My Vintage Radio Collection

[dhermann1]

Ron Ramirez

Here she is: http://www.philcoradio.com/gallery/1934.htm

This link means that Ron Ramirez's great Philco website is back. He was away for a while, but he's obviously back in business. He has pix and info of every Philco radio from the beginning thru 1961. He's not called Mr Philco for nothing! If only someone could do this for the other major brands. It's a great website, and great looking, as well.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Yes, there is actually a little bit of the bottom trim left on the side. It comes loose. I want to TRY to find maybe the same or very similar style of wood and replace it. My husband says it would be impossible to find and just wants to stain the area where the trim was. He's more interested in getting it to work (so he's avidly reading all of your suggestions -- thanks everyone, by the way.)

Right now we are gluing down some of the wood. As you can see from the first photo, the wood panel on the left side is bumped out. It was all coming loose, but every day we glue a new piece down and we're slowing getting her to LOOK good!

If worse comes to worse, I can always just stick my iPod and some speakers behind it This radio is my BABY!!!! She's perfect. I've always wanted a 1930s streamline moderne floor radio. And the price makes it sweeter.

Here she is: http://www.philcoradio.com/gallery/1934.htm

I'm sure if you look up a cabinet shop they could replicate that trim without much trouble... since it is a rather rare Philco, you'd want to restore it correctly to really enjoy it... and increase its value.

I'd strongly suggest sending the chassis to Ron at philcoradio.com I know him, we've communicated a good number of times... good guy! I know it's not cheap to have him fix it, but since you "stole" that radio for only $35., it would be worth to invest in it by getting it fixed by an expert Philco radio collector. Also, you could request to have a line out added so you can hook up your ipot directly to the chassis. That way, when you turn the radio on, you can hook up your ipod and play music directly through it as an amplifier. To hear an old band broadcast over the original speaker and to see the dial light on is really the real deal! And the sound that radio is capable of... woa, I could just hear it now!

 

[BeBopBaby]

Forgotten Man - May I ask where you got the lampshade for your bridge arm lamp? I have a very similar floor lamp that my cat recently knocked over, breaking the original paper lampshade. I have been on the search for a new shade, but the nice ones that I find are so expensive. The cheaper shades that I have found look cheap as well. I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for such a small lampshade.

 

[PoohBang]

Thought I'd add my 1937 Zenith to the Mix...

as always more pics on my blog...

 

[RetroToday]

Thought I'd add my 1937 Zenith to the Mix...
as always more pics on my blog...

Wonderful Zenith, PoohBang. :eusa_clap

I'd love to own one, they had great deco styling. However, not many Zenith radios of that era are to be found easily up here in Ontario.

 

[PoohBang]

Wonderful Zenith, PoohBang. :eusa_clap

I'd love to own one, they had great deco styling. However, not many Zenith radios of that era are to be found easily up here in Ontario.

Looks like you have a few! Super nice collection!

 

[RetroToday]

Looks like you have a few! Super nice collection!

Thanks PoohBang,

I do have a few, there used to be more, but I needed some room and sold some.

By the way, I read your blog entry about the radio and noticed you say it works after some cleaning of the vacuum tubes.
Just a word of caution about operating this "as is": If the capacitors on the chassis haven't been replaced, I'd advise to have them replaced with newly produced ones (as others here would also advise). The original paper & wax capacitors dry out after this many years. If one fails, the direct line voltage from the wall can damage more expensive components down the line in your radio. Worst case scenario, a fire can start.

There are several people across North America that will do a "re-cap" on a radio for a reasonable labour price. The new capacitors are cheap and last a very long time, maybe even longer than the originals.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Forgotten Man - May I ask where you got the lampshade for your bridge arm lamp? I have a very similar floor lamp that my cat recently knocked over, breaking the original paper lampshade. I have been on the search for a new shade, but the nice ones that I find are so expensive. The cheaper shades that I have found look cheap as well. I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for such a small lampshade.

Off toppic here but, I'll answer.

Bought the lamp and shade from an old lady who used to make the shades her self! She has since stopped... too bad too, she was gifted! She charged me $80. bucks for the shade!

Keep on lookin' you'll find one!

 

[retrogirl1941]

Forgotten Man - May I ask where you got the lampshade for your bridge arm lamp? I have a very similar floor lamp that my cat recently knocked over, breaking the original paper lampshade. I have been on the search for a new shade, but the nice ones that I find are so expensive. The cheaper shades that I have found look cheap as well. I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for such a small lampshade.

If oyu are crafty, you can take the cheap looking fabric off of a premade shade and recover it yourself. Its a very vintage craft and you will get exactly what you want.

Samantha

 

[airgrabber666]

Just picked this up off CL for $60. A 1940 Zenith 10-S-464, ten tubes. Doesn't work, though. Anyone have an extra ivory "Z" knob?

 

[Forgotten Man]

I know a guy here not too far from me that makes great repros... his name is Lary, I'll see if I can look up his info and I'll PM you with it!

That is such a great Zenith, always have loved those models.

 

[Forgotten Man]

If oyu are crafty, you can take the cheap looking fabric off of a premade shade and recover it yourself. Its a very vintage craft and you will get exactly what you want.

Samantha

Ah, but the trick is to find a shade that has the right style/shape!

 

[airgrabber666]

I know a guy here not too far from me that makes great repros... his name is Lary, I'll see if I can look up his info and I'll PM you with it!

That is such a great Zenith, always have loved those models.

Thank you! I'd appreciate that. By the way, as a huge fan of Carole Lombard and even bigger fan of the movie "The Great Godfrey", I've always admired your username and location!

 

[Colby Jack]

Quest For Sound R601p Tube Radio

I was reading about this on an audio forum. Here's the link to the review and at the bottom is a link to the where you can purchase one.
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/tubetuner/r601p.html
This radio is on one of my short lists!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[dhermann1]

Thank you! I'd appreciate that. By the way, as a huge fan of Carole Lombard and even bigger fan of the movie "The Great Godfrey", I've always admired your username and location!

I think you mean "My Man Gatsby".

 

[The Reno Kid]

Just picked this up off CL for $60. A 1940 Zenith 10-S-464, ten tubes. Doesn't work, though. Anyone have an extra ivory "Z" knob?

Airgrabber,

You can probably find the knob you need at Great Northern Antiques. http://www.gn4radios.com/
They sell all kinds of antique radios but they also produce repro parts specifically for Zenith sets. They will probably have your knob.

 

[retrogirl1941]

Ah, but the trick is to find a shade that has the right style/shape!

A year or two back I saw the same shape lamp shade as in your picture, in Wlamart of all places! It was horrible polyester crap material but it could have been easily replaced. Target stores have period shaped lamp shades everyonce in a while too. You just have to watch out.

Samantha

 

[Lorena B]

This is one of my two babies, i dont have pics of other one ( is at my guy's in the Netherlands now)
But this one wasnt only cheap but also has a wonderful sound either the radio as the record player.
We did have to sort out the slow turntable and look for a new needle over the net but hey, after E100 man was it worthed!!
P.s. Despite it does look small in the pic is the size of a medium table and i must say really heavy

 

[PoohBang]

Here's another vintage radio that I own. A 49 Silvertone little table top.

I love the look of this radio...

 

[Frankie Lamb]

Gotta Go. Jack Benny's on the radio

Here's 1937 Zenith which is very close to one that I used to listen to Jack Benny and all those great radio shows on during the war. The irony of it is, where I live the local station plays old radio show every Sunday evening and sometimes I hear the same shows I heard when they were first broadcast during WWII.
It's great to be young again, even it it's only for a few hours each Sunday.
( Hey, that sounds like a great title for a song!! )
One time I was listening to one of the old shows re-creating the "Maltese Falcon" and it was strange listening to it while I stared at my Maltese Falcon on top of the radio.
Oh well, don't forget to drink your Ovaltine!