Exploring an early silver-label Commodore 64

Enjoy this fairly thorough discussion of Commodore64 serial #S00001450, which was the 450th Commodore 64 ever to roll off the assembly line. This video focuses mostly on historical discussion rather than technical and it concludes with a demo of this perfectly working, all-original specimen along with a bonus comparison of this c64 and a later 64C both playing the intro of Epyx World Games such that you may compare the audio and video from the early and later versions of the Commodore 64.

Thanks and credit go to:

John Feagans: historical photos and countless questions answered over the years.
Thomas ’skoe’ Giesel: c64 PLA dissected document I used for reference.
Brian Bagnall: I drew considerably on his "Commodore: A Company on the Edge" for historical information.

Music used in this video:
Stegosaurus - Margareta
My/Your Place (Instrumental Version) - King Sis
Studio 75 - Margareta
Rhubarb Pie - Margareta

[daudzoss]

The Academy Computers sticker on the back was my local Commodore authorized dealer and repair shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was owned and operated by Danny and Betsy Byrne, who also wrote articles for the official Power/Play and Commodore Magazines.

[fsim]

It's a shame Commodore never shipped the wireless disk drives they show on the box. 🤣

[_Bit]

Great work Dave; I haven't heard such a clear explanation of the cause of the sparkle bug before!

[Thunk]

Fantastic video! That label and all those ceramic chip casings really give this machine a special sort of charm. And it works!

[RacerX-]

Fantastic! Another great video. Thank you!  
My first C64 was an early 5-pin model since that was what the camera store happened to sell us in 1983. We did use a 1701 monitor eventually but we did use the rear jacks as there was/is a cable that supported it. I don't recall the COMPUTE! magazine issue that tells you how to make your own though. I call it a Pseudo separated cable. It does improve the video over composite very noticeably. IIRC it uses the monochrome pin for LUMA and the Composite pin for CHROMA. The 1701/1702 can happily support this non-standard signal.

[commodorecave]

Really enjoyed this. Well explained and well done. I have a boxed Silver Label 64- serial number WGB 1617. If the theory is correct, then mine just jumped 1, 000 build places.

[gkavner]

Thanks for your channel, I'm learning a 𝘭𝘰𝘵 of previously unknown CBM trivia from you🙂

[MD_Mastro_Commodore]

I go back to see this video with great pleasure, in my opinion it is a real documentary on the history of the C64! Maybe I'll make such a video for your C64's brother too!

[MARC]

Great video and awesome history behind this machine!

[GeorgesChannel]

Great Video, Dave! Really enjoyed it. I can't hear a difference either..:)

[DumbBunny]

These early c64s still have a luma pin on the video out. Commodore originally expected users to use composite for the chroma signal on the 1701/1702

[markwrightrf]

4:36 "DJ Tramiel told me everybody's high, poor Bob Yanes going out of his mind. Flash is fast, flash is cool, but a 4K EPROM is the golden rule" - Blondie (featuring Daft Punk).

[delscoville]

I never actually owned a silver label. But I worked on a number of them in my shop. But ironically, even though the C64c were still being made at the time my shop was open, I seen more C64c's come in than Breadbins.

[rosagomez]

PAL c64s had sharper image quality, kawari vic ii by Randy Rossi is a great upgrade with additional modes and its own ram.Salute from a c64 enthusiast from Buenos Aires, Argentina land of Drean c64s PAL-N!

[zphn]

If you don't hear the difference between SID chips is because you are playing normal sounds.
Fire up IMPOSSIBLE MISSION or GHOSTBUSTERS and you will hear a noticeable difference...
There is a way, anyway, to disable the filter they added but just connecting a resistor between 2 SID pins.

[egumit]

Very nice presentation. The 8580 SID is a much smoother sound while the early 6581before rev3 is very crisp.

[HelloKittyFanMan]

Oh my heck, you have more 1541s than I imagined that you would! You oughtta set one of those extras up as the device 11 in that first stack that you showed us.

[Darkk]

I remember that old white Styrofoam that came with my Vic-20 in 1981. It's not surprising that Commodore used the same packaging that was used for the Vic-20 till it was changed in later models. I've had the Vic-20 (Golden badge), C64 and Amiga 500 before moving over to the Linux world.

[vcv]

Thanks, a very nice video. The only omission I think worth noting (I have a 524, xxx of my late uncle) is those early power supplies are screw together, unpottend and thus reparable. One of those cost cutting measures CBM shouldn't have taken.

[CBROB-CyberBunker]

so. the brown label one with gray keys without the rainbow. which is on the packaging and quite a few other things (older manuals, programmers reference guide)... was never produced :P