimes will lead you down a bad road. In '72 Fender had an ad comparing the 1948 Telecaster to the 1972. Um, it didn't come out until 1950....

 

Go inside and try to read the codes on the pots. If you can reasonably guess they are original, I'd use those dates to help nail it down.

 

It also seems to me the 150D is an odd one in that they made them up until 1975 but many didn't have the volute and some kept the orange label. They didn't seem to follow predictable changes like most ES models.

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