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Conspiracy? Or just crazy theory?

Discussion in 'Effects [BG]' started by totallyfrozen, Jul 18, 2013.

  1. Jul 18, 2013 #1
    totallyfrozen

    totallyfrozen

    Apr 8, 2006
    Houston, Texas
    I've been noticing on eBay that the majority of Boss OC-2 pedals and a good number of OC-3 pedals have no sticker on the bottom plate.

    The ones that do have a sticker DON'T have the serial number sticker.

    Some OC-2s claim to be made in Japan (but are missing the sticker to verify) and some claim to be made in Taiwan (but are missing the serial number sticker).

    If it was just one or two every once in awhile, I'd chalk it up to the sticker possibly getting removed when someone pulled the Velcro of the bottom of their used pedal. When MOST of them are missing the sticker--or even more suspicious--when they have the sticker but are only missing the serial number...that's make my eyebrow go up--like this :eyebrow:

    Can anyone offer a legit reason why eBay is flooded with Boss octave pedals with no serial numbers?

    th_tinfoilhats.jpg
     
  2. Jul 18, 2013 #2
    JonnyAngle

    JonnyAngle Dropping Acid Pedal Etching .com Supporting Member Commercial User

    Nov 24, 2008
    Maple Grove, MN
    DroppingAcidPedalEtching.com
    You're thinking waaaay too hard about this!
     
  3. Jul 18, 2013 #3
    bludog

    bludog

    Apr 3, 2012
    Brooklyn 11217
    I thought the serial #'s were inside, under the stomp plate (where the battery is) on the vintage MIJ pedals. I know I have a few that have it there... maybe that was only on the really early ones. I dunno.
     
  4. Jul 18, 2013 #4
    totallyfrozen

    totallyfrozen

    Apr 8, 2006
    Houston, Texas
    Why do you say that?
     
  5. Jul 18, 2013 #5
    bludog

    bludog

    Apr 3, 2012
    Brooklyn 11217
    ^part of the conspiracy is my guess. :) kidding, kidding...

    I could see scammers ripping the labels off. Not out of the question. If the serials are inside though (still not sure, couldn't confirm online, tried bossarea.com) then it's moot because you can always check the date based off that.
     
  6. Jul 18, 2013 #6
    FretNoMore

    FretNoMore * Cooking with GAS *

    Jan 25, 2002
    The frozen north
    Any decent scammer or pirate would try to make things look as right, including a faked label, I would think.
     
  7. Jul 18, 2013 #7
    bongomania

    bongomania Supporting Member Commercial User

    Oct 17, 2005
    PDX, OR
    owner, OVNIFX and OVNILabs
    Labels are expensive. To print a one-off foil (silver with black text) label might only cost $1.50 each, but you have to buy a roll of 1000 blank foil labels, and a special printer, and special ink. So you might pay $5000 just to be able to print that one fake label.
     
  8. Jul 18, 2013 #8
    gastric

    gastric Professional product tester for hire

    Jun 8, 2009
    Raleigh, NC
    My recollection is the PCBs are clearly labelled with their country of origin. I bought/sold a handful last year and some of the pedals with Taiwan stickers on the bottom had Japanese PCBs. If you spend some time searching you should be able to find a thread where I posted some pictures of the two different PCBs for easy identification, probably in the "OC2 synth mod" thread.
     
  9. Jul 18, 2013 #9
    JonnyAngle

    JonnyAngle Dropping Acid Pedal Etching .com Supporting Member Commercial User

    Nov 24, 2008
    Maple Grove, MN
    DroppingAcidPedalEtching.com
    The juice wouldn't be worth the squeeze . Anyone who bought the pedal, that could actually discern the difference between mit and mij, could just look at the circuit board. If the scammer made a fake label, it would cost them more to make the label than the extra $ they would get
     
  10. Jul 19, 2013 #10
    winterburn69

    winterburn69

    Jan 27, 2008
    Saskatchewan
    +1

    All my vintage MIJ have the serial numbers on the inside. However, I don't know when Boss started putting the serials on the bottom. Just avoid buying pedals on eBay if you think it's a conspiracy?