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Thread: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

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    Default Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    I helped a buddy clean out his great uncles home and for payment I received a Fender Electric Mandolin "Mandocaster" and I need help dating it. There is no date under the pick-guard/pickups and there is no date under the neck (see photos). Can anyone help decoding the mess of numbers/letters?
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    wood butcher Spruce's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    If your pots look unmolested, you can run them here and get an idea of the manufacture date....

    Post a pic of the peghead decal, and that might help as well....

  4. #3
    acoustically inert F-2 Dave's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    My fender electric mandolin, and any others that i've seen had the date stamped on the end of the neck. Your's apparently doesn't. You might find something under the pick guard as sometimes inspectors in the factory would sign and date there. Did it come in the original case? If so, that could narrow it down to within a few years.
    "Mongo only pawn in game of life." --- Mongo

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    Registered User Bill Snyder's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    From the original post.
    "There is no date under the pick-guard/pickups and there is no date under the neck"
    Bill Snyder

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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    Original black case and fat logo. The info I could find date this from about '64 up to '70. I will have to pull the pick guard again for the pots. I checked for a date when I took photos, no date.
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    Registered User stratman62's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    have a photo of the chrome back neck cover, should have the serial number there?
    dwight in NC

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    acoustically inert F-2 Dave's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Snyder View Post
    From the original post.
    "There is no date under the pick-guard/pickups and there is no date under the neck"
    Sorry Bill. I was in a hurry. Rustedtrooper, that's a really nice looking specimen you have there. According to Gruhn's book, the fender mandolins sported a decal on the peghead that said 'original contour body' until 1969. Your's says 'offset contour body'. I'm not sure I've ever seen that before, but I'm guessing that it's post 1969. They were made until 1976. Great looking mando.
    "Mongo only pawn in game of life." --- Mongo

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    Registered User Bill Snyder's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    Dave I understand. I think anyone who posts is occasionally guilty of the same thing.
    Bill Snyder

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    Registered User mtucker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    Later style decal. Earlier ones had the spaghetti string script. As someone said, check the neck plate on back.
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    Registered User stratman62's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    Nice mtucker, mine is a 62, with brown tolex case
    dwight in NC

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    Registered User mtucker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    '62, niice stratman! Not mine, only posted for illustration - I played one several months ago at Truetone in Santa Monica - maybe still there - i think '57 or 8, but pricey and someone had hand engraved the serial on the front scratch plate, go figure, maybe a pawn shop, duh! I passed.

  14. #12
    acoustically inert F-2 Dave's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    I was going to compliment you on your fine looking '59 as well. I've always been a sucker for old tweed cases.

    Hey Stratman, my fender electric is a '62 as well. Brown case too. What's your serial no.?
    "Mongo only pawn in game of life." --- Mongo

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    Registered User stratman62's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    01985, got a year matching strat and super amp
    dwight in NC

  16. #14
    acoustically inert F-2 Dave's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    Cool! my mando is 2017 just 32 away from your's. They were probably in the factory at the same time. Does your strat have a sunburst that matches your mando? I play my mando through a '61 or '62 white bassman amp, using a digital reverb stomp box.
    "Mongo only pawn in game of life." --- Mongo

  17. #15
    Registered User stratman62's Avatar
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    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    The Strat is sunburst with white/green pickguard and right now I'm using a Mesa Boogie rocket 22. White bassman, way cool.
    dwight in NC

  18. #16

    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    Quote Originally Posted by rustedtrooper View Post
    I helped a buddy clean out his great uncles home and for payment I received a Fender Electric Mandolin "Mandocaster" and I need help dating it. There is no date under the pick-guard/pickups and there is no date under the neck (see photos). Can anyone help decoding the mess of numbers/letters?
    Bit of an old thread, but I just saw it for the first time.

    Your Mandolin is mid 1960's, no earlier than 1965, no later than 1968.
    The spaghetti logo was discontinued and replaced with the Gold headstock decal in 1965.
    Very odd that it has an offset contour body as opposed to original contour body decal. That could be a factory error or more likely someone replaced it. The original contour body decal came on the same waterslide sheet as the main decal. I suppose whoever applied it at the decal could have messed up the original contour body one and used an offset one that was laying about.
    In 68 or 69 they replaced the gold Fender decal with a black one with that had a R in a circle (registered trade mark symbol). Also the nitrocellulose finish was replaced with a polyurethane finish.
    A 3 ply plastic tortoise guard introduced in 1965 replacing the celluloid guard.
    The serial numbers on the neck plate are not that much use as they are unreliable and do not follow the same 'system' as Fender guitars.
    You may not eveb still have it after all this time!

  19. #17

    Default Re: Need Help!!! Dating a Vintage Fender "Mandocaster"

    Quote Originally Posted by rustedtrooper View Post
    I helped a buddy clean out his great uncles home and for payment I received a Fender Electric Mandolin "Mandocaster"........
    Nice payment for a days work!

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