Handwritten AR model # suffixes-did it legitimately occur?

[Guest postjob62]

I have recently seen two examples of 60's-early 70's AR speakers, both in pairs with close serial #'s, where the model suffix was hand-written on the label on the back. One was an AR-2ax where the "x" was handwritten; the other a AR-1W where the "W" was handwritten. Actually have seen pics of two of the latter. To me, the speakers looked otherwise legitimate.

Was this actually a sometimes occurrence at the factory, or should one suspect nefarious intent?

Ed

[tysontom]

>I have recently seen two examples of 60's-early 70's AR

>speakers, both in pairs with close serial #'s, where the model

>suffix was hand-written on the label on the back. One was an

>AR-2ax where the "x" was handwritten; the other a AR-1W where

>the "W" was handwritten. Actually have seen pics of two of the

>latter. To me, the speakers looked otherwise legitimate.

>

>Was this actually a sometimes occurrence at the factory, or

>should one suspect nefarious intent?

>

>Ed

It is unlikely that any of the production-run speakers, after the first few, had any handwriting on the labels other than the QC-signoff initials. Can you get the pictures and attach the images of these suspect speakers on the site? The AR-2ax might have been a very early production version of the 1964 changeover to the 3-1/2-inch midrange driver, at which time the speaker got the "x" suffix before the printer was finished with the new-style label. I can only surmise this, but this sort of thing happened. As for the AR-1W, I think it would have to be a very early version to have a handwritten "W" suffix, probably a very early serial number.

It is also unlikely that anyone would make the changes with any sort of ill-intentions. It's all-the-more unlikely in the case of the AR-1W, as the latter was less valuable than the AR-1.

Send some images if you have them.

--Tom Tyson

[charger3834]

>

The AR-2ax

>might have been a very early production version of the 1964

>changeover to the 3-1/2-inch midrange driver, at which time

>the speaker got the "x" suffix before the printer was finished

>with the new-style label. I can only surmise this, but this

>sort of thing happened. >Send some images if you have them.

>

>--Tom Tyson

Having worked in the printing business way back when, I think this is very probable. The printer may have been slow, or perhaps AR was slow with their order. They may also have had to make a couple of revisions to the label, thereby slowing down the process.

Tom, is it possible that the factory converted these AR-2a's to a 2ax's. Perhaps these speakers were converted under warranty ?

Perhaps a dealer did this conversion with the $15.00 kit, and then marked an X on the label ?

[Guest postjob62]

Hi Tom,

Here's a link to a current ebay auction that shows an AR-1W displaying exactly what I'm talking about. The "W" appears handwritten on one of the speaker labels.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Ed

[tysontom]

>Having worked in the printing business way back when, I think

>this is very probable. The printer may have been slow, or

>perhaps AR was slow with their order. They may also have had

>to make a couple of revisions to the label, thereby slowing

>down the process.

>

>Tom, is it possible that the factory converted these AR-2a's

>to a 2ax's. Perhaps these speakers were converted under

>warranty ?

>

>Perhaps a dealer did this conversion with the $15.00 kit, and

>then marked an X on the label ?

>

Brad, I think your explanation is the most plausible -- factory or field conversion from an AR-2a to an AR-2ax. I had forgotten about that possibility, but it makes the most sense.

--Tom Tyson

[tysontom]

>Hi Tom,

>

>Here's a link to a current ebay auction that shows an AR-1W

>displaying exactly what I'm talking about. The "W" appears

>handwritten on one of the speaker labels.

>

>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

>

Ed,

Thanks for sending the link. I see the hand-written "W," and I would have to think that AR probably made this mistake and put an "AR-1" label on an AR-1W, then perhaps went back and corrected it. Or the dealer or owner corrected it. This set of ARs was originally listed on eBay as "AR-1s," and I sent a message to the seller explaining that they were actually AR-1Ws, as you could readily see from the grill cloth, lack of level control and the inscription (on one of them). They were also originally listed as being "1953" models, but I told the seller that they were actually 1955-1956 versions. The seller quickly re-listed the item, and changed it to "AR-1W." It is faintly possible that one of them is an AR-1, but there is no evidence from the grill that there is an 8-inch tweeter present, and there are no straps or level controls on the back of the speaker.

--Tom Tyson