La Scala date mystery

[squawker]

I have a pair of 1979 La Scalas from the original owner who states that they have all original components including square tweeters (even still unfinished!). The serial number starts with 22T and the last three numbers are about 200 apart. First, I understand that square tweeters were first implemented in November of 1979. I would think that the first 2 numbers (22) would refer to the week of the year of manufacture (seems like I read that somewhere but I cannot find it now - only reference to the letter). If that's all true, the dates don't match.

Second, if the last three numbers refer to the unit number, did they make at least 200 La Scalas in a week?

Can anyone fully explain the serial numbers with a letter (the numbers portion of it)

Mark

[squawker]

The last three numbers are in the 400s so that would be at least 400 La Scalas in a week

[colterphoto1]

The numbering was generally per MONTH I believe.

The prefix numbers only meant YYWW from 84-89 and DOY Y2Y1 from 90-97, then it was YYWW from 98-2000 (according to the S/N chart format)

[Groomlakearea51]

The way I understood it when talking to the production folks at the Klipsch factory was that the 62 through 83 series first two numbers referred to the production run type. Example, build run #15TXXXX may have been Klipschorns, 23TXXXX may have been Heresy's, etc. The serials (the XXXX) referred to the actual serial assigned to that series for that year "T", in this case 1979.

I may be wrong, but someone else (can't remember who) told me that the first two numbers in the 62 - 83 series referred to the week of the year the production run was made. Thus in week 22 (June) in 1979 is when they produced that batch of LaScala's. 200? maybe? Maybe not. I think that what the factory told me was likely correct.

Interestingly...., My LaScala's are 22T403 & 413. I know the cabinets were assembled in late June of 1979 because there is a date, in pencil, written inside the bass bin. So,.. I know they made at least 413 of them in 1979...

One of my Klipschorn pairs has the serial 15T252 & 668. These were ordered as a pair from Klipsch by the berlin audio club in November of 1978, and delivered in January of 1979 (I was there and drooling at them for several months...). Because of the numbers "spread", I think that the first two digits probably related to the production run, rather than a week in a year.

Also, does anyone have Klipschorn's, LaScala's, Cornwalls, Heresy's from 1979 that have a FIRST digit of anything other than #2; example 2XTXXXX? That might answer some historical questions.

[squawker]

"Interestingly...., My LaScala's are 22T403 & 413. I know the cabinets were assembled in late June of 1979 because there is a date, in pencil, written inside the bass bin. So,.. I know they made at least 413 of them in 1979..."

I haven't looked inside yet but the serial number of one of mine is maybe one or two away from your 403. I thought mine was 403 off the top of my head - I'll check tonight and let you know tomorrow. The other one I think is in the 600 range.

Mark

[Guest " "]

It's no mystery.

The folks who make them like to party.

We have seen numbers that slant in different directions as well as some that are upside down.

[Groomlakearea51]

I haven't looked inside yet but the serial number of one of mine is maybe one or two away from your 403. I thought mine was 403 off the top of my head - I'll check tonight and let you know tomorrow.

If yours is 203.... I'd better pull mine out and look again... If they are duplicates (I'll take a picture...) then the plot thickens!! [:|]

[squawker]

There's still something missing. If the first two numbers are the production run type then the last three numbers couldn't be the monthly production because the numbers would repeat every month. Maybe your 22T in June is by design. I don't know, I'm just trying to find the answer.

Did your 22T come with square tweeters?

Mark

[squawker]

If the first two numbers are the production run type then the last three numbers could be an annual production number......

[Groomlakearea51]

The last three (or four, particularly with Heresy's) are the serials for that year

According to my top sekret inside, undercover, triple agent, A1 source.... The scheme was, as they recall.....:

Example, parsing it out....: 22T403, a 1979 LaScala...

22 = second run, second LaScala run (? likely);

T = year, 1979 (that's for sure...)

403 = LaScala (totals) by serial# for that year.

I believe that the second (and third if there is one) prefix digit(s) has something to do with which production run during that year..... Reason.... the 15T on the KC-BB Klipschorn's. They did not (and probably still don't) make that many in any one "run". It would stand to some reason that the "5" may very well relate to the 5th run in late 79'. Other question I've always asked is that when was the actual serial number applied; e.g. when the cabinet pieces were completed and ready for assembly? OR When it hit the driver assembly line? OR when the speaker was completed, but not lacquered? OR When the "raw" cabinet was completed and ready for veneer, drivers, etc.? That would explain why a pair of "matched" (ordered at the same time...) speakers could have a 100+ digit spread. Reason could be that they ran out of KC-BB's and were waiting for the next available KC to be built as a BB in order to "pair it up" for shipment. The other pair of KC's are 18W027 & 18W028, so the "spread" is not available to think about. Same thing with the KB's 8907678/679.

Now.... interesting food for thought... I had a pair of Heresy's that were 111UXXX.... Was it Heresy's = the first "1", and the second "11" was the 11th run that year?...

Also, I'm coming to the conclusion that the actual serial numbers (last 3-4 digits) had nothing to do with the finish. As an example 25P1234 may be a Heresy HBR, but 25P1239 could be a HBB. They may have done 16 "boxes" as HBR's starting with 1230 and ending with 1245. "box" 1246 through 1249 (two pairs) may have been walnut veneer, etc.

For Amy/Mike Colter: Can we go to Indy or Hope and look at the archives/ log books? That would answer alot of questions..... I'll buy the beer![H]

[squawker]

I was thinking the same thing about when the serial number was applied.

Mark

[pauln]

The LaScalas I bought new early in 2005:

LS4FB1705090001

LS4FB1705090002

LS is LaScala

4 is AL-4 network

FB is Finish Black

17 is the code for Laquer

05 is 2005

09 is the ninth week of that year (end of February)

0001 and 0002 means the first two made that year or month, not sure - at that time I believe all LS were built to order...

[colterphoto1]

The last three (or four, particularly with Heresy's) are the serials for that year

According to my top sekret inside, undercover, triple agent, A1 source.... The scheme was, as they recall.....:

Example, parsing it out....: 22T403, a 1979 LaScala...

22 = second run, second LaScala run (? likely);

T = year, 1979 (that's for sure...)

403 = LaScala (totals) by serial# for that year.

I believe that the second (and third if there is one) prefix digit(s) has something to do with which production run during that year..... Reason.... the 15T on the KC-BB Klipschorn's. They did not (and probably still don't) make that many in any one "run". It would stand to some reason that the "5" may very well relate to the 5th run in late 79'. Other question I've always asked is that when was the actual serial number applied; e.g. when the cabinet pieces were completed and ready for assembly? OR When it hit the driver assembly line? OR when the speaker was completed, but not lacquered? OR When the "raw" cabinet was completed and ready for veneer, drivers, etc.? That would explain why a pair of "matched" (ordered at the same time...) speakers could have a 100+ digit spread. Reason could be that they ran out of KC-BB's and were waiting for the next available KC to be built as a BB in order to "pair it up" for shipment. The other pair of KC's are 18W027 & 18W028, so the "spread" is not available to think about. Same thing with the KB's 8907678/679.

Now.... interesting food for thought... I had a pair of Heresy's that were 111UXXX.... Was it Heresy's = the first "1", and the second "11" was the 11th run that year?...

Also, I'm coming to the conclusion that the actual serial numbers (last 3-4 digits) had nothing to do with the finish. As an example 25P1234 may be a Heresy HBR, but 25P1239 could be a HBB. They may have done 16 "boxes" as HBR's starting with 1230 and ending with 1245. "box" 1246 through 1249 (two pairs) may have been walnut veneer, etc.

For Amy/Mike Colter: Can we go to Indy or Hope and look at the archives/ log books? That would answer alot of questions..... I'll buy the beer![H]

All the physical records are stored in our library in Indy. (no secret I hope)

I'll ask Trey if we can make that part of the tour this year.

[Groomlakearea51]

PaulN; thanks; very interesting and should be of great interest to folks with the late model Heritage series.

That would also certainly be a starting point to make sense out of the "printout" style of serials on the tags starting in the mid/late 80's.

[squawker]

"If yours is 403.... I'd better pull mine out and look again... If they are duplicates (I'll take a picture...) then the plot thickens!! "

False alarm! sorry - my 1979 La Scalas are 470 and 635

Mark

[Trey Cannon]

The LaScalas I bought new early in 2005:

LS4FB1705090001

LS4FB1705090002

LS is LaScala

4 is AL-4 network

FB is Finish Black

17 is the code for Laquer

05 is 2005

09 is the ninth week of that year (end of February)

0001 and 0002 means the first two made that year or month, not sure - at that time I believe all LS were built to order...

17 is grill color

Black I think

[colterphoto1]

You guys do realize that if Klipsch used a 'system' for this numbering, or put the same componenets in all Cornwalls, that collecting wouldn't be nearly this interesting?

I mean, what would we have to talk about?

I say, let's keep it a mystery.

M

[colterphoto1]

FB would be Fir, Black- it is usually wood type, then finish type. (usually), there is WO Walnut Oiled, BR Birch Raw, BB Birch Black, BG Black Glass, RL Rosewood Lacquer, and so on.

Budman has a pair that are CW- RR for Rambling Rose, a very bizarre wood type indeed.

[pauln]

The LaScalas I bought new early in 2005:

LS4FB1705090001

LS4FB1705090002

LS is LaScala

4 is AL-4 network

FB is Finish Black

17 is the code for Laquer

05 is 2005

09 is the ninth week of that year (end of February)

0001 and 0002 means the first two made that year or month, not sure - at that time I believe all LS were built to order...

17 is grill color

Black I think

Well, my grills are black. Then there's cane, ... What are the other grill colors?

[squawker]

Here's a 21T166 La Scala. They couldn't have jumped from 166 to 600s from week 21 to week 22 so that kills the first numbers as being the week of production theory.