What do the old Fender amp designations mean?

[PhatTele]

All kidding aside, the orginal codes are used to identify the circuits for the engineers who built them and the repair shops that had to fix them, not for the players that used them. For instance, if I'm digging around in a BF Bassman, I need to know whether it's a AA864, AA165, or an AB165 in order to get the right parts. Calling it a Blackface or pre-CBS Bassman doesn't tell me much about how to fix the amp...just where to look for the proper circuit drawing.

 

[Wally]

G..this is a strange one. Until today, I had not noted any pre-blonde/brown era FEnders using this letter in the scheme designation. However, looking at twentieth century guitar's site, I see that there was a 5G7 BAndmaster, a
5G5 Pro, a 5G4 Super and even a mention of a 5G12 Concert.
"You can just call it a "Tweed Pro", but a 5C5 is a very different amp than a 5F5."
Is there such a thing as a 5F5 Pro? I have never seen one.
"Because saying 5E3 is quicker and simpler than saying ... "a 1955 fender tweed deluxe".
"5E3" - year, model and update in 3 syllables. All the info you need."
5E3....you can buy a 5E3 Deluxe that was built in 1955 or 1959. The 'E' in the schematic code does not designate date of manufacture. That designation is noted in the inked stamped date code.
Great info here....

http://www.tcguitar.com/articles/gagliano_pt5.html

 

[cowboytwang]

"You can just call it a "Tweed Pro", but a 5C5 is a very different amp than a 5F5."
Is there such a thing as a 5F5 Pro? I have never seen one.

No there isn't such a thing, it was a typo (my fault). The 5E5-A was the last of the Tweed Pro's.

you can buy a 5E3 Deluxe that was built in 1955 or 1959. The 'E' in the schematic code does not designate date of manufacture.

Actually the 5E5 was built through 1960.
The letter designates the last circuit design change.

 

[Wally]

cowboytwang wrote: "No there isn't such a thing, it was a typo (my fault). The 5E5-A was the last of the Tweed Pro's."

Cowboy, that is what I thought, also. This thread made me go back to 20th CG and check out some things I had not checked before. There is a '5G5' Pro listed. Is this the first of the brown panel Pro circuits with a '5' designation or is it a tweed circuit?
And..of course you are correct about the tweeds being built through 1960. My error..