Coffee Table Stereo's

[drewz]

At one point these were popular many made them but always wondered what you did with the cord? Seems like a trip hazard especially during the cocktail hour.

 

   

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Mot...pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item2c67e63c40

 

[hunter]

way cool!

I'd never seen one that's cool!
I agree about the cord, and I'm surprised that it isn't a flip-back lid because otherwise you could spill coffee in it (it is a coffee table, yes? LOL)

Thanks for posting this.

 

[hydralique]

Floor Outlet . . .

Having a floor outlet or two isn't unusual in a large living room in an older home. Generally they were intended for lamps but worked just as well for anything else, the big problem is of course arranging the furniture to suit the outlet.

 

[whirlcool]

I think all that's wrong with it is that the lubricants in the turntable may have dried out so a cleaning and relubricating will have it running like new again! The unit appears to be in surprisingly good shape!

 

[112561]

General Electric six speaker coffee table

General Electric came out with so many interesting stereo designs back in the day, most of them sounded as good as they looked. There was one of these on Craigslist in south Florida, seems like it was reasonably priced as well.

 

[112561]

With the Garrard record changer

Open wide and say aaaahh..........

 

[112561]

your choice of styles

to please every taste............

 

[kenmoreguy89]

Lovable....

Cord I think was intended to disappear under a carpet to a next outlet in lack of floor outlets, maybe two similar carpets joined just under it, or even why not a moquettes?  Some homes as said have outlets inside floor  in large living rooms, not unusual even now ........  I think this item  was just not adapt for every living room layout though.....just the ones allowing an outlet near it.....

Does it have even AUX jacks for TV ? Just questioning........maybe newer models got this feature also.....

 

 

[tolivac]

Coffee table Hi-fi's interesting-haven't listened to any-but would think the small speakers would have limited bass response-if you like recordings with deep bass-probably would have to wire a subwoofer of sort into the unit.and since the speakers are placed low in the cabinet-would only be suitable for placing in front of a sofa-for "nearfeild" listening.Yes,the TT would need cleaning and lubing.From the desription that Motorola system doesn't have aux inputs-for TT only.On some of the others shown--you could then use the system as an "amplified" speaker-besides TV-now you could use it with your portable Satellite radio with audio or headphone jack,or your IPod,Pad,or phone.
Why the crazy attitude of the seller-if the machine doesn't sell-he is going to trash it?what an idiot.That seems to be a norm among Ebay sellers-if the item doesn't sell for their stupid price or low price-they trash the item.Would be interesting to have a small sat radio playing the 50's 0r 60's music thru the ones that have aux input-and hide the sat tuner in the TT compartment!

 

[miele_ge]

and to set the mood for those cocktail parties...

The Retro Cocktail hour.... from Kansas Public Radio.

 

"The home of space age pop and incredibly strange music"

 

Actually it is a lot of fun to listen to regardless of your equipment.

http://www.retrococktail.org/

 

[drewz]

RCA's Space Age Pop CD's Vol 1,2,3, & of course Capital's Lounge Series CD's are also very fun!

 

[112561]

Threatening to trash an unsold Ebay item

is "incentive" to the prospective buyer to move fast, before the unthinkable happens. Even if it were totally dead, it's still worthy of saving. What a jackbag. And the only time I buy a non working item is if I have never seen another, and am desperate to own it. Otherwise, most or all of it has to work. My stereo theatre was a pig in a poke, after I got it here, I found out the radio worked very well, tv, not at all. Then I got a ceramic cartridge apropos to it, and it rocks the house. The 1963 Custom Decorator tv phono I have lights up on the tv, and the stereo amp works but not the receiver. I bought it because it was cheap, complete and clean.

 

Oh, and I'm very very big on Space Age Pop here, I have one RCA cd, and some of the Capitol Lounge Series. And an assortment of exotica vinyl, Latin music, and Command Records made for stereo demonstration, and the general market of that era. Good listening!

 

[drewz]

WoW, love that GE ad and that Porta-Fi feature...never knew about that now that's way cool for that era!

 

[112561]

My Custom Decorator either has Porta-Fi or the capability for it, and I'd like to find the speakers for it somewhere besides eBay. That was one of their better ideas.

 

[paulg]

I've seen Motorola and Truetone versions

The trend for coffee-table stereos seems to have been short lived.. I would like one if I could find one though.
I just wonder about that cord though. The typical owner would almost HAVE to snake the cord under a carpet; something one should never do.
Perhaps fire liability issues caused these stereos demise? Or maybe not...

 

[whirlaway]

Coffee Table TV

I had a coffee table TV made by RCA it was a 58 or 9 model.The TV was mounted on heavy springs that closed up like a sofa bed.It was a 21 inch,using the short neck Pic Tube.The top folded back and you pushed down on the set and it popped up,it had a mercury switch in it that turned it on when it rose out of the table.Mine was a Walnut type of finish,they also made blonde ones. Thanks Bobby

 

[Ultramatic]

The Retro Cocktail Hour...

<span style="font-size: medium;">What a cool show. Thanks for the link Alan! </span>

 

[rp2813]

Command Records

I might have a couple of those Enoch Light LP's kicking around.  Fun listening especially in front of a wiiiide console.

 

 

 

[tolivac]

Retro Cocktail music hour-sort of interesting.hi-Fi dealers in that era often used that type of music to demo Hi-fi systems.Not my thing-but interesting nonetheless.Listened to some sample cuts on the link-"Moon Over Maimi"was good-but for my location it should be "Moon Over Greenville"and the moon behind the clouds-and also obscured by distant heat lightening.Maybe this music should be broadcast to Cuba and Latin American countries!
The GE Coffee Table System looks promising-it has decent size speakers and a nice Garrard TT.I could foresee a LOT of record skipping with this-the fold out TT platform being bumpted by inbibed guests. And the coffee table system may have to be moved further from the sofa to accomidate the fold down TT platform.At least with the GE design-most of the coffee table top usable for record albums-and drinks,snacks.I sure hope the Motorola coffee table system found a new home-instead of a home in the dumpster.Horrible fate!

 

[112561]

I saw a marble topped Truetone in a shop in Jensen Beach about ten years ago, didn't float my boat at the time. I think during that era they were not always in the middle of living rooms, in this house, the only place the sofa has been for 51 years is along the wall with an outlet on either side of it. A coffee table type could have the cord run under the sofa and into an outlet with no trouble, and little treading on the cord. The Magnavox drum tables don't make bad coffee tables either, being the correct height. Magnavox had one with casters on it and tambour doors for its last model.

 

[112561]

South Florida madness

Fort Lauderdale, to be exact. Mid Century Modernists with deep pockets out there?
$250, Craigslist, Motorola with Drexel cabinet! [this post was last edited: 9/7/2012-08:40]

http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/atq/3181054759.html

 

[paulg]

Ultra cool

That hex unit has the same radio as the traditional Motorola coffeetable unit I once saw. So apparently they made a few different models.
But that hexagonal unit is just fabulous.
We're talking early 1960's - so it would be about 50 years old now.
Wouldn't it be cool with a QUAD amp and phono!! And a down-facing subwoofer??
SENSURRRROUND !!
If I had that unit I WOULD put an ac receptacle in the floor!
And although I tend to like things original I would not resist "tricking" that stereo out.
Stop me now... and can go on and on about this fun piece.

 

[yogitunes]

I have one of the Magnavox's barrel table stereos.....one of the coolest things ever.....some major speakers built into this thing....and ports for Aux inputs and extra speakers....

 

[112561]

Barrel table

Drums, or whichever, in spite of what some collectors think, they have darn good sound for what they are. And of course you can get (good luck with that) the companion set with record storage, and speakers, for spaced out stereo. I have a contemporary model with the first model receiver, Yogi has the second model receiver, with the full sized Micromatic changer, and built in eight track player. My set likely had the failure prone Mark I pushbutton plastic changer, now has the 400 Automatic, which is a smaller version of the Micromatic. The last series of barrels/drums, have the killer receiver, and purportedly blow the first two series out of the water. They came in five or so different furniture designs.

 

[paulg]

The weird shaped stereo club

Although I don't have the drum or coffee-table Magnavox stereo, I do have the columnar-type Magnavox stereo.
You can attach an external phono, but I didn't. It sounds great on its own as a radio but really does a nice job with the CD player or iPod.
It's attractive, works good and doesn't take much room. It's..... Magnificent !