How to Tell '50s Jensen Speaker From '60s?

[Stu]

Anyeon know anything about dating Jensen speakers - sticker designs, cone codes, frame colours etc.? I know about the date code on the frame, but I'm unsure if it's '50s or '60s.

Please, no jokes about wining & dining it/her... :bh

 

[DrRobert]

There's no certain way to tell, but most speakers in the early 50s used the earlier model codes (A-G I believe) instead of the more familiar PxxQ etc. There were no alnico Jensens after the early 60s, and no ceramic jensens before the late 50s. I don't know if that helps. What model is the speaker and what is the date code?

 

[Stu]

Thanks for the reply. It's a C12Q, code 220615. It's bluey-green and the Jensen sticker on the bell is blue and silver. I assumed being ceramic it would be '66, but someone's told me it's '56. I thought the C series came out in the '60s?

BTW, I can't say for sure the bell is original to the speaker - they appear to be the same shade, but there are some scratches around the three slots on the speaker frame.

 

[roadrunner]

1966. No Jensen ceramics in the '50's. "Bell"... that's odd, I've never seen a ceramic with a bell before.

 

[jwalker]

Stu,

You can tell from the date code on the frame. The first 2 numbers on the second set of numbers are the year made. So if that set begins with 55 the it's a 1955 of it begins with 65 it's 1965....

Here is a link. http://www.provide.net/~cfh/pots.html

 

[Stu]

roadrunner - thanks, I thought the ceramic magnet would make it '66. As I said, I suspected the bell had been swapped over from another speaker.

jwalker - thanks for the link. I'm familiar with EIA codes, but the date code is only 3 digits, which is why I wanted to check the decade.

 

[jwalker]

Oh. What roadrunner said then.

 

[DrRobert]

There were some bells on speakers in the 60s. I've got a pair of brown C12SPs (I think that's the code) that have a cream bell cover. Actually sound great but are only rated for about 10w each, so there's a pretty limited market for them And yes, to return to the original issue, they are definitely 66s. Maybe take the bells off, if there's a lable on the back of the magnet, you can be pretty sure the bell was added later (they just rattle anyway).

 

[David Currie]

1966. No Jensen ceramics in the '50's. "Bell"... that's odd, I've never seen a ceramic with a bell before.

Jensen USA ceramic speakers on Ampeg amplifiers often had a bell. I confused mine with being an AlNiCo at first, until I pulled the bell and saw the disc ceramic magnet.

 

[Subliminal lanimilbuS]

C12Q definitely 66 as mentioned and yes there are ceramics with covers. I have a couple C12Q's with covers in a 1966 traynor 4x12. Seeing a cover on a C12N is very rare, but they can be found on C12R's and C12Q's.

 

[Wilko]

looks like this? This first pic is a 1964 C12Q from an ampeg.

The other is a typical 1966 C12N