The QA sticker carries a two-letter date code in the same shape as the old tube chart, one letter for the year and one for the month. The official example is CE for May 1992.
From 1990 Fender pasted a dated quality-control sticker on the rear of the chassis. It is the company's own dating mark for the years after the tube chart was dropped.
The QA sticker carries a two-letter date code in the same shape as the old tube chart, one letter for the year and one for the month. The official example is CE for May 1992.
Because the sticker sits on the chassis rather than inside the cabinet, it can be read without opening the amp, and it survived on most amps from 1990 onward.
From 1994 Fender also publishes a serial lookup covering the later amps. The two systems overlap, and the factory's own guidance is to read the codes on the amp.
On the rear of the chassis, usually near the mains inlet or the fuse holder.
The pair is the date code; the QA wording around it is not part of the date.
The official example CE is May 1992, which anchors the letter order.
From 1994 the official lookup covers the amp; if both agree, the date is as good as it gets.
1990 to today · 3 rows · confidence High · Fender — official support (amp dating)
| Code as marked | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CE | May 1992 | Fender — official support (amp dating) |
| CG | July 1992 | ampwares — vintage amplifier reference |
| JE | May 1960 | Fender — official support (amp dating) |
In 1990, according to Fender's own support documentation.
On the rear of the chassis. The date is the two-letter code printed on it.
No. It is a marking from 1990 onward, and earlier amps rely on the tube chart and component codes.