Date coding pots on imported guitars

[x189player]

I've read excellent articles on date-coding pots on Fender and other american guitars. Is there anything analogous on MIJ guitars? Any source of date coding japanese or other asian components?

[sumgai]

x,

The codes are pretty much international, and have been for at least 30 years. It's the parts themselves that are dated, the companies who buy them are, hopefully, buying from reputable suppliers that adhere to the industry standard date coding methods.

If you see things that are completely bare, or have a value marked but no date code, then they are probably cheap, and may be good candidates for replacement. The system was introduced in something like the mid '30s in the US, but didn't really catch on with the rest of the world until the '70s.


sumgai

[djhollowman]

Hey X, is that Westone Spectrum there? (The X189 was a clue too!) I've got a 1985 Spectrum LX myself. Are you looking to date your guitar from the pots (cos there are other easier ways), or am I way off track here?