ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Hi
How do you age a B&O product by its serial number?
Thanks in advance
First 2 digits in the serial number starting if I remember right, with 01=1986, 02=87 and so on, but search the archived forums
Collecting Vintage B&O is not a hobby, its a lifestyle.
There is an idea, I must get around to storing all my serial numbers !
valve1: There is an idea, I must get around to storing all my serial numbers !
Well me to, I always take a pic of the labels, and then i dont find the pics
Søren Mexico:Well me to, I always take a pic of the labels, and then i dont find the pics
Photos are a good idea but a typed /written list in your insurance documents (paper not virtual) is my old way. Must borrow a digital camera and get images on a disc and include that in the file.
How do we find out which years are the numbers before 1986
No idea, but i am sure someone will. Meanwhile best write them all down .
Mr Bang & Mr Olufsens very first build had serialnumber (chassis number) 1, the next number 2 and so on.The serial numbers were apparently not given as a continous dedicated range for any specific model but ratherin the order they were produced or planned, across the current production models.This practice continued for many years.Reaching apprx serial number 1500 in early 1930, 10000 items reached in 1937 and so on.When close to one million items were produced, it appears the serial number counterwas reset, starting again from 10000 in late 1964 (around the time when transistor models got introduced andthe new model name convention took effect, Master 610K became Beomaster 900K etc.) but the numbers were stillgiven across the production model range rather than a continous range for each model.
Martin
This seems to be a reasonable approximation starting from the early '90s:
http://archivedarchivedforum2.beoworld.org/forums/p/38821/322215.aspx#322215
A common misconception with B&O is looking at the years printed on type stickers. They are usually a copyright year for the design, and can be much older than any released units of that type.
For earlier units, if you can open it, you can look at the date codes stamped on components. It doesn't tell the manufacturing date, but at least gives you a lower limit and an approximate upper bound to the manufacturing date of the unit - such expensive components usually didn't sit on factory shelves for too long. Almost all ICs have a date code and so do many larger transistors. Motors and such are often date stamped, and you might find one inside the casework as well. Obviously watch out for components that have been replaced in service.
Understanding the date codes can sometimes require a bit of prior knowledge, here's an example of the more obvious methods of stamping ICs (manufactured by Raytheon during week 20 of 1975):
We could of course start to build a data base such as Frede has done with the Beolab 5000 components, but it won't help unless it includes reference points dated by some other means.
--mika