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cfz2882

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Feb 9, 2010
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anyone collect post-ww2,am-fm phono,hi-fi s? i have a few:
-1946 philco am-fm 78 rpm(no doubt one of the 1st with fm)
-1948 silvertone am-fm 3speed phono
-1954 zenith am-fm 3 speed,-has sealed,acoustic suspension
woofer cabinet and a strong amp of about 10-12 (real)watts
-1959 grundig multiband large console stereo phono
-1966 admiral am-fm large console phono
 
I have 3

Magnavoxes,
Magnavoxen,
Magnavi,
Maggies,
Whatever is the right term. I'll have to post some pics later (2 are here, 1 is buried, and the one not here is still in VA).
Mine are around 1961-63. They are lower end tube amplified console stereos and they do see lots of use. I am amazed at the rich quality of sound mine put out.

They have AM, FM, FM multiplex (FM stereo, and I don't have the multiplex equipment sadly), Phono (78, 45, 33, and 16), and Tape Input. I need to do some rebuilding of the turntables before I use them (new cartridges, needles, and motor mounting bushings). Right now I listen to the radio and use the Tape Input to connect to a CD player or my ipod. On NPR, Garrison Keillor's voice sounds like it could blow out walls, and that's with the bass turned DOWN.

1 in the living room, 1 in the bedroom, and I don't know where to put #3 just yet. I'll put mine up against Bose any day. Loud does not = good. Only good = good, and my Magnavox tube console stereos are very very good indeed. And yes, they can be loud, but only when I want them to be.

Happy listening,
Dave
 
Would like to collect Hi-Fi components have couple-and older tubed Sunsui receiver,3 McIntosh MC 60 tubed amps(Not working at this time-need new caps)A Dynaco PAS#3 preamp.A Leak Preamp and power amp.(British)Would love to find a Magnavox tubed "Concert Grand" Hi-Fi console.Still looking My Mom used to have one.she got rid of it in favor of a new component system from Circuit City.I had asked her before to ship the console to me if she no longer wanted it.It had the same TT as the unit in Spankomatics picture.Those Collaro-Magnavox TT's were excellent.Sadly see lots of these consoles "broken" up by jerks on EBay and they sell the components-suchs TT'samps,speakers and so on.What happens to the nice cabinet?One time while coming home from work found a Zenith and a Magnavox Hi-fi consoles by the side of the road-with "free" signs on them-went back with a neighbor with a pickup truck--and they were GONE-someone elese had the same idea---I hope.since it was trash day--hope they DIDN'T end up in the hoppers of the Pack-Mor,or the Leach or McNelius trash trucks.It was trash day the units were set out.Everyones trash bins were set out for emptying by the trash companies.Since I like trash trucks too-but please don't put the appliances in them--Davids trash has a Leach,Packr has the PacMor,and the city has the McNellius.Anyway back to stereos-they are HARD to find here for some reason-the swap shops say they rarely get them.So keep lookin!
 
does it have the "made in england" changer?

Yes,"made in england". Only one speed works though. Not sure how to fix that....

Jim
 
I have a 1959 Magnavox console with the Garrard turntable. It is also equipped with the "Phantom" remote control system. All is in perfect working order. A great instrument.
 
I never have gone the console route, I am a component stereo kind of guy.
I have a SAE system with the amp being a SAE A501. I use vintage AR-3a speakers and a Dual 701 turntable. Also connected to the system is a Nakamichi CD player and a Nakamichi cassette unit which I haven;t used in quite some time.
 
It is also equipped with the "Phantom" remote cont

Here is a photo of a "Phantom" remote control which does not go to my Magnavox stereo. It went to a Magnavox console TV/Stereo combo. I like the air noise it makes when you push the buttons.

spankomatic++2-13-2010-01-59-15.jpg
 
I use vintage AR-3a speakers and a Dual 701 turntable.

There's nothing like the sound vintage AR speakers! I have 4 vintage AR9's (the older design, not the shitty ones from the 90's) and love them to death. I had 6 of them at one time, but at 4'3" and a weight of 135 # EACH, they aren't exactly small or easy to maneuver around. With an 86 DB efficiency rating at 4 ohms, they require an insane amount of power to really sing. Thankfully, the Gemstone Blue Diamond amplifier doesn't break a sweat in that department.

I really need to get cracking on replacing the non-polar electrolytic capacitors in them before I start frying the mid and high range drivers.
 
I've got a late 40's "Westinghouse FM" bow front with phonograph. It's in beautiful condition. The on/off/volume knob has gotten dirty inside so the radio no longer powers up, but it used to work. I need to spray the switch out with contact cleaner and that'll probably save it. It has great sound.
 
Spanko,

I have nearly the same Magnavox, but with plainer (more modern) styling, and perhaps one less knob on the control panel. Radio works great, but have had major difficulty finding the correct replacement cartridge for the tonearm. The original cartridge had a broken support and no bass. The replacement has too much bass on the LP side, but sounds ok on the 78 side. All the speeds work, but the mechanism below seems a bit baffling in its complexity. I have enjoyed using this turntable to listen to older 78's, especially in the stacked mode.
 
Only have room for...

my Zenith in the den. This is the model that my parents owned when I was growing up. They got rid of it in the late 1970s when they bought a Zenith Allegro component system. I was lucky to find this set when it was posted on Craig's List Pittsburgh.

Joe

chuffle++2-13-2010-04-52-31.jpg
 
stereos

I have a 60 three channel Motorola, a 61 Magnavox ,a 62 Phonola consolette,and a 58 Philco with electrostatic speakers that look like radar units, also a 65 K L H.
 
Oh boy........

I have a 1957 Fisher receiver with a Stromberg Carlson Labyrinth corner speaker, a Stromberg Carlson hi-fi console with AM-FM and a matchstick blind grill cover, a Magnavox Astro-Sonic 100 watt console, 20 watt Astro-Sonic, a 1957 Magnavox 20 watt, a 1959 Magnavox console my cat tried to kill, a 40 watt French Provincial Astro-Sonic, a huge Curtis Mathes console with reel to reel, Magnavox drum table, Magnavox end table, Magnavox compact that has a walnut veneer case, and a bunch of semi working table sets in storage. I love Zenith and General Electric too.

112561++2-13-2010-07-44-6.jpg
 
Record Changer

I love the operation of that Magnavox record changer where the tone arm measures the record size before dropping it on the turntable. Simply awesome!

Malcolm
 
Collaro

In 1956 or '57, Magnavox stopped using Webster changers and ran the Collaro until they quit making consoles and Phillips really took off to destroy "Magnificent Magnavox". The late Collaros were sort of crappy from what I understand. A mystery to me is the lower level changer referred to as the 400, I think a company named Balfour made them. They have that touchy feely arm too. I love the way they fitted them to match the Magnavox theme in those years. Here's my 1966 Micromatic/Microsonic, it needs a new ceramic pickup. It rotates for a minute and a half after shutoff.

112561++2-13-2010-08-23-6.jpg
 
I Miss Our Old Console

I'm a confirmed believer in component stereo, but when I was growing up, my parents bought a Sears Silvertone console stereo for the living room (circa 1969). It had the usual three-speed record changer and AM/FM stereo, plus it had a cassette player/recorder. I used to tape songs off the radio (when my sister wasn't hogging the stereo with her Bob Dylan, Stones and CCR albums)! Years later, it went into storage--we couldn't pay the fee at the time and lost it. I sometimes wonder if it's still around. Ah, memories...!
 
Department store consoles

Those Silvertones were like the Kenmore washers, a lot of product for the money. Montgomery Ward had a furniture line in the late 1950s called Suburbia. One of their consoles had a Suburbia cabinet.

Silvertone Combo

112561++2-13-2010-09-11-53.jpg
 
Speed

That Imperial Micromatic is a very good piece of engineering.

When you lift the platter you'll see two idler wheels. One is permanently set to just one speed and can't touch the platter, it is for the changer mechanism.

The other is supposed to move up and down against the stepped motor shaft to change speeds. The linkage to arm which moves it can slip out, dust and thickening lube can 'freeze' the post on which the control arm rests to one speed as well. I suggest you try gently shifting speeds while pushing/pulling very gently on the arm on which the wheel rides. If it moves easily and smoothly then springs back to one speed, then the problem is in the linkage, easy to just hook back up as one end will be hanging. If gentle pressure won't move it or it moves gratingly, then the post it rides on needs cleaning (and the resistance might have knocked the rod driving it loose).

Wonderful consoles, great turntables, Magnavox really built some good stuff.
 
forgot one..

forgot to add to my list my 1976,russian made, "kantana"
multiband phono-bought it on ebay from chisnau,moldova
(shipping cost a bundle!) It is all tube with selenium
rectifiers,so '50s era technology.has 1 woofer of about 8"
and 2 tweeters.The voltage switch on the back had a position
for 132v,so i set it there and works good on 115v. 50hz,
so phono runs fast on 60hz.
 

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