Tascam serial #s

[j.harv]

Not sure if this has been brought up....
I was looking my 388 over and just noticed the serial# for the first time....
Does anyone know how to decode these #'s ? My 388 is # 90005.
Was just wondering if this is a low number and maybe if this is an early 388 off the line....

Just curious..

 

[The Ghost of FM]

There's sometimes a date code which comes after the serial number. Does yours have that? Usually a 2 or 3 digit number.

The serial number is more so just an indicator of the market it was intended for, I believe.

Cheers!

 

[Beck]

There was a time when Tascam serial numbers coincided with the year of manufacture, the first two numbers being the year. In this case that would be 1990. In other eras trying to associate the first two numbers with a year did not work so it seems they changed the format for serials at some point.

The first 388 was made in 1985 and they were in production for a few years. The first new in store on display 388 I ever saw was in 1989 and the last new in box 388 I saw in a music store was about 1995-96. My best guess is that this a later model 388 made in 1990. That would be good news though, as it would be five years newer than the first run machines and hopefully in better shape than some. Most of my Tascam gear from the 80's and 90's follows the first two numbers as the year rule and that's what I'm going on.

I could be wrong about the 388 because I'm no expert on the machine. Anyone with different info please feel free to correct me.

 

[sweetbeats]

Omigoodness...my 234 was made in 1925...

s/n 251054

:???:

Can't seem to find the s/n on the M-__ mixer...

 

[j.harv]

The first 388 was made in 1985 and they were in production for a few years.

I thought I heard that they stopped making 388's around 1987....that they only lasted 2 years????
There is no other numbers after the serial# on mine.
But I do think this 388 is an earlier one because when I bought it, the card bay cover didn't have the slotted vents above the power supply. I replaced this one with a spare that has the vents,which is something they must have added later after overheating problems.
And when I was searching around on serial#'s, I came across some guys blog about his old 388 he dug out of storage. He said the serial# was
0000045 or something around there.He' was wondering if he had the 45th unit made....
This is how the old Acoustic Control Corp. amps are numbered. I was looking up the serial# for my old Acoustic 360 bass amp when I came across a guy who had a serial# of 00012 on his amp,which makes his the 12th ever made.
But guess not all companies go by this.

 

[Beck]

Omigoodness...my 234 was made in 1925...

s/n 251054

:???:

Can't seem to find the s/n on the M-__ mixer...

Yup, see what I mean? It doesn't always work.

And yeah, what Ghost said about the three-digit number after (if there is one) having something to do with the date. That works with quite a few of my Tascam products. If there is a date code in the numbers somewhere Tascam/Teac changed the scheme over the years so it's not the same throughout their history.

I thought I heard that they stopped making 388's around 1987....that they only lasted 2 years????

That I do not know. I only know the 388 was still in stores new in the early to mid 90's, but I can't say when the last one rolled off the assembly line. They were still viable and practical late 80's to early 90's before Alesis ADAT changed the whole ballgame.