News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

1962 Beige 564 Multiline

Started by WEBellSystemChristian, August 26, 2015, 03:35:37 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Babybearjs

I have a green ITT 564 from the same time period... I'm on the hunt for some WE/ITT 544's. in colors other then black and beige... I'm also on the hunt for a RED 564. seems like any color other then black and beige is extremely hard to come by.... almost had a red one once, but had to pass it up because of a no cash situation.... 
John

WEBellSystemChristian

Quote from: Babybearjs on August 06, 2016, 09:32:04 PM
I have a green ITT 564 from the same time period... I'm on the hunt for some WE/ITT 544's. in colors other then black and beige... I'm also on the hunt for a RED 564. seems like any color other then black and beige is extremely hard to come by.... almost had a red one once, but had to pass it up because of a no cash situation.... 
If you aren't picky about time periods, I've seen several Red 565s/564s in modular. I, too, would like several multilines in different colors (waiting for round button variations to come my way). JKL had Oxford Gray and Green (with Gray cords) examples, at least before the fire.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

compubit

Very nice!

Interesting comment about a "change in color" for beige.  I have a couple of older ivory phones (500 soft plastic and a 1500) - the ivory color in the phones is "less yellow" than later (70s/80s). It's hard to photograph, but very obvious (at least to me) in person.  The older ones seem closer to ITT's Ash (not quite, but between ivory and ash...)

I also am on the hunt for 564/565 non-modular desk sets, preferably with color-matched cable.  Right now, I'm missing ivory, aqua blue, and mahogany (plus from what I thought I read here, Oxford Grey?). Now, i haven't seen a non-painted pink - has anyone also seen one?

Jim
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

WEBellSystemChristian

#18
Sure, they were built in Oxford Gray. I was wrong about JKL having had one...but I know for sure that I saw one in an early brochure for either Western Electric or Bell System, but I can't find it! Think of it this way...any color you've seen them in in the early '60s (Light Beige, Light Gray, Ivory, Red, Green etc) they were made in those same colors in the mid fifties, or their early 'darker' counterparts (that is, if the color or an earlier version was produced at the time).

In that brochure, I even saw a Rose Beige listed. That's right, there are probably a few Rose Beige multilines floating around out there as well. And while they were probably not promoted, I saw a Med Blue 564 with MATCHING speaker setup in a 1955 Bell System promotional video. So it looks like multilines were probably built in EVERY color promoted in 1955-1957! Keep your eyes peeled!!

Wow, my Beige 564 seems a little insignificant after that rant... :-[
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

compubit

Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on August 07, 2016, 12:47:14 AM...In that brochure, I even saw a Rose Beige listed. That's right, there are probably a few Rose Beige multilines floating around out there as well. And while they were probably not promoted, I saw a Med Blue 564 with MATCHING speaker setup in a 1955 Bell System promotional video. So it looks like multilines were probably built in EVERY color promoted in 1955-1957! Keep your eyes peeled!!

Wow, my Beige 564 seems a little insignificant after that rant... :-[
I forgot about that entire discussion (Med. Blue)...

And, no, any classic 564 is not insignificant - you don't see many round button phones out there, and most of what you see is black...

Gotta keep my eyes open, but my main focus will be the basic 10 for now (black, white, grey, red, yellow, aqua blue, turquoise, green, light beige and ivory). I lucked out getting the turquoise, but need to finish restoring it (cleanup and handset cable; has the matching turquoise line cable, but that is damaged - probably beyond repair...).
A phone phanatic since I was less than 2 (thanks to Fisher Price); collector since a teenager; now able to afford to play!
Favorite Phone: Western Electric Trimline - it just feels right holding it up to my face!

jsowers

Here's what I think is a dark gray keyset speakerphone, from Once Upon a Honeymoon, a Bell System promo film from 1956. The phone isn't easy to make out, but that small speaker is definitely dark gray. This may be what Christian was thinking of.
Jonathan

unbeldi

#21
Quote from: jsowers on August 07, 2016, 12:20:20 PM
Here's what I think is a dark gray keyset speakerphone, from Once Upon a Honeymoon, a Bell System promo film from 1956. The phone isn't easy to make out, but that small speaker is definitely dark gray. This may be what Christian was thinking of.

Hmm, I thought the 1A speaker phone with the standalone transmitter wasn't available until 1958.  The first issue of BSP C70.201 is dated January 1959. Was there an earlier version?

Acc. C70.201 Gray was discontinued as of Jan59.

The set in the picture looks more brown to me than gray, but I don't see how one can decide considering the origin of the image.

WEBellSystemChristian

#22
Yes, that was what I was talking about.

The phone looks Blue to me, as does the speaker. Take a look at the color of the cord vs the color of the phone itself. Maybe it is Dark Gray, or maybe the phone is a different color than the speaker?

Here's another shot of the phone in the film. Definitely looks Blue! It must have been made specifically for that film; I don't remember it being displayed in the brochure I read.
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford


WEBellSystemChristian

Has anyone else noticed that Beige plastics from 1965 seem to be very brittle?

I once bought a 1965 handset that was attached to a wall phone, and there were spiderweb cracks all the way down the top and sides, because someone slammed it down on the hook too hard.

The 1965 565 I have had the housing replaced, because the original was completely smashed in the mail, but it had tape all over from pieces falling out. I bent a piece of the housing, and it snapped in half!
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford