Euro AR styling?

[owlsplace]

A pair of Euro AR-3a's just closed on the auction site for $665 which is comparatively low these days.

The back panels were different colors. I'm assuming it is because one was refinished and not factory. Curiously I just got a pair of Euro 6's with a similar color scheme.

Anyone know what is up with that?

I assume the "H" serial number prefix means they were made in Holland. What is the serial prefix for the British-made speakers? And are the serial numbers in a separate series from the US made speakers? Perhaps only TomT would know the answer to some of these questions.

I don't have the AR-6's in hand at the moment so any questions on details will have to wait delivery.

Roger

[ra.ra]

The Euro contingent of CSP members and our domestic cognoscenti are the most informed on this topic, but the paper labels, the grille cloth color, the cabinet edge styling, and the rear-speckled paint are indeed tell-tale signs of European production. While it does appear that your "switched" AR-6's are Euro-versions, neither of them has the light-colored "speckled" paint that is typical.

edit: paper labels with more than one address for AR.

[Jeff_C]

I can only report on the numbering for my British built AR-16, it it helps with your curiosity.

They have the speckled paint finish on the backs. I will reproduce here exactly what the label shows for the serial numbers

Serial No E16 No 01290

Serial No E16 No 01291

I owned a pair of AR-6 for a couple of years, bought jointly with my sister and she took them off from the family home when she got married. They had the speckled paint backs and the rebated cabinet edge and a three position switch IIRC. No idea of the serial numbers of those.

[owlsplace]

Thanks, Jeff_C.

It is not clear at what point AR's US production started finishing speaker back panels. I've seen some from Cambridge that are finished and some from Norwood that are not finished. Looks like a dark grill cloth was available on US models at some point also. It probably happened some time after their market share started to decline.

And the double pasty labels changed to one pasted label at some point after the Norwood move.

I kinda like the unfinished "garage speaker" look of some of the Classic series speakers, black electrical tape and all.

Roger

Adding: Instead of "garage-speaker look" maybe "yankee doodle" speaker would be more appropriate.

It is pretty rare to find sequential serial numbers in the US, at least on the "Classic era" models.