Seeburg Model B Serial Number locations?

[eric1959]

Hi all, the serial number plate is missing from the corner of the cabinet on my model B.

I was told on another group that the number is also on the main casting for the mechanism, and I did find a number stamped there but it's six digits and as far as I can tell the B's had five digit serials.
My number is (as I recall) 219445, so would I drop the 2 to get the serial number of 19445? (I know the mech could have been changed at some point but it's all I have at this point).

I was also told the number on the top rear of the cabinet (567 in my case) could be part of the serial number but you possibly have to add a prefix?

Does anyone know for sure on this? I ordered a new tag from VG and would like to have a number to stamp on it.

Thanks much.

[Ron Rich]

Hi Eric,
There is no way to tell what that number was -- Seeburg used internal numbers for everything in those days. Those records were destroyed in a fire, in the mid-50's. Ron Rich

[andylevine]

Eric, I can only get you sorta in the ballpark from my unit.... my cabinet # is close to yours, cabinet B586. So presuming the cabinets were made close to each other time wise (which may be a terrible assumption....or not), your serial might be close to mine as well (...or not). My plate was still in place, but all the paint had been stripped away. Still the stamped numbers are visible and are 10364.

Andy

[eric1959]

Thanks Ron & Andy, I guess I'll never know for certain what the number was, oh well, I guess I could put my name on the new tag.

I couldn't remember if I removed the tag back in 1989 when I refurbished the machine or if it was gone already, then I remembered it had to be missing before because when I went looking for parts (prehistoric times before the Internet) I didn't know what model it was, the parts guy had to tell me what I had.

Oddly enough, the nails for the tag are still in place.

[Ron Rich]

Eric,
The "nails" being in place indicate that "something's fishy". Seeburg had a "trade in" program for the early 100 select phono's, in which one needed to bring the phono to the distributor to get credit on a new phono purchase. SOME distribs. "cheated" on this program as they only had to return the ID tags to Seeburg to get credit--they were supposed to destroy the phono-- Sounds like some operator ripped the ID tag off to get a credit, without in fact, destroying the phono ? ( Also--if the phono was stolen, the perp tended to remove the tag) Ron Rich

[eric1959]

Either of those is possible I suppose, the story I got from my Mother was he bought it from a friend who was a coin-op distributor or repairman.

His kids (he was my step dad) wanted a record player so he did what any practical parent would do and got them a Juke Box.
He was a thrifty guy so he probably got it for nearly nothing or he horse traded for it.

There was also a Wurlitzer 700 that sat in our garage during the late 60's, it was never operational but was in good shape. It disappeared at some point, I found out later my Uncle and his friends took it to make a Guitar amp. :-(