Serial numbers on OA2212 Speakers - how many made?

[ColesKing]

Dear All,

I would like to know approximately how many OA2212 Speakers were manufactured - even just approximately.

Was it:

50 (doubt this),
500 (also doubt this)
1000 (probably too low)
1500-2000 (starting to get into the right ballpark)

If you think the were made for about 3-4 years then the last one starts to sound "reasonable" for the number of speakers produced.

I am in the fortunate position of owning two pairs of OA2212 - both with the same wooden finish - I think teak. Both of these I have bought second-hand and they come from two different parts of the world (OK - both originally from Sweden, I know!)

The serial numbers on the boxes are:

8020075
8020143

Does anybody know how the serial number system worked?

Or as a start, just list the type of box you have (black, white walnut etc. ) and the serial number.

Thanks,

ColesKing

[Martin Dellstig]

Hi

I don't know how the methodology was for the serialnumbers but I'll pass that question on to the one person I know who might have an idea.

We'll see if it brings out any new info.

Best regards

Martin

[phon]

My OA2212 are black and with serial # 7080070

If I remember it right it stands for:

Year(7)7, week 08 and running number 0070 that week, hence 7080070

That's the style numbering we had on other Sonab products, and besides, the sticker looks exactly the same with,


Sonab Sweden
Type xxxxx
DWG no xxxxxx
ser. no xxxxxx


I think I have new, unused, stickers somewhere. The problem is to find them.

For your speakers it should read:

Year 78 week 02 and speakers #75 and 143 wich makes me doubt the code is correct. It would mean they manufactured at least 143 pair of speakers week 02, a week normally all workes are back home celebrating X-mas. Or maybe they were back again by week 02 ?

I think I have to check it over again back at work.

[ColesKing]

You obviously (from your post) worked at Sonab and will know it better, but as you say your memory is maybe a little dim on this.

Maybe it was the MONTH and not the WEEK that is meant by digits 2 and 3 in the code.

To make, store, pack and transport 143 speakers per week is a lot, I would think (and sell them, or get them sold). If one also remembers that other speakers were being made at Sonab.

Could it not mean 8(the year)02(the month)143(running total for the month)?

In other words the speaker was made in 1978 in February and was the 143th of the month.

Your speaker was made in the 8th month (or week as you think) and has the total of 070. When was the production for OA2212 started? Is the total figure the total for that month (or week?) or the running total for boxes made up to that point. For example if they were started to be made in the 7th month of 1977 then the total of 070 in your case is also the running total for boxes made up to that point.

I have the original purchase slip of this speaker somewhere and I will see if it was purchased after February 1978 which would then at least cross-check the first part of the code.

ColesKing

[ColesKing]

I originally started this thread to try and get an idea on how many OA2212 were made and started to investigate around the serial number system - as a starting point to "guesstimate" how many were made.

I also have two OA116 and one OA14 - only the one OA116 is with me at the moment.

The OA116 serial number looks something like this:

10061 i.e. the 10th (month) number 061

Thus, no year is given.

The OA14 looks like the normal style:

702071

Box number 71 of week or month 02 in 1977.

But, so far none of the boxes for which I have looked at serial numbers, ever have digits 2 and 3 going higher than twelve, which seems to suggest that it is the month and not the week which is indicated.

Any "guesstimates" of number of OA2212 made?

[Jan R]

Numbers on my OA-2212 (right speaker)

Dwg no 6-0113 104
Set no 6460052

Jan R

[lennartj]

I'm really confused, there appears to have been two different numbering systems.
For example on my two pairs of OD11 (all with Dwg no 5-0114 101) one pair has S/N 10346 and the other S/N 6180630. Both speakers in each pair have the same number.

I start to suspect that the last four digits is the running serial number, but if it is unique within each model and if it started again with 0001 each year - who knows????

Even the little OD11 was pricey when new, so I believe it is realistc to assume that less than 1000 pairs were ever built, but I look forward to be corrected.

[rylandes]

Hi!

DWG is (I think) drawing number - type number.

My OA2212 is DWG 6-0113 104
Ser 6340117 = Year 1976 week 34 pair 0117

My OA116 wich is a fairly early model:
DWG 6-0112 102
Ser 5500008 = Year 1975 week 50 pair 0008
So they could produce up to 9999 pairs a week according to the numbering system.

They probably didn't run production on OA2212 every week. Just when they needed to. I don't know how many was manufactured. But I do know that when we sold the rest of the stock after production stopped. We managed to sell more than a 100 pairs (all that we could get our hands on) of OA2212. In the years befor that we sold maybe 50 pairs totally. From my shop.
I would guess that your high number is probably correct.

Regarding the OD11 they were sold in the thousands. A very popular speaker and not that pricey. Between 450 -550 SEK each.
I know that they did a production run with a simplified OD-11. Where the cable is fixed and so on. Maybe the running serial number is from that series.

Sten R

[ColesKing]

... your information is useful - thank you.

You will have a good feeling for the number manufactured since, as I understand, you owned a HiFi shop that sold many OA2212.

So, if I understand your answer correctly we must consider maybe 2000 pairs as ever having been made. How expensive were these, in comparison to say a small car in those days in Sweden? I am a South African by birth - I heard my first pair of OA2212 in South Africa in 1978/1979 and then they cost new about 40% of the proce of a car - say VW Golf.

I get the impression that my own two that I have must have come from the last batches made before Sonab was closed - in fact my one pair was bought new here in Switzerland in September 1978 - I suspect that by then production was actually already stopped. I have the original purchase slip for this pair.

Yours sincerly

ColesKing

[lennartj]

Sten,
despite completely different serial numbers both my OD11 pairs are exactly the same version in every detail (except veneer), including the recessed DIN-connector at the bottom.
Can anyone explain the logic behind the different numbering schemes and when the change occurred?
I find it a little hard to believe that 630 pairs of OD11 were built in a single week as S/N 6180630 suggests.
How often did the last four digits start over from 0001, if ever?

I hope I'm excused for writing about my OD11's in this OA2212 thread, because I believe the mystery about the serial numbers is the same for the entire model range.