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scrappy1
Bronze Member
USA
118 Posts |
 Posted - 02/13/2008 : 19:37:15
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Hey Guys,
I've been checking out this forum for a while and just finally registered. I am going to have a Jillion questions, but here is the first one.
How can I date a pedal that somebody has removed either the bottom label or the serial # sticker?
I have 2 Keeley mod'd pedals that have no serial number with labels that appear to be late 90's according to the Boss site.
And I have a BD-2 with no label.  That was revealed when I removed the Velcro that was on it.
Can the circuit boards be dated?
I look forward to your answers.
Thank you,
scrappy1 |
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FRANZONI
Double Platinum Member
Ireland
3543 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2008 : 20:11:51
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Hello and welcome to the forum...i pretty sure some of the lads will be able to help you out on this..i think i remember there was a post on something like this before and you can roughly estimate the date by the codes on some of the chips inside by their date of manufacture...again i'm no expert...bossarea,christo or Dr Bob would be your best bet on this.... |
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scrappy1
Bronze Member
USA
118 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2008 : 20:17:01
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thanks FRANZONI.
I will be anxiously waiting.
Why would somebody remove these things in the first place?
scrappy1 |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2008 : 21:54:27
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Should probably make an thread about this in the FAQ section.
There's no date or serial number on the PCB so if the serial number has been removed your only chance is to look for component date codes. These codes will typically predate the pedal by 1-4 months.
There are several codes to be found.
Integrated circuits:
Look for 4 digit codes of the form YYMM. If you find the numbers 9604 on a cuircuit it means it's from April 1996.
Edit: The code YYWW is more common. WW is the week of production. A circuit with the code 9834 would be produced in the 34th week of 1998.
Transistors:
Japanese made transistors often got a code of the form YM or YMW. M is written as a letter (A=January, B=February...). 8C means March 1998 and 8C2 means 2nd week of March 1998. Note that you will need to know which decade the pedal is from as 8 could just as well mean 1988 or 2008.
Potentiometers
Sorry, can't remember. Anyone?
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scrappy1
Bronze Member
USA
118 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2008 : 22:15:48
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Ok, that is helpful.
I can't see all the tiny numbers, but on the input side of the board (on my BD-2) there is a 4 digit code of 0628 printed on it in white in a "Dot Matrix" style.
Does this mean anything?
I'm sorry if I am being ignorant, I just need help.
Thank you.
scrappy1 |
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ChristoMephisto
Platinum Member
Canada
1288 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2008 : 22:51:43
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| Outta curiosity, I found some JRC 4558DD with date odes of 5024, and some jrc 072D d/c 5137, what years were those? |
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DeFrag
Moderator
USA
3409 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2008 : 05:15:19
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Welcome to the forum scrappy1!  |
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scrappy1
Bronze Member
USA
118 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2008 : 06:14:53
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Thanks DeFrag!
I'm glad to be here.
Well, pretty sure I am?
I have had these pedals here for a while and this has been bugging me for some time now.
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2008 : 10:53:01
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quote:
Originally posted by ChristoMephisto
Outta curiosity, I found some JRC 4558DD with date odes of 5024, and some jrc 072D d/c 5137, what years were those?
I've never found an explanation to the old JRC codes. On NJRC (New Japan Radio Co) circuits there's usually a 4 digit code followed by a letter. Not sure how to decode those either but the document found at http://semicon.njr.co.jp/njr/hp/fileDownloadMedia.do?_mediaId=6568 is supposed to explain it. I'm just to thick to actually understand the documentation.  |
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ChristoMephisto
Platinum Member
Canada
1288 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2008 : 15:03:06
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Sadly enough, that all made sense to me.
There wasn't one for a 8 pin through hole, surface mount yeah
Not really sure, i pulled the board from a broken cd player |
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Dr. Bob
Moderator
Australia
6593 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2008 : 15:23:06
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quote:
Originally posted by ChristoMephisto
Sadly enough, that all made sense to me.
There wasn't one for a 8 pin through hole, surface mount yeah
Not really sure, i pulled the board from a broken cd player
Hi Christo & guys
There was something about date codes on old JRC4558's
on an dating your vintage Ibanez Tube Screamer, ala which 4558's are the best web link.
Might have been on Analog-Mans or RG Keens pages?
I just remember I was trolling for Screamer data & info a few years back.
But it definitely had a it about decoding the date codes,
I'll see if I can locate it again, I still have a mental picture of what the page looked like.
Or it's on one of my old Thumb/flash drives.
Regards Dr. Bob |
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