Pot Code Info ????

[ezpikins]

HI Everyone:

New guy here look forward to meeting everybody.

Question?

Anybody have links to pot code info?

 

Came up with a cool, yard sale deal. Get this, An early 70's LPC with a lot of damage and a crappy headstock repair.

Looks like a Pete Townsand got hold of it. Pancake body. Chainsaw case. Ser # points to '70-'72 but I hear there were some headstocks in mid-late 69 stamped MADE IN USA. It's playable but I'm going to have to do some work to make it look right. But the price was very right. The neck is really nice to me, wich is unusual for an LPC. Having small hands, I tend to like the 60's necks.

 

Also, I know everyone has a different opinion on PU's, but as the PU's in this guitar have no covers and are crappy looking I will be ordering a set of gold covered ???? for it along with Bridge, Tailpiece, Tuners and the like as money permits.

 

A little about me.

Grew up playing Fender. 1980. bought my first G&L. Played only G&L through 80's & 90's. Now mainly a Les Paul Player, but switch to Strat and SG from time to time. Whatever the tracks warrant.

 

 

Guitar list by year:

'67 SG Standard

Les Paul Custom Early '70's,,maybe late 69 I dunno

'78 Les paul Custom

'05 Les Paul Standard 60's nect

'05 American Strat w/Burstbuckers installed

'06 American Deluxe Ash Strat

'06 Les Paul Standard 60's neck.....My #1 for now

'07 Jazz base Geddy Lee sig

Acoustics

Year ??? Guild D25m

'05 Dean Exotica Dao

[Tim Plains]

Welcome.

Damaged or not, photos are expected!

[surfpup]

Try this...

 

How the Source-Date Code Works.

The source-date code on a pot is a 6 or 7 digit code impressed into the casing of the potentiometer. The first 3 digits on a pot, or the first 2, 3 or 4 digits on a speaker are the source or manufacturer code.

 

The remaining 3 or 4 digits are the date code. In 3 digit dates code, the 1st digit is the last digit of the year. On 4 digits date codes, the 1st and 2nd digits are the last two digits of the year. In either case, the remaining 2 digits are the week of manufacture (01 to 52). With this in mind, remember if the last two digits of the source-date code are greater than 52, you're not looking at the source-date code!

 

Also it's worth mentioning:

 

Sometimes there is a space or hyphen between the manuafacturer code and the year/week code.

3 digit date codes were used in the 1940's and 1950's.

4 digit date codes were used in the 1960's and later (this makes determining the year much simplier!).

On 3 digit date codes, you have to "guess" the decade of the pot or speaker. Usually this isn't too difficult.

[ezpikins]

Thanks SURFPUP:

code reads 1377539

I'm assuming that makes it 1975 although that doesn't agree with the ser#

 

as for pics Tim not just yet but here is my '67 SG that I rescued from the dumpster

 

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j79/ezypikins/100_0079.jpg

 

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j79/ezypikins/100_0149.jpg

[Aaresz]

Potentiometer Info:

This potentiometer was made by

CTS Corporation (Chicago Telephone Supply)

in the 39th week of 1975

 

This means that (given this is an original part) this is the earliest possible date your guitar was made.

 

As for the serial number make sure you are reading it correctly. A six digit serial number repeats itself from 1961-1970, to 1970-1975. The differance being the "Made in the USA" stamp. For instance a 1967-1969 serial number could range from 859035 to 999999. Where as those same numbers duplicated between 1970 - 1975. Could even be a six digit number preceeded by a letter after 1973. Or six digits and the letter "A" in 1970. I would be willing to guess that your model is a 1975, based on your pot codes, and the serial number begins with either a 1,2,3,4,5,6, or 8. Numbers begining with "7" was limited to 1970-1972, and begining with "0" 1973. This is confusing, but I hope it helps.