Western Electric Color Codes

[Babybearjs]

does anybody know what the suffix code for POLISHED BRASS and POLISHED CHROME are? I can't seem to find any color code suffix for this 2 finishes...   John

[G-Man]

Perhaps I am wrong but I do not believe there are suffixes for either finish since they were not offered for instruments, at least those manufactured prior to 1983. After 1983 it seems most anything goes.

Paul Fasbender may have further insight.

In fact, vintage instruments with brassed-out fittings are generally, historically inaccurate.

[G-Man]

Perhaps I am wrong but I do not believe there are suffixes for either finish since they were not offered for instruments, at least those manufactured prior to 1983. After 1983 it seems most anything goes.

Paul Fasbender may have further insight.

In fact, vintage instruments with brassed-out fittings are generally, historically inaccurate.

Perhaps I am wrong but I do not believe there are suffixes for either finish since they were not offered for instruments, at least those manufactured prior to 1983. After 1983 it seems most anything goes.

Paul Fasbender may have further insight.

In fact, vintage instruments with brassed-out fittings are generally, historically inaccurate.

[G-Man]

Pasted wrong reply in last response.....

Further note-

There were some customized 500 and 2500 presentation sets as well as earlier Continental instruments that may have been finished with chrome or perhaps switchooks but I don't recall them having suffixes for color codes. As I mentioned earlier perhaps Paul F. or someone else may have other information regarding them.

Perhaps I am wrong but I do not believe there are suffixes for either finish since they were not offered for instruments, at least those manufactured prior to 1983. After 1983 it seems most anything goes.

Paul Fasbender may have further insight.

In fact, vintage instruments with brassed-out fittings are generally, historically inaccurate.

Perhaps I am wrong but I do not believe there are suffixes for either finish since they were not offered for instruments, at least those manufactured prior to 1983. After 1983 it seems most anything goes.

Paul Fasbender may have further insight.

In fact, vintage instruments with brassed-out fittings are generally, historically inaccurate.

[Babybearjs]

thanks guys! if anyone finds anything, let me know... I have 2 400 series keysets that have  Polished Brass accents and 1 with polished chrome... I'm trying to mark them showing at additional fittings... (IE: 444EG-03-XX)    John

[G-Man]

What are the items that were chromed or unpainted brass?

Do you believe they left the Western Electric factory that way?

The -03 in the "444EG-03" code indicates that it is a black instrument.

thanks guys! if anyone finds anything, let me know... I have 2 400 series keysets that have  Polished Brass accents and 1 with polished chrome... I'm trying to mark them showing at additional fittings... (IE: 444EG-03-XX)    John

[Babybearjs]

no, these are accents I added... but, I did find the codes... for my W.E. 464, its "464GC-03-63 (Blk w/Brass) and for my 444EG its "444EG-03-44" (Blk w/Chrome) there was no listing for the fingerwheel finishes, but I'm sure the finger wheels would have been -44 for chrome and - 63 for Brass (gold) correct me if I'm wrong, since I'm taking this on speculation.   John

[G-Man]

I am unable to find either of those finishes used on 44x sets other than, of course, the finger-stop on the dial.

Other than the usual items such as 10G locks, chrome vault doors and hookswitches used on both paystations and wallsets as well as some reproduction dials (6TA) used on the much, much later Design Line sets, I am unable to find those finishes in common usage; certainly not on sets that are truly the same vintage of your sets. However, a gold finish is certainly different than that of brass but, of course, since this is for your own usage you can make up any codes for items that you have refinished, as you wish.

[paul-f]

I also see no precedent for using more than one color code per set.

A somewhat similar situation existed for several of the Design Line sets, such as the Celebrity.  Trim variations were handled by using a suffix code to the primary model number with the color code added following a hyphen.

http://www.paul-f.com/weDesignLine.html#Celebrity

[Babybearjs]

interesting. I have several pictures posted on my facebook page, go to "John Stancliff" to see them... just scroll through the photos area... I'm sure they are shown...