1968 Magnavox console stereo catalog

[jasonl]

A Facebook friend posted a link to this on Phonoland.com's page. It's 98mb but well worth it to see those beautiful Maggies.

My stereo is in there. It's the 1000 series French Provincial model I got from Mark (Lightedcontrols).

Anyway, enjoy!

http://www.mediafire.com/?b213q25a51rmb4g

 

[djmjlcst]

Got one of the stereos listed in the catalog!

Hey Jason,

I bought my parents a used Astro-Sonic 300 series model 3713 stereo exactly like the one pictured on page 10 a couple decades ago. My Dad still has this in his home. It hasn't seen much use in a decade since my Mom passed away. It definitely will need to be cleaned as the volume and balance controls are noisy. The record player needs help getting started so I'm assuming a good cleaning and oiling are in order but when it did play it sounded wonderful and it was not a TOL model. What year was this catalog put out? I'm assuming late 60's. Thanks for the scans!

Mike L.

 

[djmjlcst]

DUH! It was 1968!

Pardon my ignorance, should've looked at the top of the thread before hitting reply!

1968.....I was just a kid then. Money went a lot farther back then but then again a Maggie was always expensive and worth it if you could afford one!

Mike L.

 

[112561]

I picked that same brochure out of our Magnavox showroom in summer of 1969, I think the 68 on the back cover indicates it was printed for the '69 model year. I got the component and black and white tv brochure and the color television brochure too. If I had known they had so much other stuff printed, I would have grabbed some of that too. I have the Contemporary end table set, and the GREEN EARLY AMERICAN <span style="color: #000000;">from that book. The green cloth in the set bleached out over the years, and the kitten pulled one of the pleated panels loose. Why I didn't dump it four years ago is beyond me. I guess because it's a Magnavox, and it sounds so good! </span>

[this post was last edited: 7/15/2011-05:41]

 

[frigilux]

Thanks for the link, Jason! It's always good to see you pop up here at AW.

The Magnavox will always be my favorite stereo due to the lovely, graceful record-changing system. I grew up with a Magnavox that my sister tells me we got in 1958 or so. I used to spend so much time watching it work, even as toddler. I got to know when an album side was nearly finished, and I'd run over to the stereo and watch it change to the next record. I enjoyed it most when my sister would stack up ten 45's, as it hastened the "reject" process to every 2-3 minutes, LOL.

 

[twintubdexter]

wonderful catalog...

...thank you so much. I am starting a Magnavox Console Stereo collection (I only have two so far & limited space) but the "hunt" is great fun. I have the model #3913 pictured at the beginning of the catalog. I rescued this stereo from the curb a few hours before it was slated to be picked up by the local garbage company. I would love to see another discussion started on console stereos. I know many of you major/small appliance collecting connoisseurs have some great pieces.

looks so much nicer in my dining room instead of the trash heap...

 

[autowasherfreak]

Beautiful stereos Alan and Joe! 

 

[gmmcnair]

Astrosonic....

I have a French Provincial Astrosonic from 1966 or so (it's old enough to still say Astrosonic High Fidelity but new enough to have that non-curved tonearm)....picked it up at Value Village for $20. I couldn't let it languish there!

 

It still works beautifully....FM radio pulls in stations that no other radio in the house can manage, and the 15 inch woofers make my Dolby 5.1 surround system sound pale and anemic. I love it....had a Mediterranean model years ago that I foolishly gave up, and this one is a beautiful replacement.  I rooted around inside for the tape in and outs, and put an ipod cable on there.....makes a wonderful jukebox.

 

[twintubdexter]

before this thread disappears...

...I thought I'd post a couple of pics of the other Magnavox in my "huge" collection. This is a 1973 Imperial Armoire, not free but at a give-away price. It's pretty much my new favorite thing...fortunately it doesn't take a lot to make this old man happy.

 

[twintubdexter]

and with the doors open...

...it really does sound great

 

[jasonl]

Whoa Nellie!

What an awesome machine. Does that record changer have GOLD trim on it?

I agree with Frigilux. The lid most be OPEN to enjoy the stereo in action. Especially while playing 45s.

 

[twintubdexter]

73 catalog pic...

...and for those of you "kids" on here...that's wood paneling and shag carpeting and no, she's not wearing a Halloween costume...ah the 70's

 

[112561]

I had the fifteen pound tomcat land on my record changer in my French Provincial 1970 console twice. While it was playing. I have to lock up the cats to watch records playing. I have a 1971 French Provincial armoire, with color television and remote control. TV doesn't work, but the pleasure I got out of the radio and record player payed for itself in no time. I love that Imperial Armoire, I've always wanted a reel to reel Magnavox deck, but I haven't had the nerve to get one off eBay.

(batteries dying in camera)

 

[kevin313]

Those old stereo/hi-fi's are just beautiful! I can imagine how great the sound reproduction must be on those! What treasures...

 

[paulg]

My Magnavox

I've added a CD player and iPod deck. It's wonderful for dinner music.
That's Maxine in the background.

 

[112561]

I have the Spice Chest from the Spirit of '76 collection, yours has the tuner and knobs I like better. Maxine is a little cutie too!

 

[paulg]

Purrr

Meow meow THANK YOU meow meow

 

[maytagbear]

Maxine looks a lot like

 

My Rosa...and she is one of the best cats I have ever had.  She's very snuggly.  I hope Maxine can be the same way.

 

 

We had a Magnavox stereo from 1967 until 1991, when we couldn't find anyone to repair it.  It was in "early American" style.  Its tuner was powerful, and really good at rejecting multipath.  I rather miss consoles, the better ones, like Magnavox, Scott, and Voice of Music....

 

 

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[rickr]

Hi Jason! Good to see you again.
Nothing like a Magnavox console stereo! Last winter I converted my 1965 Astro Sonic to a 6V6 tube type push pull amplifier, from a 1959 Magnavox console.I had Harold Hagen rebuild the tube amp and tuner prior to the install. Also changed the Micromatic record changer over to an Audio Technica magnetic cartridge. I had to add lead to the counter weight, and the changer now tracks perfectly at one and one half grams. I love the tube sound. The console sound a lot "tighter" and more powerful. Sometime I will make a video of it, and post here.

 

[mixfinder]

The Pinacle of Sound

I love Maganavox.  I had a green stereo with a Fruitwood top and killer collor TV with the stereo on one side, storage on the other and cloth covered doors to hide the screen.  If only moving and downsizing hadn't stricken I know have the space and full encouragement of peter to do whatever I want.  The best sound in this thread is the sweet, sweet voice of Rick.  Play it again, Sam.

 

[retropia]

RCA Victor

This isn't a Magnavox, but it is an interesting old RCA Victor console-style stereo. It was for sale at an estate auction I attended in late May. It went unsold; no one wanted it even for $5.

 

[retropia]

Here is the label on the back.

 

[retropia]

Stereophonic High Fidelity!

 

[retropia]

Here is a photo of the turntable. The funny thing is that I'd been to this house for several holiday dinners, and just assumed this was a type of china hutch. I never had any idea a stereo lurked within, which I guess was the idea. A daughter of the man whose estate was being auctioned said her parents bought this in 1960 (if I remember correctly) to replace an upright piano, which was no longer being used.

 

[twintubdexter]

Doug, that RCA hutch is very nice...

...I take it you didn't buy it...too bad, and Paul, that Magnavox pedestal is really cool too.

This is something I bought last month from a little old lady living in a travel trailer braced up on cinder blocks. This was made by Westinghouse (Canada) around 1962. The vertical stereo speaker placement is weird and so is the Caravelle (wrist watch) clock. It's currently resting in my garage awaiting cleaning...it smells like "old lady".

clock face numbers are kinda fun

 

[twintubdexter]

radio open

this is a tube amp/tuner

 

[twintubdexter]

pull-out turntable

dusty & dirty but it works

 

[gmmcnair]

"Those old stereo/hi-fi's are just beautiful! I can

They really do have beautiful sound, especially the higher end Magnavoxes, Zeniths, & RCA Victors. I'm not an audiophile so I cannot say how "accurate" the sound is (probably isn't very) but the large 12 or 15 inch woofers with those horn tweeter but out very deep bass and nice, crisp treble without sounding shrill.

 

My old Mediterranean Astrosonic had the high end 100 watt amp and did it play loud, undistorted loud...you could hear it a couple of blocks away when it was rocking. My current French Provincial is the mid-line model, so the amp isn't as powerful, but it fills a 13 x 26 room with sound quite nicely and still has oomph to do those 15 inch woofers justice. I've listened to everything from Brahms to The B-52's on mine and it's really pleasant.

 

I wish I could find one of the Astrosonics that had the older changer.....the Collaro changer with the curved tonearm could mix and automatically change records of any size instead of the standard 7, 10, & 12.

 

I bet that old Westinghouse has wonderful sound once it's cleaned up as well. I had an old MW Airline that was Westinghouse built many years ago. It was all tube, and it produced nice sound with its VM changer. FM was mono with hookup for FM multiplex. Sorry I let that one go.

 

[tolivac]

I miss the Magnavox Hi-fis too-my Mom used to have a tubed Concert Grand model-it sounded wonderful-an "audiophile" would be pleased with it.She got rid of it years ago.The speakers in it were biamped-unusual for a console hi fi.The woofer was fed from a separate amp and the tweeter had its own amp.15" woofer Cast frame no less-and a tweeter horn.Now I am on the continuing search for a Concert Grand-so rare out here-no Maggie dealers in this area-closest were Raleigh and Charlotte.so the Magnavox sets are rare my way.And My Moms Magnavox sounded so super when I played a CD player thru it!Miss that unit so much.

 

[philr]

This is my small 1961 Saba 2000 stereo 11 console. It has an FM multiplex adapter. I really like it's sound. I have a few other Saba radios and I really like them.