Maxon Pickup Codes

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davesowden

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I believe the first digit of a Maxon 5 number code is the pickup code-eg U1000, U2000 etc.
I,m trying to identify a Maxon pup stamped 34619 on the base-
4=1974
6=june
19=19th of month
which pickup range do you think is identified by the initial digit 3?
Its a chrome covered humbucker-thats pretty much all i know about it-sorry, no pix.
 
davesowden said:
I believe the first digit of a Maxon 5 number code is the pickup code-eg U1000, U2000 etc.
I,m trying to identify a Maxon pup stamped 34619 on the base-
4=1974
6=june
19=19th of month
which pickup range do you think is identified by the initial digit 3?
Its a chrome covered humbucker-thats pretty much all i know about it-sorry, no pix.

This is covered in here quite a bit, with good work done by japanstrat.

Here is an extract from an email i received from Maxon awhile ago,

Quote
Maxon guitar pickup serial number consisted of five-digit number.
Period used: up to and including 1977
The serial number: ABCDD
A: production line code (1: prototype line (very rare pickup), the other numbers are the production line numbers.)
B: year of manufacture (e.g. 1977 was shown as "7".)
C: month, 1=Jan ... 9=Sep., 0(zero)=Oct., X=Nov., .(dot)=Dec.
DD: day of the month (01 to 31)
If A is 1 (prototype line), B is the year code and CDD are not disclosed.
Unquote


Has anyone come across a prototype line with the first digit of 1 yet?
 
No, only 2, 3, 5 & 8. Can't remember seeing other digits.

@Dave: the first digit is not a pickup identifier; I have seen Dry Zs with both 2s & 5s fi.
 
2, 3, 5 & 8 almost sound like the should be Alnico types, but that would be too simple, wouldn't it?
 
hi
all the screaming 1982 i have seen have ceramic magnets and have seen some with 5 and 2 ,,,, so i dont think that will work :)
all the best
otto
:D :D :D :D
 
I have a set with 15.12

So this would be prototype 1975 december 12 8)

Maybe its one of the first u4000s? This is the guitar they come from not sure of the model.

I think the u4000s came out in 1976? so that would make sense.





5885634865_5235331636_z.jpg

5886194136_f976acbd91_z.jpg
 
I wonder if the actual guitar is a prototype because it has the thiner logo, 2 screw TRC and an unusal colour finish. As far as I know none of these features came untill later?
 
wulfman said:
2, 3, 5 & 8 almost sound like the should be Alnico types, but that would be too simple, wouldn't it?

Yes unless the UDs are not ceramic after all. My former EGC500 had the UDs starting with a 2.
 
Here is a 1977 PU-0 that has a "1" code so may have been a new model at the time. It measures 7.81k.

 
A: production line code (1: prototype line (very rare pickup), the other numbers are the production line numbers.)


When he says "the other numbers are production line numbers"

Does he mean the BCDD numbers or the other numbers used at A such as 2 3 5 8 etc.?
If the later then maybe the other numbers (2, 3, 5 8 ) are just from what line of production made that pickup that day. Presuming there was more than one production line ?
And 1 is made on the drawing board so to speak, before heading to mass production.
Just trying to clarify cuz I'm a bit confused on that part.
 
Maxon produced lots of stuff other than pickups so 4 6 and 7 production lines could of been doing stomp boxes for all we know.
 
So as the company grew so did the size of production adding on as needed?

I have no idea how a factory works I'm just having wild guess :lol:
 
wulfman said:
Here is a 1977 PU-0 that has a "1" code so may have been a new model at the time. It measures 7.81k.


Correct me if i'm wrong but Greco had 3 catalogs in 77 Vol 6, 7, and 8. Pu-0 is first mentioned in vol 8 which would likely be the *** end of 77 so those pu-0s of Wulfs are aug 1977 which would fit in with being a prototype?

And the pickups of mine, Serial 15.12= Dec 12 1975 so we could say the guitar is likely to be from very early 1976 and the pickups could well be a prototype of U-4000's which came out mid 1976.?

Would be good to find more examples.
 
It is a bit odd to me that a prototype would have the "PU-0" already stamped in the back though, you would think that would happen with a production model only. Just saying, I don't know what it all means.

I do remember (to finish this sentence!) someone with early PU-2s that had PU-2 stamped on in ink rather than embossed. Can't find a picture though.
 
You do remember? :lol:

Yes that and I just found two different sets of pickups with the same serial, one set has u-3000 stamped the other set has nothing stamped and the serial number starts with 1 from 1976. u-3000 started earlier than that so I don't know what it all means either.
 
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