Blaupunkt Hi - Fi , Vintage and Danish Modern

[jmm63]

I've been clearing out some things and would like to "re home" my Blaupunkt hi fi console. Hoping someone local restores or is interested in vintage hi-fi's. I've had it since I was 18, so that was 38 years ago (more or less) Bought it from a friends parents that were moving to Florida, the whole house was Danish modern. I believe it's from the late 50's or early 60's? Sometime before I got it, someone replaced the turntable with the Gerarrd model and also replaced the speakers other than that it's pretty original and is still in pretty good shape. There is some veneer coming off on the top corners, and the fabric in front is pulling apart in the corner. The over all finish is in pretty good vintage shape, the dark stain on top has been there since I got it. My friends mom had a vase in that spot for its first 25 years of life. It has always been stored inside, either in my dining room or family room.
I have not plugged it in for several years as I didn't want to short anything out, but before that, it functioned as it should, including the dial lights and short wave radio.
It really is a sweet little unit, I've never seen another one like it , and I would love to see it go to someone local who could restore it or even someone interested in mid century modern furniture.
If interested, please send me a message for more details, price, etc.

 

[jamiel]

My parents had a similar unit---I remember the translucent plastic buttons.

 

[thespiritof76]

Atleast that one has a Garrard record changer.....

I have heard from several people in the console stereo groups, and other record changer enthusiasts, countless stories on how the changer units made by Grundig absolutely can't be serviced! Congrats on your find!

 

[parunner58]

My parents had bought a Grundig HI-FI back in 1958 when we lived in Munich Germany. I remember the turntable would never play 45's at the correct speed, was always slow. No matter what service person they called no one could get the turntable to play them. 33's were fine and also the few 78's we had. My parents replaced the console in the early 70's. I found a picture of our Grundig on the internet, Good luck with your Blaupunkt hi fi console.

 

[jmm63]

Wow, that is a very cool Grundig. They are the only manufacturer that I've been able to find that make a model similar to mine. I have searched high and low and have never seen another Bluapunkt like mine. Does that make it rare? or there just isn't much literature or pics about it.

 

[foraloysius]

What does the text on the front say? Is the Blaupunkt name on it? If not, it is possible the console could have been made by a furniture manufacturer or so. Some were also custom made.

Some terms to use on Google:

"radio plattenspieler möbel"

"musik möbel"

"blaupunkt möbel"

"radiokabinett"

"musiktruhe"

 

[foraloysius]

Other German word are "Konzertschrank" or "Radioschrank"

 

[jmm63]

Thanks for that Louis. It definitely is a Blaupunkt,the name plate is still on the front. I googled a lot of the phrases you supplied and was amazed at how many pictures etc came up. I'm wondering now if Grundig and Blaupunkt were "sister" companies as so many components are the same. Funny how there are more units close in style to mine from Grundig than there are with Blaupunkt.
Still, it was fun looking at all these pictures. So many wonderful units out there.

 

[foraloysius]

Next question, is there more on the cabinet than only the name Blaupunkt?

They used a lot of different names for their consoles, like Arizona, Boston, Florida, Lugano, Amazonas, Bali, Colorado, Venezia, Boston, Valencia, Arkansas, New York, Kongo, etc etc etc.

Here are some ads from back then.

 

[foraloysius]

Blaupunkt vs Grundig

Yes, some of their consoles look alike, but there are differences. If you google for pictures, Google mixes the results up too. I don't know of any joint ventures of the two companies, only in later years that they worked together on car radios. BTW, later Grundig models used Philips record players, sometimes rebadged as Grundig.

 

[jmm63]

oh WOW...thanks for that Louis!!!!!!....I'm pretty sure its the one on the left in picture 2. The left unit and the right unit look very similar, although mine has the flared legs like in the left one and the legs in the right one are more straight.
As long as the console pulls open to reveal the controls I would say we have a match.

So its a 1961-62 unit, probably called the Colorado. This is so cool, more information that I've had the last 38 years!!!

Thanks again!!!

 

[parunner58]

The convent of the grade school I went to had a Grundig console very similar to the one on the top left of picture one that Louis posted.

 

[foraloysius]

Yes, yours looks like a Colorado, but I have to disappoint you, the radio is under a lid. See this page:

Colorado 40100 hell Radio Blaupunkt Ideal, Berlin, später Hildesheim |Radiomuseum.org

Colorado 40100 hell Radio Blaupunkt Ideal, Berlin, später Hildesheim, build 1960/1961, 5 pictures, 1 schematics, 7 tubes, Germany, semiconductors, Broadcast

www.radiomuseum.org

 

[foraloysius]

Grundig

Grundig played a major part in the radio console market. Here are a few examples that come close to the Blaupunkt.

 

[jmm63]

Pull out radio

That's why I think mine is a slightly different model than the Colorado. Pulling open the midsection exposes the radio control. The top section on mine is storage on the left and the record player on the right. Looks like they may have made some changes as time went on so maybe from 63 or or beyond. Still some very cool info here

 

[foraloysius]

The name was probably different. They made a lot of different models, each with their own names. The pull out mid section makes it a more expensive model I think. But it is indeed possible too that they made some changes for another model year. Is there no information on the back of the console?

 

[tolivac]

The ad dates back to when the VOA Greenville transmitter sites were opened!3 transmitters here were built then-GE 250Kw SW transmitters.Still used today-one on air right now.3 CEMCO 420A(1948) were installed here and used until 2018.Newer CEMCO 419F replaced those-kinda sad seeing the old 420A's being hauled off to the recycling yard on the junkwagon.Saved some parts from them for memories!Those transmitters had two 250Kw amp paralled to deliver 500Kw-was something turning one of those up!!!Kinda thrilling!Those Tx were state of the art in the 1940's!