Possible to backtrace an amp's manufacturing date?

[JD-MAN]

Guys, I'm trying to buy an amp and when I asked the seller what year it was from, he said that he backtraced the year by using just the serial numbers and that "it should be an S".

The amp is a JCM800 2203, supposedly from '84 (vertical inputs and 6 filter caps).
It's a lot of money and I like to know what I'm buying, so I don't like the "should be an S". (It is or it isn't, imo)

Now, suppose the date letter is gone or not readable, ...is it possible to backtrace an amp's manufacturing year by just using the serial numbers?
Other methods perhaps?

 

[fenderbender420]

read this, it states that starting in 1969 the serial #'s follow a dating system Marshall Amps :: Heritage

 

[AtomicRob]

Pretty sure that doesn't make sense. Check out Amp Archives/Marshall/JCM 800 Series/2203 JCM 800 Master Volume 100W and you will see that the number doesn't have an ongoing sequence - 05477N in '81, 01178R in '83, etc. I would assume they have a run of numbers for each year. In the early days (60's) they did have an ongoing sequence but even that is not totally consistent.

You might be able to date it from the inspection tag, or from the filter caps if they are original -most of those had date codes.

That being said, an 80's JCM800 2203 of any year is going to be pretty similar, it's not like it would matter if he was off a couple years. A reissue would be much easier to spot I think due to looking too new and also having the bar code.

 

[fenderbender420]

my bad

 

[fenderbender420]

here this might be more relevant
http://www.300guitars.com/articles/marshall-amplifier-date-codes/

 

[AtomicRob]

my bad

Oh sorry I meant the original sellers statement didn't make sense, not your post...

 

[Jesstaa]

Older amps will have the final check date marked, don't know when it was stopped but my '83 2203 has a date.

 

[RickyLee]

Ask him for the MONTH YEAR codes stamped on all of the transformers. It will be 8 83 for example for August of 1983. And you can somewhat ballpark that to see if all the transformers are close with that date.

Something I've noticed with the serial number to ballpark the time of the year from the letter: If you have a really low overall number like 01178R it is early year '83 - like possibly March ect. If you have a really low number with a few zeros in the beginning 00178R, that is really close to beginning of the year. Then you might see a later in the year of '83 - 30178R.

 

[JD-MAN]

It's a S number that's stamped in the chassis. I insisted on a clear pic of the serial number.

But the words "Serial No: S/A" indication were pretty much gone, I think he backtraced that "S/A" by using the stamped serial number.

Hope to get the amp next week