Western Electric 1689 Point-Contact Transistors, 1953
Archived listing from the original vintage-amplifier.com. Prices, seller details and purchase links have been removed; this page is a reference record, and nothing here is for sale. About this archive.
One matched pair of Western Electric – 1689 – September 1953. Germanium Cartridge Point Contact Transistor. Rare (Limited Production), introduced in 1952. The 1689 shown above represents the commercial version of one of these case styles, known as the “bead type” case style – this case type was used only for point contact transistors by Bell Labs/Western Electric.
About this model
Not a tube at all: a matched pair of Western Electric 1689 germanium point-contact transistors dated September 1953. The seller describes the 1689 as a limited-production type introduced in 1952 in the "bead" case style used only for Bell Labs and Western Electric point-contact transistors.
The transistor was invented at Bell Labs, and Western Electric, the Bell System's manufacturer, made some of the earliest production examples. Pieces like these mark the beginning of the end for the tube amplifiers that fill the rest of this archive.
| Maker | Western Electric, USA |
|---|---|
| Type | 1689 germanium point-contact transistor (pair) |
| Date | September 1953 (listing) |
| Case | "Bead" style (listing) |
Questions collectors ask
What is a point-contact transistor?
The earliest type of transistor, with metal contacts pressed against a germanium crystal. It was soon replaced by junction transistors.
When was the 1689 introduced?
The archived listing says 1952; this pair is dated September 1953.
Sources: Wikipedia: Western Electric.
