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Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 1445
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | Has anyone with a number of Ovation electrics ever noticed any correlation between pot date codes and approximate age of the guitars?
In many brands of older guitars, this is a good way to get a fairly accurate manufacture date. This would, of course, only work if Ovation ordered pots on a somewhat regular basis, as opposed to ordering a large (two or three years) quanity.
For example, I have a UK2 parts guitar that has a serial # of E 12658, and pots marked 1377811 which translates as 137=manufactured by CTS, 78=1978, 11=eleventh week. This is the earliest version of UK2 so this would seem about right. Has anyone else taken any notice of this on their guitars?
Thanks!
Wayne |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Wayne
pot codes are ok but I am not so sure if they really mean much when dating a guitar. most manufacturers just dump a box of pots next to the people wiring the guitars and they do it. when they need more another pile is thrown in the bin the old ones still on the bottom. when it is all said and done only in a controlled envirnorment where each pot is purchased and cycled and distributed according to the date codes and how they were delivered would it make sense. I doubt if there was any such precision at ovation during assembly. the codes are a good guide but nothing more |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7237
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Like Al stated, pots are a good "second element" as we used to call it in communications analysis. I always use 3 elements in any analysis. Someone else may know better, but that serial number seems pretty high for a first run on the UKII. I assume your has the brass bridge (with the black cover?).
But.. back to the question.. If the serial number really is low for the series, and the pots seem to correlate, and maybe there was an inspection date on the back of the neck (unfortunatly you have to disassemble to see it) then you have a pretty good idea of the date if they all match. However, (not in this case) there could easily be UKII's out there with pots from the early to mid 70's. Actually the 3rd element in this case could also be the early bridge. |
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Using Pot Codes to Date Ovation Electrics
