GUESS WHAT I FOUND ?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!

[lightedcontrols]

Got a call from Roanoke Robert (aka. Lady Kenmore) that a guy he knew had a console stereo from the 70's that was NEVER OPENED and still in the box. Well..........I had to go and see what this was all about since I have a console record player collection too! Seems this stereo was bought for a daughter as a Christmas gift. The daughter died right before Christmas. The Mother and Father just kept the stereo in the basemsnt and never even opened the box. When the mother died last month, one of the other surviving children had the task of clearing out the house so it could be put on the market. This set was advertised in a local rag and Robert spotted it. Take a look at the photos. I didn't take it all of the way out of the box as I am taking it right to my storage facility in Wytheville where it will wait until my new home is built and can be displayed as it should be. This first photo shows where I picked it up at a garage (where the son worked) in town.

 

[lightedcontrols]

more photos

another photo

 

[lightedcontrols]

Just like new 1971

unbelievable shape! Loaded in the trailer.

 

[lightedcontrols]

beautiful walnut cabinet

..... so cool to open it up!

 

[lightedcontrols]

top of the line!

This was a top of the line system with a reel to reel tape deck and everything else that you can think of. The original receipt shows that it cost $1,800 new in 1971. Can't wait to get the space to set it up and take a listen! Mark

 

[toggleswitch]

Way cool

Enjoy! What a find!

IIRC a new BOL Ford then was about $3,000.

Could this possibly be true if the stereo was $2,000 +/-?

 

[tolivac]

WOW!!!SUPER FIND-That is a really NICE console Hi-fi unit.The ones with the RR decks were the TOL machines.On lower models the console may have had audio in and out connections for the recorder that you had to provide.Motorola made some nice audio components in those days.Now thats a real "Hi-end" Hi-Fi!!!

 

[westytoploader]

Wow Mark, how do you find all of this great stuff??? Beautiful console; didn't realize Motorola was in the A/V scene that late.

$1800 in 1971? Whew, that's around $8000 now! Can you imagine paying that much for a stereo? Amazing...

 

[lightedcontrols]

Magnavox had one too!

Hi Westy! Magnavox had a stereo that was real top of the line at about this same period. It was only offered to certain special Magnavox dealers. It retailed out at about $5,000.00 in the early 70's. For the life of me I can't think of what they called the set, but it was awesome. Baker was making their furniture so you know it was really TOL. One thousand watts per channel, built in reel to reel, the new micromatic changer that had light up controls (on the changer) etc. I remember seeing one when I bought mine in (or about) 1969. Mark

 

[jasonl]

Rock and 'Rola

And wouldn't Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii on RCA Victor Quadra Disc sound nice right about now? Dub it to the reel, save the vinyl.

Does the phono have a magnetic cartridge? You'd think it would have it being such a huge investment.

 

[kenmore1978]

great find

Gee, what a find. It never ceases to amaze me how this stuff keeps popping up, like the brand new 1965 Lady K set someone on here got.

Inciedentally, for you 1958 Continental fans, a friend of mine is selling one. Another amazing story. I remember him getting it in 1989. Seems like he ALWAYS finds low mileage, TOL, loaded to the gills cars.

I've ridden in this car, it's unbelievable. And when he restores a car, he goes all out

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4550227221&category=6304

 

[kenmore1978]

NIB find

You should send a pic of this to Motorola so they have SOME sense of their history.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Anything MIB is So Very Exciting!

WOW Mark that is an incredible find, its going to look great in your new home. Congrats!

 

[frontaloadotmy]

Extra Fab

lightedcontrols, can't wait to see it unveiled in all of its
pristine grandness. I have an earlier model Motorola "three
channel" Console with the swing out side speakers. Also a VM-1000. Congrats on that incredible find.

 

[tlee618]

Mark that is going to be a real beauty!! Congratulations on such a neat fine. I bet that it will have a wonderful sound. Terry

 

[foraloysius]

Wow! Cool find! Are the speakers built in to the cabinet or are there separate speakers?

 

[lightedcontrols]

speakers

...the speakers are built in......

 

[joeekaitis]

May I . . .well. . .you know. . .stick my head under the lid and take a deep drag of that just-out-of-the-box smell?

Please?

 

[Cybrvanr]

WOW that's amazing! A classic American Console stereo with a Reel-to-reel in it! Most of the ones I have ever seen have 8-track decks in them. A Motorola was a top-end brand too! That thing oughta sound really nice! Can't wait to see it in the house once you're all moved in. Do you know if it's a modern style cabinet or a traditional style cabinet?

I like that box with the big Motorola "M" on the side. Have you ever noticed that the Motorola "M" is exactly like the Williams Pinball "W" logo, just turned the other way?

 

[goatfarmer]

Should still be under warranty,right?......

kennyGF

 

[rickr]

Motorola Logo

Motorola calls it the "bat wing" logo. General Electric calls their logo the "meatball" logo.

Does anyone recall the 1960's TV ads for Motorola stereos?
It was in a female voice and after the ad went:
MOTOROOOLA STEEREOOOO
I recalled that as soon as I saw this thread: New in Box!
WOW--What a great one of a kind find! Congratulations Mark!
BTW The Magnavox $5,000.00 console stereo was called the "Concert Grand" (and made right here in Fort Wayne)

Here is a couple pix of my 1965 Magnavox console. TOL,with two 15 inch woofers,two treble horns,with 100 watt amp,but not the Concert Grand.

 

[rickr]

Interior view

I play this LOUD every morning as I get ready for work. It shakes the floor! Love that quality console stereo BASS!

 

[lightedcontrols]

Beautiful!

Hi Rick! Yes !!! It was the Concert Grand. Just couldn't think of it. You have a beautiful stereo there. I think the Mororola is a modern style so far as I could see sice I didn't take it all the way out of the box. Mark

 

[westytoploader]

There was a Magnavox console stereo with a Micromatic turntable at the same house I bought my '83 Zenith from. Was in nice shape and used only slightly; the lady had it connected to 2 speakers in the living room and hallway. There was a good chance that it still worked as well. The only thing was I didn't really have a place to put it! Looking back, I sure wish I grabbed it!

 

[petek]

That's a beautiful looking console Rick, the cabinet work is wonderful look quality.

 

[toggleswitch]

Magnavox Console

Parents had the 1974 version of that magnavox console when I was a tyke.

Not shown in the above pics, but was in the unit I knew..
On the left side of the slide-to-open top was a record well. If you were born at or after 1981, ask someone older what "record" means! LOL)

In the LP/Record/vinyl well (OK OK its what we call the predecessor of a compact disk.. the pressure!! LOL) sat the optional tape player.

Of course, my parents got the 8-track player (continuous loop) as opposed to the cassette player. This was of course to have 8-tracks in the car.

We kiddies wanted a cassette player/recorder to make tapes of our records to preserve them. Think about it steel stylus (needle) making physical contact with a a vinyl disk. How long did those records last? LOL

The unit had a 2-4 button which altered the function of the "exterior" speaker button. when on "4" it was for the then-cool quadrophonic sound. On "2" you could have two set of speakers in two rooms.

We had built-in speakers in the basment ceiling. You could select the built-in speakers and/or the remote ones.

Well when the parental untis were out.. the whole house was 'jammin to 92.3 FM WKTU diso/dance music.

Then the station went off the air.

The city rejoiced when it came back on 103.5 FM and traded frequencies with a CT station. (CT is 10 feet away here)

...Night fever, night fever....

http://www.ktu.com/main.html

 

[parunner58]

Rick,

My inlaws had that same Magnavox when I started datining my wife in 1979. THe turntable had problems so in 1982 they bought a Zenith console and they stoill have it. THe family I babysat for had a Magnavox anf I loved the deep bass sound. I could never crank it up because they lived in a townhouse the next door neighbor would complain. I know nothing today can compete with them. My dad was in the Army and stationed in Munich Germany and we had a Grundig Majestic while I was growing up, it was a console Hi-Fi, not stereo yet. It had a nice sound, It had four 4" square tweeters and a big 12" woofer. and AM/FM and shortwave bands on the radio. I would love to have that or the inlaws magnavox now.

Mike

 

[rickr]

Found all the orignal paperwork,inc. this recipt

Thank you for the nice comments about old Maggy. It has been here since my grandparents bought it in 1965. This one was on year end close out,according to the sales information,plus they got $60.00 credit for a trade in.(whatever that was???) There must have been a large mark up on these high end consoles. Almost everyone had one,or knew someone that had one(or wished they had one,so we own them today) in the 1950's and 1960's.
I always wanted to crank this one up when I was a kid too,but was never allowed to touch it. I am making up for that these days,as I crank it up every morning!! LOUD!! LOL!

 

[jdinstl]

Thanks for the fun thought!!!

In 1967, my parents bought an RCA Console TV. It was not all TOL like yours above, it had the record player, AM and FM, I believe. Two speakers built in, and a 25" color screen.

Just before that console TV purchase, my sister was married. (One income household, hmmmm.....) The family story still resonates that she was so mad at Mom and Dad for getting color TV just after she moved out -- she didn't speak to Mom and Dad for like 2 months!

Tense then, I suppose, but hysterical now!

John

 

[petek]

Wow a whole 2% sales tax..lol.
Mind you $435 back in 65 was nothing to sneeze at.