Odd, I didn't know the TA was produced with the later XA finishes such as veneer plywood and the lumpy top. Maybe somebody changed out the base with a later venner version. As the bases aren't numbered like the top plate and base board. I do have several bases that have numbers etched into them......anybody in the market for a SSN?
<~~<< Really that was a attempt at humor, not a sales pitch.
my wood base has the original label with the serial number (TA220795) and says "oiled walnut" still glued to the inside of surface of the wood. the packing box has the same serial number and "oiled walnut" stamped on it. mine came originally with a two speed (33/45) pulley. and the original receipt dates it to 1973.
i was curious about production and compiled some info AR folks might find interesting. it was compiled from ebay auctions over a period of six months in 2011. it documents production changes based on serial number. i cataloged various attributes, but was limited by what could be seen in the auction photos. the info documents that the TA and XA were produced concurrently, and for the same number of years, as you will see, although differentiated by TA or XA prefixes, they both were part of the same serial number sequence, and did not have separate serial number runs. these are arranged sequentially by serial number. its a lot of info. i'll need to split it into multiple posts. first post will document up to the change in base top texture.
AR turntable production database by serial number.
XA36261 (ebay, nj)
motor: double
base: solid walnut
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 1 year
XA23408 (ebay, ny)
motor: single
base: solid walnut
headshell: black
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 1 year
XA38001 (ebay, ma)
motor: single
base: solid walnut
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents w/hole, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 1 year
XA36924 (ebay, oh)
motor: double
base: walnut veneer
headshell: black
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 1 year
XA43143 (ebay, oh)
motor: double
base: solid walnut
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: ?
XA44992 (ebay, pa)
motor: double
base: solid walnut
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
t-bar: notched
address: thorndike st.
warranty: ?
-----------------------------change to single motor------------------->
XA46741 (ebay, co)
motor: single
base: walnut veneer
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: ?
XA49408 (ebay, il )
motor: single
base: ?
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 1 year
XA51462 (ebay, mi)
motor: single
base: solid walnut
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, waxed
address: thorndike st.
warranty: ?
XA55180 (ebay, nj)
motor: dual
base: solid walnut
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: rust brown
base bottom: slot vents, waxed
address: thorndike st.
warranty: ?
t-bar: notched
XA55785 (ebay, ca)
motor: single (converted?)
base: solid walnut
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: rust brown (extra holes/tabs)
base bottom: slot vents, waxed
address: thorndike st.
warranty: ?
XA58379 (ebay, ca)
motor: double
base: solid walnut
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: ?
base bottom: slot vents, waxed
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 1 year
XA61904 (ebay, ca)
motor: double
base: solid walnut
headshell: ?
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: brown
base bottom: slot vents, waxed
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 1 year
XA64333 (ebay, tn)
motor: double
base: solid walnut
headshell: ?
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: brown
base bottom: ?
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 1 year
XA72994 (ebay, wi)
motor: single
base: solid walnut
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 1 years
XA73116 (ebay, ny)
motor: single
base: walnut veneer
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 1 years
t-bar: notched
-------------------------------change in warranty to 3 years------------------>
XA74801 (ebay, ny)
motor: single
base: veneer
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 3 years
XA77449 (ebay, pa)
motor: single
base: veneer
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 3 years
XA80174 (ebay, ny)
motor: single
base: veneer
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 3 years
XA90250 (ebay, nj)
motor: single
base: veneer
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: gray
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 3 years
XA92873 (ebay, ny)
motor: single
base: veneer
headshell: gray
plinth top: smooth gray
plinth bottom: ?
base bottom: slot vents, varnished
address: thorndike st.
warranty: 3 years
.