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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
 Posted - 03/12/2006 : 01:04:46
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I think I got it now 
Production started October 77, a month before they went on sale. This took them to 0500 in March 81. April 81 they decided to continue continue with a 6 digit number starting at 050000. This takes them to 990000 February 89, the month before the current numbering system was introduced.
So, what about the transition period with wacky A9xxxxx numbers? There was no transition period. Boss had known for years their system would run out of numbers February 89, I'm sure they planned for it in advance.
Somewhere around serial 800000 they decided to start using all numbers in the serial number. That's probably because the rest of the number now is a true serial number. So what do you do if you produce more than 10000 units in a month? What about slapping an A in front of the serial and restart numbering for that month. That would mean that my DSD-3 with serial A981936 actually dates to January 89 and is unit number 11936 that month.
Ok, maybe it's not cracked completely yet but I think we're even closer now. Lightburst's DS-1 (#074837) will still decode to June 81 even though it's a Taiwan sticker. Maybe they just rotated the numbers on the stamp wrong and didn't bother to correct it? The same could explain Visserman's OD-1 with serial 9909. |
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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 03:10:59
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| How does the 8400 SN decode with that start? I've got that July 1979 transistor in mine that makes sense if the SN gets to July at least. |
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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 03:46:09
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Here's what's in my CH-1 S/N ZA02539 (March 1989):
MN3101 - 8 0 with a horizontal line over the 0 (Meaning 10, maybe?) October 1988?
MN3007 - 8 5 - April 1988
M5218L - 8733 - 33rd week of 1987? 33rd week of 1988? 3rd week of July 1988?
M5218L - 8737 - 37th week of 1987? 37th week of 1988? 3rd week of July 1988?
M5223L - 8506 - 6th week of 1985? 6th week of 1988? 0th week of April 1988?
5 2SC945 transistors - P189C
1 2SC945 transistor - P283C
2SC2240 GR - 8H - August 1988
2SC2240 GR - 8K - October 1988
2 2SK30A Y FETs - 8J - September 1988
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Edited by - phostenix on 03/12/2006 04:33:02 |
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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 04:13:18
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According to that link you posted, when decoding the codes with a number & a letter, the letter I is skipped so that it isn't confused with a number 1. So the decoder looks like this:
A January
B February
C March
D April
E May
F June
G July
H August
J September
K October
L November
M December
However, I've found transistors with I's on them, and I've yet to find one with an M. |
Edited by - phostenix on 03/18/2006 23:46:08 |
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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 04:29:30
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DF-2 with S/N 473300 decodes to Oct. 1984:
Lots of parts in this one. Here are the codes:
4D, 4F, 4G3, 4F4, 548D, 43F, 8421. All those make sense with the 4th week of June 1984 being the latest (4F4).
Here's the interesting one. M5218L has a code of 4412. Obviously not made in 1944, so it must not be in the format YYMM. That means my CH-1 M5218L codes need to be re-thought. Is this the 12th week of 1984 & the 2nd 4 means something else? The 1st week of April 1984 & the 2 at the end means something else? The 41st Week of '84? That would put the IC in the middle of October. |
Edited by - phostenix on 03/18/2006 21:19:48 |
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lightburst
Silver Member
Germany
158 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 11:38:36
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quote:
Originally posted by bossarea
Lightburst's DS-1 (#074837) will still decode to June 81 even though it's a Taiwan sticker. Maybe they just rotated the numbers on the stamp wrong and didn't bother to correct it? The same could explain Visserman's OD-1 with serial 9909.
Bossarea: I opened my DS-1 again and the date codes on the components say that they are from late 1986 and early 1987. So my MIT DS-1 could be manufactured in 1987. Don�t know if that makes sense or if it�s any help in cracking the code  |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 12:26:19
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quote:
Originally posted by phostenix
How does the 8400 SN decode with that start? I've got that July 1979 transistor in mine that makes sense if the SN gets to July at least.
That's interesting. It means that the original list I made in the first post is more correct. That resolves 8400 to July 79, my previous post would decode it to June.
I didn't notice the A-M month codes on that page. This clearly doesn't apply to transistor codes as I've already seen some marked with I and none with M.
I've seen a couple of those codes like 4412 too. Every manufacturer looks to have some sort of dating scheme but they don't make it easy for us. Maybe there's some info on Mitsubichi's web pages? |
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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 16:08:55
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I haven'y seen any transistors with M's, either. I have a CE-1 that has L's & A's in it, so it had the best potential so far to have an M. Hmm. Standardization would have been nice. 
Grace and peace,
Steve
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 16:15:50
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I've updated the decoder - http://www.bossarea.com/serial/sndecoder.aspx
The 4 digit codes now follows the original list. The 6 digit codes start from 050000 in the same month (April 81) that the 4 digit codes display 0500. Did they use both codes during the same month? From the numbering perspective it makes sense. 0500 (and 050000) is followed by 060000 and the transistion is smooth. |
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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 16:37:21
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I'll continue to check codes in my pedals as the days go along. Do you have the whole chart up to 3/89 listed out that you could e-mail me? I'd like to better understand what you put together. We may be the only ones who are excited about this, but it will certainly benefit everyone if we can nail it down. Good job on this, bossarea.
Grace and peace,
Steve
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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 17:29:35
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Well I like the whole idea of this too, not really sure what I need to look for when I open up my pedals. Yes I know what pots are and I have seen the codes too, and there are codes on almost any component, so should I take a note of all of them? Do I need to put them in some kind of order as in "Which Component and What Code" to make it easier for you guys to understand? Some guidance please.......... [Thanks]
Are we only looking at stamped serial numbers or are we also looking at the paperstamped pedals? |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 17:59:58
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We're looking at both ink stamped and paper label stamped codes here.
There are many codes here. Integrated circuits are the easiest as they contain the YYWW or YMW code easily readable. Transistors usually have their two digit YM code written with tiny letters so it's hard to read it on a crowded PCB. Pot codes are easy to read on the oldest pedals but later on they're often mounted on PCBs so the text is obscured.
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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 18:10:43
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Okay thanks for those details, will take some of those numbers down and report them here. May take a few days as I need to work away from the PC [pedals are not around me here]
Any "restrictions" on the paperstamped serial numbers? Are we really looking at the whole period from 1980 up to the moment when the new s/n method was introduced in 1989? In that case it may take some time to jot down all these details........................ |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 18:50:25
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Yes, we're looking at all those pedals.
Escpecially intersting right now are those with really low or really high serial numbers. |
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visserman
Platinum Member
1072 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2006 : 19:44:44
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Right, may be good idea for me to see if I have any of those and post them here first. Will post all the details of my fist issue pedals before I go into the paperstamped ones.
Do you think this info could also lead us to see the variations in all the pedals [use of different components over the years and other changes which made an impact on the sound of the pedal]? I know I am asking too much, so let me be patient for the time being and start with posting those numbers first!! |
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Early serial numbers theory
