Interesting Zenith Console Stereo

[twintubdexter]

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">At $50, this prior-to-Allegro (junk) Zenith console would be fun to tinker with. Turntable problems are usually mechanical issues and not all that serious. Fortunately for me my days of carting big stuff home to play with are over...no room, no time and a bad back. Located at the East end of the valley in PGA West...bring your clubs.</span>

http://https//palmsprings.craigslist.org/fuo/d/zenith-console-stereo-mid/6469331606.html

 

[ovrphil]

Thumbs on the interior tuner - touch control.

 

[firedome]

entering the twilight zone...

of molded plastic grilles and door panels?

 

[tolivac]

The molded plastic has to go-just try to take them off-they can BUZZZZZZzzzzzz annoyingly during the bass.Wonder if the amps need recapped along with the TT needing cleaning-lubing.Possibly a new cartridge,too.

 

[twintubdexter]

<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #008000;">Well, you never need to call Terminix for termites with plastic unless they're really really hungry...and it's only 50 bucks.</span>

 

[panthera]

That's a 2G

A V-M, not the Zenith original.

Darn good turntable, easy to restore and does, actually, meet the specs. to be properly called 'Hi-Fi'.

Cabinet is not my taste, but I recall the sound of these - it wasn't bad, at all.

I'd get it, pull the turntable to restore, the rest of the components would be useful for various restorations. Just can't get excited about the cabinet.

 

 

[wayupnorth]

My parents had a smaller Zenith stereo and it came with the same Micro-touch 2g. tone arm. Fine sound for the 60's but I'd rather have my Bose speakers now.

 

[ovrphil]

On a similar note about the decline in quality...

I don't have a 70's Zenith, but I picked up this 1974 Magnavox 6710(photo there is a 6740, a year later it appears. The BSR turntable and VM cartridge are nothing special. An enclosed pair of side-shooting 12" woofers, a set of mids and tweeters (which aren't isolated)complete the sound package. I know it would sound better re-capped, but it's so incredibley loud (and clear) that beyond 3 or 4 on the volume scale breaks eardrums! Taking it apart, I blew, vacuumed, and applied de-Oxit on the pots.

Just to comment about what $45 bought: It was missing all 4 wheels, 8-track did not work, and the BSR turntable was stuck and not cycling properly. I've fixed eveything except the 8-track, yet. It looks great in photos, but it doesn't reveal that Magnavox really made the entire cabinet poorly with alot of plastic. This includes a molded base trim, wheel support holes that crumbled, missing wheels( I re-added a set obtained at Home Depot), a plastic tuner chassis which was brittle, and a cheap printed grain finish (pecan or oak)covered with some kind of other plastic.

IMAGINE! This was a $499 stereo console in 1974, on sale for $449(see ad). Maybe that price brought more traffic into the tv/audio showrooms.