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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
 Posted - 03/05/2006 : 18:04:09
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Over the last couple of months I've collected data on pedals with the old inc stamped 4 digit serial number. I've come to the conclusion that they actually contain a month code just as the new pedals does. Have a look at the following list.
Nov 77 6400 OD-1, PH-1, SP-1
Dec 77 6500
Jan 78 6600 GE-6
Feb 78 6700
Mar 78 6800
Apr 78 6900
May 78 7000
Jun 78 7100 DS-1
Jul 78 7200 CS-1
Aug 78 7300 TW-1
Sep 78 7400
Oct 78 7500
Nov 78 7600
Dec 78 7700
Jan 79 7800
Feb 79 7900 NF-1
Mar 79 8000
Apr 79 8100
May 79 8200 SG-1
Jun 79 8300
Jul 79 8400
Aug 79 8500 Black switch introduced
Sep 79 8600 Black switch introduced
Oct 79 8700 CE-2 Black switch introduced
Nov 79 8800
Dec 79 8900
Jan 80 9000 Permanent LED introduced
Feb 80 9100 Permanent LED introduced
Mar 80 9200
Apr 80 9300
May 80 9400
Jun 80 9500 BF-2
Jul 80 9600
Aug 80 9700
Sep 80 9800
Oct 80 9900 PH-1R
Nov 80 10000 0000 000000
Dec 80 10100 0100 010000
Jan 81 10200 0200 020000
Feb 81 10300 0300 030000 SD-1
Mar 81 10400 0400 040000
Apr 81 10500 0500 050000
May 81 10600 0600 060000
Jun 81 10700 0700 070000 DM-2
There's a few holes in the theory that I'd like some help to fill. Was 0000 and 10000 used at the same time? The highest inc stamped numbers I've seen is 0500 and 10100. Has anyone seen a higher numbers?
When did they start using the 6 digit code. The 6 digit code appears to be month based too. If we start at 000000 on November 80 we will end up at 990000 February 89, the month before we started using the new codes. That's probably not the correct way to do it. We know there was a transistion period with one letter and 6 digits too.
Can you see if anything here is obviously incorrect? Do you have any pedals with serial number earlier than indicated in the table? |
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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2006 : 20:13:09
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You waited for your 1000th post to finally give us this? 
I'll do some comparing later on. I've also got a list of Boss S/N's that I've collected that I will e-mail you soon.
Grace and peace,
Steve
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Vim Fuego
Gold Member
Denmark
566 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2006 : 20:42:59
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Excellent work. And a VERY nice touch to wait untill your 1000th post 
Cheers  |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2006 : 20:43:16
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Hey, I didn't notice that.
1000 posts - whohoo
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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2006 : 21:04:33
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Oh yeah, and "Hey! This is huge!" (if it proves out)
Double congrats today!
Grace and peace,
Steve
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phostenix
Gold Member
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2006 : 21:28:55
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I've only got a few minutes here, but I opened up my old CS-1 - 8400. Clear switch, momentary LED.
The Boss pots don't have the same codes that the old American made ones do, so I'm not sure how to read them - maybe you do.
One has 693C & the other 593S.
The 2SC945 transistors all have AP293 on them.
The 2SC732 GR (FETs?) say 9F.
Tge 2SK30A O FETs say 9G.
Does any of that give us anything?
The TA7136 has 9B2 on it. |
Edited by - phostenix on 03/05/2006 21:29:42 |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2006 : 23:35:15
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I'm afraid the numbers don't tell me anything.
I found this page that lists a lot of old Boss pedals with serial numbers. I can't see any violations of the theory yet but there's bound to be some. |
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Sunburst
Silver Member
427 Posts |
Posted - 03/05/2006 : 23:47:52
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Very intersting research bossarea. Good work. 
This might be a good start to crack the 4 digit serial code.
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Edited by - Sunburst on 03/05/2006 23:48:17 |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2006 : 11:17:18
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Some assumtions that might be right or wrong.
I think the whole table should start earlier. The documented dates are sales dates and production may have started at least one, perhaps 2 months earlier.
We know from http://eu11.stripper.jp/pulcino/blog/ that 6400 pedals exist but there could also be 6300. Starting on 6400 is an assumption.
The latest 4 digit pedal I've seen was a 0500 (PH-1R) that was on Ebay a short while ago. The earliest 6 digit numbers I've ever seen start with 05xx00. Maybe they decided to continue counting from the same number they were at? Were 0500 and 050000 used during the same month or in consecutive months? It's impossible to say. Maybe there are pedals that start with 04xx00 out there?
Som pedals are numbered Axxxxxx. Were these made during Feb 89 only? If they were we can assume that 99xxxx was made Jan 89 and count backwards to the start of the numbering scheme. Maybe some pedals are labeled Bxxxxxx as well?
So if all of the assumtions above are correct we've got:
Sep 77 6400
Oct 77 6500
Nov 77 6600 Release of OD-1, PH-1, SP-1 with serial 6400, 6500 and 6600
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Feb 81 0500
Mar 81 05xx00
Apr 81 06xx00
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Jan 89 99xxxx
Feb 89 Axxxxxx
Mar 89 AA0xxxx
Apr 89 AA1xxxx
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There's a few more things to wonder about as well.
- What's the deal with 10100 and 0100? Did they exist during the same month?
- What's the two middle numbers in the 6 digit serial?
- When and why did they suddently start using the 2 last digits in the 6 digit number?
So many questions, so few answers...
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thedarxide
Bronze Member
81 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2006 : 15:02:40
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I found an SP Scheme earlier that states:
Serial Number
Stamped On Case Top
First two digits re-cycle when Exhausted
----- 9100 ----- 9900 ----- 0000 ---- 0300
Does this means that SP-1's only had serials in this range? Or have I misunderstood it? I tried to attach a pic, but the script timed out.
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Sunburst
Silver Member
427 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2006 : 15:07:46
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From the scheme the SP-1 would start with S/N 6400 and continue from there. The SP-1 was made until 1981, so the S/N would revolve before it was discontinued.
I have an SP-1 with S/N 7600, indicating Nov. 1978 if the scheme is correct. |
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bossarea
Forum Admin
United Kingdom
3652 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2006 : 15:24:09
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After the momentary LED was replaced with a permanent LED, a new schematic was released for each of the existing pedals. The text you refer to can be found on all of these schematics. It only outlines how the numbers roll over from 9900 to 0000 and doesn't reflect the range of the serial numbers.
An interesting point is when the production of the SP-1 and PH-1 ended. The end of sale date is Nov -81. When did they stop making them? I haven't ever seen any of them with a 6 digit serial number so I suspect production for the PH-1 ended when PH-1R production started. SP-1 production could have stopped at the same time but in both cases it's really just speculation. |
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thedarxide
Bronze Member
81 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2006 : 15:34:56
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quote:
Originally posted by bossarea
After the momentary LED was replaced with a permanent LED, a new schematic was released for each of the existing pedals. The text you refer to can be found on all of these schematics. It only outlines how the numbers roll over from 9900 to 0000 and doesn't reflect the range of the serial numbers.
aaaahhh.... thanks!  |
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Sunburst
Silver Member
427 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2006 : 17:21:29
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| I have never seen a PH-1 and SP-1 with a six digit serial myself. The same goes for GE-6, I wonder when one of those show up with a six digit serial... |
Edited by - Sunburst on 03/06/2006 17:37:23 |
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Goran
Double Platinum Member
Sweden
2203 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2006 : 06:58:16
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Got a PH-1 yesterday, black screw, serial 075500.
By the way, great work Bossarea I had a flu so my congrats are a little late... |
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Sunburst
Silver Member
427 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2006 : 10:03:04
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Thanks to Goran, we have our first PH-1 with a six digit sticker serial.  |
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Early serial numbers theory
