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Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc.

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Old 12th Jul 2021, 1:29 pm   #1
DMcMahon
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Default Philips Reel to Reel Model Suffix Numbers Meanings

Does anybody have any information as to the meanings of the various suffix numbers sometimes present on these recorders after the model number.

I am particularly interested to find out the difference between an EL 3549A/00 and an EL 3549A/15

The 00 and 15 seem quite common suffix numbers on a wide range of Philips recorders but there are also others.

David
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Old 12th Jul 2021, 2:11 pm   #2
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Default Re: Philips Reel to Reel Model Suffix Numbers Meanings

Those forward slash numbers related to the place of manufacture.
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Old 12th Jul 2021, 2:43 pm   #3
Ted Kendall
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Default Re: Philips Reel to Reel Model Suffix Numbers Meanings

/00 is Eindhoven and /15 is UK, if memory serves.
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Old 12th Jul 2021, 7:48 pm   #4
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Default Re: Philips Reel to Reel Model Suffix Numbers Meanings

Yes the /00 was usually for products made for the continent. /15 was UK but in later years they also used /05 and /25. Somewhere I might have a list of the common /xx numbers.
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Old 12th Jul 2021, 8:33 pm   #5
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Default Re: Philips Reel to Reel Model Suffix Numbers Meanings

Maarten, I think he knows about Phillips model and serial numbers coding,
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Old 13th Jul 2021, 9:22 am   #6
DMcMahon
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Default Re: Philips Reel to Reel Model Suffix Numbers Meanings

Thank you to everybody for your useful inputs, would be good to see a listing and will be interesting to hear what Maarten can add.

I see from much earlier Threads for the EL 3549, there are references to 2 versions with different rewind belt configurations, the earlier version being referenced as a WR00

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Old 13th Jul 2021, 10:44 am   #7
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Default Re: Philips Reel to Reel Model Suffix Numbers Meanings

WRxx are production change numbers, 00 being the first generation, 01 being the first change etc. Basically each time there was a production change, the WRxx number changed. It could be just a trifling change perhaps a cabinet molding or a circuit design change.
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Old 13th Jul 2021, 10:52 am   #8
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Default Re: Philips Reel to Reel Model Suffix Numbers Meanings

Thank you Sideband that is interesting, so this must mean for example that WR00 is a separate/additional part of the model number identification from the continent build /00 ?

David
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Old 13th Jul 2021, 12:52 pm   #9
Maarten
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Default Re: Philips Reel to Reel Model Suffix Numbers Meanings

Quote:
Originally Posted by Refugee View Post
Those forward slash numbers related to the place of manufacture.
They might be related in some cases, but the only reliable way to determine the place of manufacture, are the letters in front of the serial number or on a separate revision/date label. This is the WR00 code mentioned above, meaning the un-revised design as produced in the recorder factory in Vienna.

The numbers behind the - or / are part of the model number (commercial use / stock keeping unit) while the above mentioned origin, revision and date code are part of the serial number (factory and service use). The numbers behind - or /are so called 'execution numbers', indicating different specs (mostly destination market related) or aesthetics. Sometimes indicating an MKII version or different packaging. Exactly what a manufacturer would want to use to identify different models in its stock and sales channel.

The reason the most common numbers (in the UK) are /00 and /15 isn't too surprising: /00 means 'specification for the general market or basic model' while /15 means 'specification for the UK market' with the difference often only the 240V mains voltage and the (absence of a) mains plug.

Last edited by Maarten; 13th Jul 2021 at 1:09 pm.
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Old 13th Jul 2021, 12:57 pm   #10
Maarten
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Default Re: Philips Reel to Reel Model Suffix Numbers Meanings

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sideband View Post
Yes the /00 was usually for products made for the continent. /15 was UK but in later years they also used /05 and /25. Somewhere I might have a list of the common /xx numbers.
Very interesting! I'm working on such a list as well, I'll see how I can present it in a readable manner as the system is a bit complicated. Most important: for consumer electronics, the list was fully revised in 1980 so there are at least two different lists that don't correspond to eachother (/15 was used up to 1980, /05 from 1980 on). Tape recorders didn't fully follow the consumer electronics standard either, as a version for the US or Canada could be /60 (for 60Hz) while normal consumer electronics used numbers such as /54 (assigned to the US, no specific meaning).

Last edited by Maarten; 13th Jul 2021 at 1:06 pm.
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Old 18th Jul 2021, 6:56 pm   #11
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Default Re: Philips Reel to Reel Model Suffix Numbers Meanings

Many thanks to Maarten for the various clarifications.

David
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