Any "new" old radios out there in Fedoraville?

[ScionPI2005]

R.T., that General Electric looks real nice to me. I like the "marble look" that some tabletop bakelite radios have.

 

[RetroToday]

R.T., that General Electric looks real nice to me. I like the "marble look" that some tabletop bakelite radios have.

Hi ScionP12005,

I like the marble look as well. At first glance this radio appears as if its painted black, the flash of the camera brings up that grain a lot more.

I also thought the white knobs were dirty, but they're marbelized as well.
After a good cleaning and polishing it may stand out a lot more.

 

[russa11]

nice looking radios Retro. I esp like the GE.

 

[decodoll]

Here are a couple of our favourites. The first is a Philco 46-1226 from 1946. We don't know if it works -- 1.) because the cord is frayed and 2.) I read an article about a year ago that put the fear into me about testing old radios without doing some of the work that's been mentioned earlier in this thread! The front grill pulls out to get to the phonograph. I'd love recommendations for a good radio repair person in New England if anyone knows of any. The cabinet is in near perfect condition, so even just as a piece of furniture, we love it.



The second one, we'd really love to get more information on but haven't been able to find much. It's a Stromberg Carlson, and to me the radio inside looks older than the cabinet does. I do know this one works -- got it before reading not to just plug them in. I guess I lucked out nothing exploded!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Stromberg-Carlson was a premium-quality brand and were extremely well built. That style of cabinet layout -- square dial/speaker with three knobs was popular from the late thirties until just before the war, so I'd guess 1938 or so just off the top of my head. A very attractive piece!

 

[decodoll]

Thanks Lizzie! I knew someone here would have information about it.

 

[RetroToday]

Wonderful radios decodoll!

I think your second radio posted was once a smaller, tabletop radio something like the Stromberg Carlson 320H which appears on the following website:
http://radioatticarchives.com/radio.php?radio=6853

Because Stromberg Carlson was indeed a good manufacturer, these radios were often reused in homebuilt table projects. It's always possible SC made a table model, but this doesn't appear to be quite their style.

I think Lizzie's correct on the date, but if you want a definite answer on the year of your radio have a look around the rear of the actual radio chassis (where the tubes are), there should be a builder's plate that tells the model number. From that you can usually tell for sure.

 

[decodoll]

Thanks, RetroToday. I suspect you're right. While they did a splendid job making the radio and cabinet match and look like they were built as one, I've never been able to find a cabinet anything at all similar to this by Stromberg-Carlson in my search. I'll have to open up the back again and take a look for a number.

 

[decodoll]

Well, I turned it around and opened it up. Apparently, it had been awhile since I looked at the back because I didn't remember that the tag actually says "Cabinet by Stromberg-Carlson". I couldn't find anything that was obviously a model number inside. I took some pics -- maybe someone else can spot it. It does look like there were papers stapled to both inner sides, but they are gone.

 

[RetroToday]

I haven't seen one of those cabinets yet, very cool to find that proof!

Possibly this was made during wartime, several radio companies reused older parts to make new sets during that period of time, sometimes they even used their car radios in older cabinets to make 'Franken-radios'. Also possible that dial face could be the oldest part in the whole radio because of this.
Interesting, it doesn't seem like either of those numbers are model numbers, at least not ones that I can readily find.

C2 could be it, I couldn't find a number close except for a C1, which is from the fifties.

222581 appears to be a production serial number, not a model number.

There's a guy on the antique radio forum http://www.antiqueradios.com/ that loves Stromberg Carlson sets, I'm sure he'll chime in if you want to post your request on that site too.
Sorry I couldn't help you yet, maybe I'll stumble across something now that I have it on my mind.

 

[decodoll]

Thanks for looking into it! Even if we don't have an answer yet, I know a lot more than I started out knowing about it. Which is always good. I'll have to sign up and post over at the antique radio forum at some point.

 

[vitanola]

Thanks Lizzie! I knew someone here would have information about it.

No, Retro, this five-tube Stromberg-Carlson chassis was offered in a number of "end-table" style cabinets. The set under discussion was the "Colonial Maple" model. "Chipppendale", "Queen Anne" and "Modern American' versions were also available. I have owned both the Chippendale and Queen AQnne versions of this set.

It seems that the Colonial Naple version of the various Stromberg-Carlson sets of this period are rather scarce, although maple furniture was becoming quite popular in the years before the War. I suspect that this is due to the relatively inexpensive nature of most of the "Colonial Maple" furniture of that period. the folks who purchased this sturdy furniture apparently were not concerned with integrating their radio receivers into their outfits.

 

[decodoll]

No, Retro, this five-tube Stromberg-Carlson chassis was offered in a number of "end-table" style cabinets. The set under discussion was the "Colonial Maple" model. "Chipppendale", "Queen Anne" and "Modern American' versions were also available. I have owned both the Chippendale and Queen AQnne versions of this set.

It seems that the Colonial Naple version of the various Stromberg-Carlson sets of this period are rather scarce, although maple furniture was becoming quite popular in the years before the War. I suspect that this is due to the relatively inexpensive nature of most of the "Colonial Maple" furniture of that period. the folks who purchased this sturdy furniture apparently were not concerned with integrating their radio receivers into their outfits.

Wow, that's great. Thank you vitanola!

 

[freebird]

posted this in the yard sale finds, but may as well put it here also. Picked up this Stewart Warner floor model tube type for 40.00 at a yard sale over the weekend. It does work, the previous owner took care of that and replaced the speaker cloth with the correct type before he quit working on it. All I need do is refinish the cabinet.. The guitar is a Takamine EG140src, which I picked up at the same yard sale.

 

[vitanola]

Here is a photo of one of the Stromberg-Carlson Chippendale sets in my collection:

and with the door open:

 

[vitanola]

Here are a few more of my recent acquisitions:

1935 RCA 5T Tombstone:

1935 GE version of the same set:

1932 Atwater Kent model 84 cathedral:

1929 Atwater kent model 61:

1926 Sparton battery set:

1926 Heraldyne:

1931 Gloritone cathedral:

1935 General tombstone:

1935 General Electric tombstone:

 

[vitanola]

And a few more:

1928 Brunswick 5KR with Brunswick speaker:

1925 Atwater kent model 20c with E2 speaker:

1936 Zenith 6V27 tombstone:

1928 RCA Radiola 18 with Sonocorde Senior speaker:

1928 Atwater Kent model 44 in special writing desk cabinet:

1932 Fada radio-phonograph combination:

1929 Majestic model 91

 

[vitanola]

and yet more!

1937 RCA combination radio-phonograph:

1947 Zenith combination radio-phonograph:

1939 Philco "Mystery Control" (wireless remote control) radio:

Closed:

open:

1942 Philco:

1936 General Electric:

1937 Silvertone:

1935 Grunow:

1926 Atwater Kent model 35 in Red Lion desk cabinet:

 

[RetroToday]

No, Retro, this five-tube Stromberg-Carlson chassis was offered in a number of "end-table" style cabinets. The set under discussion was the "Colonial Maple" model. "Chipppendale", "Queen Anne" and "Modern American' versions were also available. I have owned both the Chippendale and Queen AQnne versions of this set.

It seems that the Colonial Naple version of the various Stromberg-Carlson sets of this period are rather scarce, although maple furniture was becoming quite popular in the years before the War. I suspect that this is due to the relatively inexpensive nature of most of the "Colonial Maple" furniture of that period. the folks who purchased this sturdy furniture apparently were not concerned with integrating their radio receivers into their outfits.

Cool, you know quite a bit about these.
I haven't delved into Stromberg radios that much but it's strange I've never seen a table model like that. Thanks for the help, I'll have to do some reading up on them.

Do you know the year decodoll's table model was introduced?

 

[shoelessjoe]

Very First "New" Old Radio ...

Purchased my very first (restored) vintage radio late last week and even as I type, it's coursing its way to me. Made back in 1938 by the Howard Radio Company (Chicago), she'll find a home in my fly-tying room where she'll not only keep me entertained, but with all those tubes, nice and toasty during those cold winter evenings ... the first push button will be programed to Denver's own, KEZW AM: http://www.studio1430.com/