Serial number observation.

[David C. Poland]

Mark started a dialog on his just acquired 12 tube Allwave Deluxe w AVC & twin speakers #B-71

Bruce commented on his like version Allwave Deluxe AVC w twin speakers Ser# F-

I had one (Kent has it now) number H-71 (I kept the twin speakers).

And I also have an  AVC DELUXE before AVC with single Rola speaker #B-91

All 4 of these chassis have the small size serial number tag seen on earlier Deluxe examples.  

Bruce added a comment to Mark's thread as to any serial number significance.

My earlier Deluxe  -  (no AVC, 24A IF amps, single Rola speaker, no tuning meter, no red antenna post, no outboard antenna tuner ---  virtually a 2-Dial except for the single dial and the new internal coil wheel assembly) has serial number B-91.  Curious that Mark's  AVC model ser# B-71   has a lower number than my pre-AVC model.  

So now, I can visualize that perhaps the tags were put on the chassis upon arrival of  a batch of chromed chassis fresh from the  fabricator, in order to establish inventory control at that point.  And that the stack (serial number tags attached) was not necessarily stacked in numerical order.  Or that during slack times, some of the chassis would be partly assembled and shelved for later completion when demand increased.  Then as customer orders arrived, a chassis was taken off the top of the chassis stack or randomly off the partially assembled shelves for  completion. Such a procedure  could help explain such anomalies as why my non-AVC example has a higher number than Mark's AVC example. And why some Fifteens obviously started as a Wunderlick model are found finished as the later version non- Wunderlick model.

I believer the serial numbers are chronological (more or less)  within a letter series. But that the numbers across letter series are not in lock step. Hence, perhaps my early Deluxe (no AVC) having a higher number than Bruce's early AVC model may just means that the B series was in use awhile before the F series began use.  I have not seen a 2-DIAL model nor know of one with a serial number tag, and wonder if  serial number tag use began with the first Deluxe model.

Norman and Kent  have explored but seem unconvinced of the theory that each letter prefix equates to a particular assembly craftsman at Scott Labs.   Maybe the variety of letter prefixes was just a way to shield production volume knowledge from the competition and the public. It is a tribute to Kent and Norman that their  serial number project seems to be well along to discovering production volumes.

-Dave Poland

 

[David C. Poland]

Bruce's DELUXE w AVC is ser number F-99   -Dave

[Y2K Bruce]

I just looked at my dual dial and as mentioned above, there is NOT a serial number plate.I had not noticed that before.

That's interesting as my older AC-10 set does have a serial number plate on both the main chassis and the amp.

[David C. Poland]

Hi Bruce.

Re: the AC-10:  I have had 2 in my hands that I am sure were the original pairing of amp and receiver. I noticed the amp serial number is higher than the Receiver serial number.  And furthermore, the amp serial numbers climes faster than the receiver serial numbers, in that the difference between the two was markedly greater for the later AC-10.

Some years ago, I traded a Fifteen Amp to get another AC-10 amp. Checking it out, I found that the top section of the voltage divider wired differently such that the highest voltage available was 90 volts, for the  135 volts terminal was not live.   This seems to confirm that some of the  amp production was sold for another purpose.  Maybe the AC-10 amp  became the optional amp for the last of the Shield Grid 9  kit sets and also to retrofit any of the prior Scott battery kit radios for owners who wanted to upgrade any 1920's Scott battery set..

Does your amp have a higher serial number than your AC-10 receiver?

-Dave Poland

[Y2K Bruce]

Thanks Dave. Very interesting.

I checked and my set fits the pattern also:

Chassis : Serial number 1208 type 601

Amp : Serial number 2354

[David C. Poland]

Bruce,  a bigger disparity than I expected.  You acquire them as a set?

I have: small dial escutcheon tuner # 1331  with  3 tube amp #1835.

Another example I had acquired together w/ speaker:  small escutcheon tuner # 2062   and 4 tube amp #3243

-Dave

[Y2K Bruce]

I acquired the whole set including cabinet from Ron Ramirez, who had recently gotten it in Southern Indiana from I don't know whom.