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Originally Posted by jascha
Many thanks Ricard for this valuable information. I should have thought of this myself considering I have been watching your YT videos on the various Tandberg machines in your collection, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
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Glad you enjoy them!
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Out of interest may I ask you why Tandberg came out with 2 different designs for the series 9 machines? The one that I have had the rounded corners but I know of others that have the more standard square design, similar to the Series 15.
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They were not produced at the same time, it's a question of chronology.
Going back to the 1950s, all Tandberg machines had the rounded corners as that was the style then, with a redish tone wooden case, and top plate in yellow hammerite (superceding the brown used on the earliest machines), with yellow bakelite knobs, as well as a yellow speaker grille.
As the 1950s started to roll over to the 1960s, the case style changed to anthracite grey top plates with teak cases, and silvery knobs. The first of the 1960s machines was the semi professional model 6 (deck, with three heads) which had square corners, and black reel holders and knobs (the only machine produced in this specific color scheme). The second one was the model 8, and here they retained the shape of the 1950s machines with the rounded corners and separately mounted speaker grille, albeit grey. My speculation is that they initially retained the rounded edges for home machines such as the model 8, while trying to achieve a more professional look with the model 6.
However, as the 1960s progressed, just as tape reels moved from having large rounded openings to small square ones, reminiscent of computer tape reels, to look more 'up to date', all other models received square edges, and when it was time to upgrade the hugely successful model 8 and it's rather less successful but close sibling the model 9, it received square corners and the later style integrated speaker grille (just slits in the wooden case). There are other differences as well; the later (square) models feature DIN connectors for radio and speaker connections which the first variant lacked, only having RCA connectors.
A third version of the model was also produced, which essentially looked identical to the second one, except the style of knobs was upgraded, with closer spaced knurling. The color for the top plate was also changed from the metallic looking anthracite to a more straight dark grey. This was the style also used for all succeeding transistorized machines including the model 8's transistorized succcessor, the model 14, as well as later versions of the model 6.
As the 1970s rolled around and the case style changed again with the new models introduced then, the model 14 (and 15, the successor to the model 9 with its three speeds) went on to enjoy an extended life as a machine more geared towards institutional use, for most of this time in the same case style. Later it was changed to black, indeed, I have a model 15 dated 1983, which has a black top deck with even squarer corners than the 1960s models, and a black plastic case in otherwise the same style as the wooden ones (although to be precise, when the dark grey top plate emerged, the wooden case got a 'bulb', i.e. a raised section all round, I think to break up the continuity of the surface, thus given it a slimmer look, but the later model 14 and 15 models again lost the bulb possibly as a cost saving measure - and by then, the machines were no longer sold on looks but on reliability).
In total, as far as I know, there were six versions of the model 8, well, 12 actually if one considers that there were both 2 and 4 track versions, for the 4 track versions the models where as follows:
Model 841 - wooden case with rounded corners, anthracite top plate
Model 842 - portable version with two tone grey case and carrying strap
Model 843 - wooden case with square corners, no 'bulb', anthracite top plate
Model 844 - portable version with square corners, like the 843
Model 845 - wooden case with square corners and 'bulb', dark grey top plate
Model 846 - portable version housed in brief case
(The case for the models 842 and 844 is actually thick cardboard, covered with some cloth like covering (doesn't seem to be vinyl as was popular with other makes), over a metal frame.
I'm not sure if the model 9 was available in all six styles; the information I have suggests that it was produced until 1968 just like the model 8, but I think it sold in much fewer numbers, with customers who were interested in the sound quality offered by the 7 1/2 ips tape speed instead going for the stereo models.