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Kustom eras / time periods - with Baldwin info [message #14698] Tue, 09 November 2010 09:49 Go to next message
LesS is currently offline  LesS
Messages: 477
Registered: December 2002
Senior Member
I added the dating of when Bud Ross sold Kustom to the Baldwin Piano Company to the "Kustom eras / time periods" list.
I believe the Baldwin purchase was early 1971 - if anyone has more info, please let me know.


Kustom eras / time periods

1)..Frankenstein era - 1965 to June 1967 (starting with SN 2001)
2)..K200A series era - July 1967 to April 1968 (starting with SN 15xxx) (K100 started SN 19000 Nov 1967)
3)..K200 A to B series transition period- April 1968 to June 1968 (starting with SN 238xx)
4)..K200B/K100 series era (before combos)- June 1968 to Sept 1969 (starting with SN 258xx)
5)..K200B/K100 series / K100/K25 Combo era - Sept 1969 to June 1970 (starting with SN 444xx) (also, ~Nov 69 Kustom starting putting SN's on spkr cabs)

6)..K200B/K100 series / K150/K50 Combo era - July 1970 to July 1971 (amps SN 57000 to 73500) (spkr cabs SN 12000 to 28500). These were the last amps made when Bud Ross still owned the Kustom company.
cabinet construction: 100% plywood

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Early 1971? - Bud Ross sold Kustom to the Baldwin Piano Company.
After Baldwin bought the company, the changes in the newer amps included the use of IC's and molex connectors, and the use of particle board in the cabinets.


7)..Slant Face amp era (before SS combos) - Aug 1971 to June 1972 (amps SN 73500 to 87000) (spkr cabs SN 28500 to 42000). These were the first amps made after Baldwin had bought the Kustom company.
cabinet construction: _________??

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An additional change after Baldwin bought Kustom - the SS combos had smaller pleats. The pleats were the same width but were thinner (less puffy).

8 )..Slant Face Amp and SS combo era - July 1972 to Jan 1974 (amps SN 87000 to 111700) (spkr cabs SN 42000 to 66700)
cabinet construction: uses some particle board
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9)..Tolex with silver face era - Feb 1974 to June 1976 (starting with SN 112xxx) (The blue faced Kasino amps are the same series as the Tolex-silver faced Kustom amps - the Kasino models that I have seen are identical internally to their Kustom counterparts.)
10)..Tolex silver face to black face transition period- June 1976 to ~Nov 1976 (starting with SN 140xx)
11)..Tolex with black face era - Nov 1976 to 1980 (starting with SN 169xxx)
-Les S.

[Updated on: Tue, 09 November 2010 10:10]

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Re: Kustom eras / time periods - with Baldwin info [message #14701 is a reply to message #14698] Wed, 10 November 2010 03:30 Go to previous messageGo to next message
BC
Messages: 583
Registered: March 2000
Location: Kentucky
Senior Member
Thanks for the info Les! Do you happen to know when the aluminum faced "A" series amps with the circuit breakers on the front were produced? Bud says there were about 3000 built and they nearly put him out of business because of circuit problems.


Did we determine by s/n previously that both "A" and "B" series 200s were made during the transition period with no clear break point? Or, is that yet another flaw in my over active imagination?

Thanks again for the history.

BC Cool
Re: Kustom eras / time periods - with Baldwin info [message #14702 is a reply to message #14698] Wed, 10 November 2010 07:30 Go to previous messageGo to next message
stevem is currently offline  stevem
Messages: 4728
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
Senior Member
I will check tonight, but as I recall some of the schematics I have for the K250s are dated early in 1971.
This would mean that Baldwin purchased the company before the date on these schematics.
As far as problems go with the A serise amps I would love to know if these where fully manufactruing problems, or if something like feild repairs from blown output stages where in high numbers.
I always found it odd that the A serise went to the slow acting circiut breakers.
I would be willing to bet that many a blown output was made to smoke and have greater damage from the amps owner re-setting the breaker(s) and kicking the amp back on again!
A soldered in fuse will not let you do that so easy.
Re: Kustom eras / time periods - with Baldwin info [message #14704 is a reply to message #14702] Wed, 10 November 2010 12:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
LesS is currently offline  LesS
Messages: 477
Registered: December 2002
Senior Member
BC,
The "A" series with the aluminum front panel were approx serial number 15108 to 17449 and the production dates were about July 1967 through September 1967. I believe that somewhere between about 2,340 and 2,700 of these amps were built.
------

Yes the serial numbers of both "A" and "B" series 200's are inter-mixed during the transition period with no clear break point.

K200 "A" to "B" series transition period was Serial Number 23986 to 25756 - so if you assume production was in sequence by S.N., then the time period would be April 1968 to June 1968.
Serial Number 23986 is a K200B-1 (lowest "B" that I have recorded.)
Serial Number 25756 is a K200A-2 (highest "A" that I have recorded.)

-Les S.

[Updated on: Wed, 10 November 2010 20:25]

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Re: Kustom eras / time periods - with Baldwin info [message #14751 is a reply to message #14698] Sun, 28 November 2010 22:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
kustomoholic is currently offline  kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma
Senior Member
Very interesting.....I have a K300 pa head with a serial of 66421 in my collection.

Craig
Re: Kustom eras / time periods - with Baldwin info [message #14753 is a reply to message #14698] Mon, 29 November 2010 07:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
stevem is currently offline  stevem
Messages: 4728
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
Senior Member
My K300 head has pots in it dating to 1970, I will check the transfomer dates in it tonight.
Re: Kustom eras / time periods - with Baldwin info [message #27782 is a reply to message #14698] Tue, 16 June 2020 06:12 Go to previous message
mathias61 is currently offline  mathias61
Messages: 24
Registered: February 2016
Location: belgium
Junior Member
Hi, does anyone knows when the Baldwin Piano and Organ Company sold the Kustom Electronic Incorporation ? Thanks anyway, mathias61
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