Dating Ampeg speakers and cabinet

[K2000]

Is there a resource to help decode the dates from stamps on Ampeg speakers? Are Ampeg speakers even dated? (I know guitar speakers usually are).



I also have this, found inside the grill at the foot of the cabinet. It may be a tag for a corresponding SVT head, but since there is no wattage info, maybe it does go with the cabinet:



Thanks

[Vintage-Blue]

That particular speaker was made by CTS (137 is the EIA code for CTS). If I remember correctly the "7424" means it was manufactured the 24th week of 1974.

[JimmyM]

last of the cts alnicos, eh? great freakin' speaker, dude! how about a full frontal of the cab?

[K2000]

This is awkward because I have the cab listed for sale. I think I will hold off on that, for now - I have a meeting with my tax preparer tomorrow. I am looking over my equipment and trying make a sensible plan for the future. Some things do need to be sold. I will know more tomorrow.

Anyway, you can see that the original speakers have needed to have the dust caps re-glued. I wonder if there is an ideal way to configure the speakers (4 old on top, 4 new on bottom, or vertical rows). Maybe it doesn't matter.

Cabinet sounds great to me -- very brassy, full throated and with plenty of tonal color added.

[Oren Hudson]

Looks like a slant-back cab which would fit the time frame for the speaker code. The switchover from square-backs to slant-backs occured sometime in 1973. While I don't think it makes much difference, I would probably pair one "new" speaker with one "old" one with each being identical vertically. EG - all old ones on the right from top to bottom and the new ones on the left from top to bottom.

[JimmyM]

oh yeah, i remember that cab. oren, that's a linden cab, so i'm pretty sure it would have to be a straight back. and 74 was the transition year, sorry to correct you in public

hard to say how i'd configure it without hearing it, k2000. vertical like oren said sounds like it would work well. or you could try putting the brightest set of speakers on top. but oren's way is a lot less work.

[Oren Hudson]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

oh yeah, i remember that cab. oren, that's a linden cab, so i'm pretty sure it would have to be a straight back. and 74 was the transition year, sorry to correct you in public

hard to say how i'd configure it without hearing it, k2000. vertical like oren said sounds like it would work well. or you could try putting the brightest set of speakers on top. but oren's way is a lot less work.

No worries my friend Jimmy - my only basis for slant back is that I don't see a platform nor wheels visible in the pic on the front of the cab - which, of course, a slant back wouldn't have. And you could be right on the transition year. I'm basing '73 on my own personal cabs. One all original slant back and two original straight backs. Both have speakers codes to 1973.

Isn't information just a wonderful thing? Right, wrong or in between, we share what we have.

[80'sRocker]

I never dated a speaker cab I didn't like, as long as she's a beauty lol

[JimmyM]

a slant back from 73? no kidding? well i was going by the ampeg book, but real life trumps that.