Concert Grand

[tolivac]

VOA equipment website-Go to a website called "Jim Hawkins Radio World" they have an excellent "tour" of one our plants-sadly its the one that is closed and largely abandoned.Mold growing in the building-HVAC and lighting turned off-only power used is to light the towers.Transmitters dissassembled for parts to keep the ones at the "B" plant going.Also you can find some plant tours on YouTube-Just type in "VOA Greenville" transmitter plant.The GE and Continental transmitters were the same at both sites-the newer transmitters were different at each site.This was done for evaluation at that time with the idea of purchasing new transmitters to wee which ones worked best.A site had New Continental 420B and Marconi transmitters-the Maroni was outfitted with a Continental Electronics SS modulator.Now that is at our site in storage as spare for the overseas plants.B plant has AEG Telefunken-on air now--and Brown Boveri transmitters.The BBC one has an early Soild State PSM modulator.This one is used regularly,too.These 4 transmitters are capable of 500Kw power-but used at 250Kw to reduce electric power cost.
Concert Grand Hi-Fi consoles-My Mom had one and loved listening to my records on it!!Would like to have one--but they are expensive and difficult to ship.Again--I HATE EBay-so look locally.While growing up-had two Hi-fis to listen to-My Moms Magnavox Concert Grand or Dads Component system with Dynaco St 70 and PAS preamp.Stephens Coax speakers in homebuilt cabinets to plans that came with the raw Stephen speakers.And his TT was a Music Master with a Shure cartridge.Had to listen when Dad wasn't home-as teenagers we couldn't use his when he was there.So listend when he wasn't home.Never got in trouble.Was careful.My Mom let me listen whenever I wanted while visiting her.Hopefully someday will stumble on a CG.Often its when YOU ARE not looking for something is when you stumble on it!Hopefully at a yard sale???

 

[firedome]

Prisoner...

Patrick of course, that's what happens when you get old, along with the aches, pains, and general deterioration of body as well as brain. Some days I'm lucky to remember my own name. I loved his role in 3 lives of Thomasina as well.

Rex - you're right, one will pop up when you least expect it. Though for a CG I'd look in a couple hundred mile radius and be willing to drive a bit for one, most likely to find in N Virginia or large city like Atlanta. IIWY I'd certainly take a look at a console from one of the well respected component manufacturers as well. Or do what I'll probably do, and look for the exact cabinet style I want with defective electronics and replace them a component tube receiver, in my case a Fisher 400, and a quality turntable that won't wreck LPs.

 

[ovrphil]

VOA and links

Thanks, Rex! Now I need a pair of 3D glasses. What a great idea! Jim Hawkins Radio World is excellent, too. Someday, I'm sure all these installations are going to be replaced with windfarms or who knows what else?

Phil

 

[tolivac]

Maybe that could be the fate of VOA "A" site.The state wanted it as a possible solar power farm.The site is fed with a 115Kw 3 Ph line from Dominion power.The new "owner" would have to pay for the demolition of the towers there-not sure if the State of NC wants to do that-we will see.I hope VOA "B" plant where I am at isn't replaced anytime soon! want to work many more years!Like the work despite the old equipment.

 

[norgeway]

The problem with most Magnavoxes

Is they are mostly Italian or French Provencial or Early American...All of which we despise, it MUST be Danish Modern or preferably mid century modern...best of all blonde!!  My dream is to find a 58 or 59 TOL Westinghouse console with the sliding panel covering the big round radio dial and tuning eye, as of now, im using a 65 General Electric that really is a good sounding unit,despite GEs reputation of not being that great, my favorite is a consolette Phonola in my bedroom that my Parents best friends bought new in 1962 from Allied Radio, I grew up listening to records on it, their daughter told me she played the first record ever played on it....Telstar by the Ventures!

 

[tolivac]

The Magnavox CG console my Mom had was a Danish Modern.At this point would settle for any of them.In those days they were made with REAL wood-not with the horrible plastic trim that buzzed during the bass passages!At how scarece they are getting you may have to take what comes along.Its the "guts" that I would be most interested in.No,I won't gut it-but the components of all the CG ones were largely the same.-Just the cabinets styles were different.

 

[firedome]

in my experience...

most of the blonde (limed oak) consoles tended to be mono, or to a much lesser extent, very early stereo, the latter would probably be lacking multiplex FM. They were relatively rare even then.

When we at the magazine put out our 2 volume "Vintage Hi-Fi Spotters Guide", besides components, in the 2nd volume we also included a few early '50s mono consoles and high end floor radios. A planned Vol 3 would have included later mono and stereo tube consoles. My publisher-friends's untimely death at age 59 put an end to that. Now that everything is online, publishing such an esoteric subject in paper format nowadays would be a losing proposition, albeit a fun project. I've thought about it but we didn't make much on the first 2 even in the "good old days" of special interest publishing. A planned color coffee table book on McIntosh Labs was also stillborn due to the high cost of quality color publication. Nowadays it would be outsourced to China.

 

[ovrphil]

Roger - ...sorry to hear these were the days that brought an end to projects looked to be completed. I found some help with Google book/magazine searches,which often tie into some of those old audio pubs.

I'm sure what you said about blonde consoles is true, with exceptions here and there.

I don't own a blonde finish Motorola, but they did make a couple models which a guy shows off on youtube(he's an unusual cadence to his voice, fair warning):





Those are not mono units, as an example of exceptions, and I've never seen too many Westinghouses, let alone what Hans is looking for.

 

[firedome]

Boy those Motorolas are beauties...

be proud to have one of those in our LR! I've always been of the opinion that the electronics in Motorola consoles were superior in design & execution in comparison to some of the other mass brands, at least that was true of the several Motorolas I've owned.

Oddly some of the less impressive consoles I've seen were from the really big boys, GE & RCA, whose size as companies dwarfed all the other makers of consoles, by far. They had a few decent models, and even some truly excellent components early on (1955-60), but for the most part they went on to use their vast engineering talents elsewhere, evidently.

 

[ovrphil]

RESTORED Magnavox Imperial Console Stereo w/Turntable, Tube

RESTORED Magnavox Imperial Console Stereo w/Turntable, Tube Amplifier - $600 (Carrollton)

...to get back to almost a Concert Grand, but not the coveted Danish modern style:

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/ele/5390695693.html

 

[ovrphil]

'Nother one: 1959 Magnavox Imperial playing Skinnie Minn

Craigslist ad : https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/msg/5431380849.html?lang=tl

Other link shows unit playing old 50's Bill Halley song.

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=05lvms_HbP8

 

[firedome]

I'm still lookin' for one...

for you Phil to replace the PO trashed faceplate. One will turn up at some point nearby.

 

[ovrphil]

Thanks

...very much...I didn't really think you forgot, and I'm aware there's alot going on around in your life. So...whenever, thank you.

 

[maytog77]

Well some of you may know.

That as far as my living room goes, I have a TOL 1973 Zenith Allegro console. I love th Allegro speaker system, and I also have two correct, Zenith Allegro remote speakers on the other side of my room for the "Two Plus Two Matrix" sound (AKA: Zeniths brand name for 4channel stereo). I had read somewhere that it was almost $500.00 when it was new. Let me tell you the sound quaility is worth every penny of that, and is still proving it almost 40 years later.

 

[norgeway]

I remember those

When they were new, a great sounding unit.

 

[firedome]

Fabulous...

70s decor there!!

 

[ovrphil]

Jason -

Hi, do you happen to have the Allegro brochure that included your model? I'd like to find a complete brochure - will try audiokarma.org of course, but just wondered if you happened to have something easy to upload here?

Even though I'm typically contemporary and mcm in style/tastes, your unit looks good and the living room is really a time warp. Nice job!

Phil

 

[maytog77]

OVRPHIL......

I have the complete sales brochure....I will upload it...I bought it on ebay, it is the ONLY piece of sales material, or anything with my model I have found.

 

[maytog77]

Part 2....

Of the 1973 Zenith booklet

 

[norgeway]

RE Stromberg Carlson

My Parents bought a Stromberg Carlson Hi Fi in 1952,it had 2 speakers as I remember, a 12 facing the floor and a 8 or 10 facing forward, if I remember it had 2 6V6 outputs , it died when I was a kid, but for its day, I think it sounded fantastic, I remember Daddy playing Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman LPs on it, he liked it LOUD and I remember the bass vibrating the windows in the living room..LOL, I would love to find one like it, Mother said people couldn't believe the "Outrageous" price they paid for it....200.00 ...in 1952 dollars!...And they earned 25.00 a week each.....imagine living on 50.00 a week!! Rent was 60.00 a month, minus 10.00 in the winter for firing the coal boiler!!!!Mother saved 2 years to buy a vacuum cleaner, also bought in 52, a GE swivel top...99.95!