Help Identifying and Dating Cab

eoin5 · 02-11-2010, 06:54 PM

Hi, I got a JCM 800 plus cab a few weeks ago and Im having no luck identifying the cab. Its got 4 25w greenbacks. I opened it and got the speaker codes today and I tried looking up the codes on this but I cant relate the codes to the table. Can anyone help? Going by the codes I expect that its not got all its original spearkers.

The codes are:

DB18S
DB21S
HEV
Z16DB

The first two look like they are April 1969 but then theres an S afterwards to confuse things. The HEV one looks like something is missing from the code. The last one looks like its a 90s replacement but the Z at the start confuses me.

Can anyone shed some light on this Frankenstein?

Thanks.

janarn · 02-11-2010, 10:21 PM

HEV doesn't make sense.
The three others are from April '69,
but one of them have the old date code.
Celestion didn't change from "day/month/year" to "month/year/day" in '68.
All speakers I have seen from '68 have the old date code,
so your speakers can tell us that they started to change them in early '69?

The S and Z has nothing to do with the date code.

george76 · 02-12-2010, 05:46 AM

HEV will be Aug 1972. The others are from 1969.

A lot of the early 70's speakers dont have numbers in the code, just the month and date and then a random letter thrown in before or after. There is usually a bit of a gap between the last letter though. So it will look more like this: HE V

Sounds like a good score on that cab if you got it cheap. Is it a basketweave? even the 1972 greenback will still have a pulsonic cone.

Pics needed pronto !!!

eoin5 · 02-13-2010, 03:14 AM

Wow I asked in the right place, thanks!

Yea there is a gap between the letters on that speaker, that's why I thought something was missing from it.

Anyways pics:

One thing thats still confusing me is that one has rola written on it, I didnt think rola went back so far? I guess it was in 71 or 72 sometime.

george76 · 02-13-2010, 07:22 AM

shame about all the missing tolex.

that is a 69 cab so the three 69 speakers are probably original to it.

The 72 will have the rola sticker. The stickers changed around April/May 71.

The main thing is how does it sound? A swapped speaker may be a sign the other three are on their way out too.

If that JCM800 is a 100 watter I would be even more concerned.

eoin5 · 02-13-2010, 09:18 AM

Sounds great, its trebley and has strong midrange. If its a 70s replacement is it more likely that one of the speakers became faulty in the first few years?

Anyways I'm getting a Hotplate for it, the head is massively loud

LPMarshall hack · 03-07-2010, 10:28 PM

I just purchased a 1960 BC cab. On the inside, there is a sticker which reads, "1960 BC E Standard". Is the "E" a date code indicating 1995 (according to the link the OP posted? The serial number starts with 95 also. You think my cab is a 1995 based on this?

02-11-2010, 06:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
eoin5 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 3	Help Identifying and Dating Cab Hi, I got a JCM 800 plus cab a few weeks ago and Im having no luck identifying the cab. Its got 4 25w greenbacks. I opened it and got the speaker codes today and I tried looking up the codes on this but I cant relate the codes to the table. Can anyone help? Going by the codes I expect that its not got all its original spearkers. The codes are: DB18S DB21S HEV Z16DB The first two look like they are April 1969 but then theres an S afterwards to confuse things. The HEV one looks like something is missing from the code. The last one looks like its a 90s replacement but the Z at the start confuses me. Can anyone shed some light on this Frankenstein? Thanks.

02-11-2010, 10:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
janarn Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 961	Re: Help Identifying and Dating Cab HEV doesn't make sense. The three others are from April '69, but one of them have the old date code. Celestion didn't change from "day/month/year" to "month/year/day" in '68. All speakers I have seen from '68 have the old date code, so your speakers can tell us that they started to change them in early '69? The S and Z has nothing to do with the date code.

02-12-2010, 05:46 AM	#3 (permalink)
george76 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 735	Re: Help Identifying and Dating Cab HEV will be Aug 1972. The others are from 1969. A lot of the early 70's speakers dont have numbers in the code, just the month and date and then a random letter thrown in before or after. There is usually a bit of a gap between the last letter though. So it will look more like this: HE V Sounds like a good score on that cab if you got it cheap. Is it a basketweave? even the 1972 greenback will still have a pulsonic cone. Pics needed pronto !!!

02-13-2010, 03:14 AM	#4 (permalink)
eoin5 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 3	Re: Help Identifying and Dating Cab Wow I asked in the right place, thanks! Yea there is a gap between the letters on that speaker, that's why I thought something was missing from it. Anyways pics: One thing thats still confusing me is that one has rola written on it, I didnt think rola went back so far? I guess it was in 71 or 72 sometime.

02-13-2010, 07:22 AM	#5 (permalink)
george76 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 735	Re: Help Identifying and Dating Cab shame about all the missing tolex. that is a 69 cab so the three 69 speakers are probably original to it. The 72 will have the rola sticker. The stickers changed around April/May 71. The main thing is how does it sound? A swapped speaker may be a sign the other three are on their way out too. If that JCM800 is a 100 watter I would be even more concerned.

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02-13-2010, 09:18 AM	#6 (permalink)
eoin5 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 3	Re: Help Identifying and Dating Cab Sounds great, its trebley and has strong midrange. If its a 70s replacement is it more likely that one of the speakers became faulty in the first few years? Anyways I'm getting a Hotplate for it, the head is massively loud

03-07-2010, 10:28 PM	#7 (permalink)
LPMarshall hack Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 4,272	Re: Help Identifying and Dating Cab I just purchased a 1960 BC cab. On the inside, there is a sticker which reads, "1960 BC E Standard". Is the "E" a date code indicating 1995 (according to the link the OP posted? The serial number starts with 95 also. You think my cab is a 1995 based on this? __________________ 2500 1960BC Peavey Vypyr 15 1989 LP Custom Piece of crap Epi LP-100

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