A-Am  An-

info    updated 10/5/2013

Component info - date any vintage amplifier - effects

A common way of dating amplifiers and effects is to refer to date codes on components.  Here are some popular general resources - then read on to find specific brand information if available.

TRY THIS FIRST

http://www.guitardaterproject.org/potcodereader.aspx

Dating any amp - source codes http://www.schematicheaven.com/mods/datecodes.htm

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/pots.html (includes Jensen speakers)

Abbey

Abbey Sound began in 1975 in New Zealand, created by Ross Nicol, a former professional musician with a background in electrical and electronic engineering.  He initially set up a workshop in a spare bedroom, then later expanded into his garage at home.  The first Abbey amplifier was based on the Beatles Vox AC-30.  Encouraged by steady demand for the diversifying product range of Abbey amplifiers and speakers throughout New Zealand, the decision was made to relocate to Australia in 1980.

He set up in a small factory in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Seaford, Ross began with a small team to further develop the product range.

For many years the company operated two complexes of rehearsal rooms in Victoria, located at Seaford and Port Melbourne. During this period all manufacturing was carried out at the premises in Port Melbourne, till being relocated back to a new larger factory at Seaford in the late 1990's.

Like many companies competition from cheap mass-produced imports made the manufacture of amplifiers and speaker enclosures in Australia unviable.  The company now performs repairs, service and installation/upgrades. [Source: Abbey Sound]

Ozvalveamps

Ace Audio

Ace Pepper

Ace Pepper Custom Amplifiers . 12-14 custom amps a year built in San Marcos, Texas by Mr Ace Pepper .

"Since 2000 all my amps are handmade in San Marcos, Texas. The company started as ThunderTweak Amplifiers.
In 2010 we changed the name to Ace Pepper Custom Amplifiers.

Dating Ace Pepper amps

Most of my amps are signed and dated on the side of the chassis ." [Source and images: Ace Pepper, email 25/1/2013]

Ace Tone amps and effects made by Sakata Shikai of Osaka, Japan from the late 1960s-1970s. Later to become Roland/Boss.

http://tix.gozaru.jp/stompbox.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Tone

Acetone catalog http://ushigomepan.cool.ne.jp/effect/catalogue.html

Acetone schematics

http://analogguru.an.ohost.de/

Images eBay:

Achillies Amps

Australian made replicas of classic designs, Springvale, Victoria, Australia

Made by "Labros Bogthanis since Jan - 2006 in Melbourne.

Dating Achillies Amps

Amplifiers are signed by the assembler, dated and given it's production number all engraved inside the chassis. The cabinets are also stamped with there matching chassis production number located inside the base of the cabinet. Speaker cabinets have a code on the inside base of the cabinet which matches the customers invoice number to inform what was ordered with the cabinet at that time. ie, type of speakers, tolex and other custom options. First 3 digits represent the production number and the last 6 digits represent the date it was completed. ie, DAY - MONTH - YEAR. Early cabinets were stamped ACHILLIES in block letters above the code, current cabinets have the Achillies logo head in the same place symbolizing authenticity and quality. This also prohibits unauthorized copies."

[Source and images Labros, email 21/5/2009]

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Acoustic

Unofficial Acoustic Control Corporation Homepage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_Control_Corporation

Acoustic amplifier schematics

http://www.el34world.com/charts/Diagrams.htm

http://www.schematicheaven.com/post70s.htm

Acoustic Control Beach Boy Amp - Image eBay:

Acoustic Image

Acoustic Image amplifiers are from Raleigh, North Carolina USA

Accugroove

ADA

Analog Digital Association, Berkeley, California. 1977 to 2002. [Source: Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide ]  Appear to be re-emerging in 2008-9.

ADA Depot - specialist site for this brand

ADA Schematics

http://www.schematicheaven.com/post70s.htm

http://www.el34world.com/charts/Schematics2.php

Images ADA Flanger and ADA Rocket amp eBay:

see Rocket

Advance Tube Technology

Advance Yube Technology amplifiers are from Lombardo, Italy

AER

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AER_Amplifiers

AGS

AGS Model 300 Tube Guitar Amp, 1x8 Speaker, Made in Canada

Review
Images ebay

Aguilar

Dave Boonshoft founded Aguilar amps with Alex Aguilar in 1995.  In 2004 Boonshoft became sole owner. New York, USA

http://www.myspace.com/aguilaramp

Images eBay:

Ahed

Ahed Music Corporation, Ltd., established in 1969, changed its name in 1978 to Ahed Corporation, then became Eco Corporation. Ahed was a Canadian amplifier manufacturer. [Source: Wikipedia].

Brands included GBX  and Taurus

[Images eBay]

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/brand/GBX

Aiken

Amps from Buford, Georgia, USA. 2000 to present.

The manufacturing date is written inside the chassis on Aiken amps. [Source: Randall Aiken, Aiken Amplification, email 5/2/2007]

search at http://www.vintageguitar.com

Aiken amp interview from Guitar Amplifier Magazine

Amplifiers from the 1970s.  According to Garage AIMS amplifiers were designed by some former Fender employees who started the AIMS company. From the Ampage archive Aims amplifiers were made in Arizona and came with a lifetime warranty. Distributed by Randall Instruments. 

On an eBay sale an AIMS amp was made in Phoenix, Arizona.

Aims amplifier catalog

http://www.vintaxe.com/catalogs_american_aims.htm

Aims schematics

Free schematic Aims Producer 120

(paid site) http://www.musicparts.com/products.asp?Company=Aims

Airline

Airline amps were produced by Valco 1958 to 1968.

http://www.bellflowermusic.com/images/Amps/Airline%20Amp2.JPG

Amp in case http://en.allexperts.com/q/Guitar-General-649/Dating-Airline-Electric-Amp.htm

Airline amp schematics

Reviews http://www.myrareguitars.com/airline18wattcombo1.html

see Valco

Image Airline amps eBay:

Alamo

Albion

Albion amps by Steve Grindrod since 2009.

Alden

Alden were budget solidstate guitar and bass amps from Muse, Inc, China [Source: Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide ]

Alembic

Alembic preamps and effects

Alembic schematics

http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electronics/schempage.php?cat=1

Alembic forum http://alembic.com/cgi-bin/alembic-club/discus.cgi

Alesis

Alesis was founded 1992 to present. They make a broad range of sound gear, modelling amps, effects.

Alessandro

Amps from George Alessandro. Huntington Valley, Pennsylvania, USA

Dating Alessandro amps

"Since 1995.  Earliest amps had no SN. 1996- 1998 had SN above AC connector. 1998 - present has SN under left hold down chassis bracket on back part of chassis.

All amps have specs and build completion date on inside cover plate of chassis." [Source: Hounddogcorp, Alessandro Amps, email 19/3/2008]

Allesandro amp article

Alessandro schematics

http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electronics/schempage.php?cat=1

http://www.schematicheaven.com/post70s.htm

Alien

Alien is a brand of handmade tube amps and effects pedals from Sao Paolo Brazil

Allen

Allen amps are from Walton, Kentucky. Handwired amps or kits. Tube amps and kits.

Dating Allen Amplification amps

As you can see from the image below David Allen signs and dates his amps on the chassis.

Images eBay:

Allied Radio

Allied Radio, 100 N. Western Ave., Chicago 80, Illinois. There are many brands in the Allied Radio catalog including Knight which is used on kits and amplifiers including guitar amps.

Image eBay:

Aloha

see Aloha in guitars

Alpha Omega Pedals

Alpha Omega are hand built vintage voiced guitar effects pedals. Fuzz, Distortion, Overdrive, Modulation and Delay pedals.

http://www.guitarnoize.com/blog/category/guitar-effects/

Alpha and Omega Amps

Alpha & Omega Amplifiers is a small-batch tube-type guitar amplifier builder based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

Alron

Alron amps were made by H.B.C. Electronics in Napier, New Zealand sometime in the 1980s. [Source: NZ Guitars forum ]

Amdek

AMDEK (Analogue Music Digital Electronics Kits)‎

Amdek effects pedals were in fact made by Boss/Roland back in the eighties and were very popular in England. They were advertised in a music magazine (Electronics & MusicMaker), and were sold in a bubble-pack in Kit form (DIY). [Source: Boss Area Forum]

Sound on sound article

A big list at DiscoFreqs effects data base

http://tix.gozaru.jp/stompbox.html

Amdek catalog 198? http://brochures.yokochou.com/index.html

Image eBay:

Ampeg

In 1946, Everette Hull established a partnership with Stanley Michaels under the name "Michaels-Hull Electronic Labs" to produce a new microphone pickup that Hull designed. The pickup was fitted on the end of an upright bass and was dubbed the Amplified Peg or "Ampeg" for short.  In 1949, Hull became the sole proprietor and changed the name of the company to the Ampeg Bassamp Company. In 1986, St. Louis Music, Inc purchased Ampeg. [Source: Ampeg ]

Ampeg reference books

Ampeg: The Story Behind the Sound

Ampeg History/ Info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampeg

http://www.fliptops.net/techinfo.htm

Dating Ampeg

Bluemuse page from the internet archive

Other

v4 http://www.ampegv4.com/

SVT http://www.stinkfight.com/2007/11/01/ampeg-built-to-last/

Ampeg ads / catalogs

2002 Ampeg Catalog  p2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12 13  14  15  16  17  18

2004 Ampeg catalog

http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/advertisements/ampeg

http://vintage.catalogs.free.fr/Index.htm

Ampeg schematics

http://www.drtube.com/guitamp.htm

http://users.aol.com/bluemuse/ampeg.html

http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electronics/schempage.php?cat=1

Effects

http://tix.gozaru.jp/stompbox.html

http://www.geocities.com/stompbox2001/ampeg.htm

Images 1957 Ampeg Mercury amp Roosevelt ve, Woodside New York eBay:

Image of labels from 1961 Ampeg Echo Twin and 1970 Ampeg, Linden New Jersey eBay:

1966 Ampeg Gemini amp Linden New Jersey

Ampex

Ampex is an American electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff. The name AMPEX is an acronym, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excellence. At one time public, Ampex is currently a privately held company. [Source: Wikipedia]

Images Ampex valve amp with JBL speaker eBay:

Amplion

Radio speakers from at least the 1920s. Graham Amplion Limited of London, W. I

Radio museum

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/3839/radio/speakers_a.html

Images Go Antiques and  eBay:

Ampower

Ampower amplifiers were made in Chicago 1940s

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Images Ampower Model 80 Tremelo eBay:

Ampro

Ampro corporation, Chicago USA at least in the 1940s

http://www.lowtek.ca/ampro/

Image Ampro Speaker cab 1946 speaker eBay:

AMT Electronics

This brand name has been around since 2001.  From 1991 to 2001 it was called Asia MT .  See the history of this company at the company web site.

Amwatts

Amwatts is specializing in hand made Speaker Cabinets and Ol' School Tweed style low wattage amps. Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

AMZ

AMZ schematics

http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electronics/schempage.php?cat=1