Westinghouse Stereo/Hi Fi...

[gmmcnair]

I used to have a Wards Airline that was Westinghouse built

Date stamp was 1959 or 1960 IIRC. It had a VM changer, side-firing 12" woofers and 2 horn tweeters in front. It was very obviously a Magnavox knockoff. It had a tube amp that sounded quite nice, an AM-FM radio with a hookup for FM multiplex, and an auxiliary in on the amplifier.

It was a nice old stereo. Sounded great and had some real guts to it. I miss it.

 

[norgeway]

Re WH Elevator!

Ive not gone THAT Westinghouse crazy quite yet..LOL..

 

[112561]

I like these things for what they are, I won't apologize anymore for playing records on an Astro-Sonic, a Westinghouse, a Zenith Circle of Sound, an RCA Victor New Vista, a Truetone, a Sylvania, Philco, Airline, Penncrest, whatever. As long as it delivers clear sound and doesn't trash your records, and you're happy, go for it. You play your vinyl on a restored Califone classroom record player or the latest $10,000 stereo system, don't cave in to opinion. If you demand perfection and pay for it, nobody minds, just let the rest of us enjoy our weird choices. I've had people refuse to help me look for things I want because THEY didn't want such things. They don't want them, nobody else should have them either.

 

[norgeway]

My take on it...

I LIKE the sound of a console much better than components, I know someone who had a B and O stereo set that he played a fortune for years ago,it did sound good, and was a nice sleek setup, but to me it didn't sound one bit better than a good Motorola or Magnavox...or my GE.

 

[hydralique]

I do love the pic #2 posted by 112561, that’s a nice Danish Modern console!

Some years ago I read a story about an older woman who had a TOL console stereo from the very early ‘60s. I think it was RCA. She loved music and kept the system up but eventually had trouble finding knowledgeable technicians and of course parts were often NLA, plus she wanted a CD player.

So she went shopping for a new system and found components at a good hifi store that sounded great but she just hated their look. In the end she made a deal with the store: the console was shipped to them where they stripped the electronics out and refurbished the speakers, then had a cabinet shop rework the interior so they could build in modern electronics (NAD as I recall). No doubt tube lovers would see this as a sacrilege but she ended out with a nice sounding unit that looked just like it always had.

 

[norgeway]

When I was a kid..

A cousin had, and still has, a TOL Zenith from 1963, it has a weird changer that has a fold down 45 adaptor and a floating needle,the transformer burned up and I removed it and sent it to Colorado to a guy and had it re wound, that was 25 years or so ago, and she still has it, it really does have a rich sound, if im not mistaken it cost about 500,00 back then, which would be a fortune today, and it has as good a fm radio as ive ever heard, but Zenith always did have a great radio

 

[tolivac]

DJ equipment well aware of it-even when the proper styli was used they still manage to tear them up and records.I also have a box of "Q-burned" records from cleaning out a transmitter site-Transmitter buildings are often where old radio station records go to retire or die.These places often have all kinds of treasures!Have had to replace MANY a styli and cartridges in radio stations-tonearms,too!And on occasion whole TT's.Technics DD TT's DON'T like soda or coffee spilled into them!
Magnetic cartridge conversion--TT must not have a magnetic platter and the motor must not be under where the arm and cartridge track.And if the magnetic is replacing a ceramic cartridge-a preamp will be required.Grado cartridges did work well in Collaro-Magnavox TT's.Grado made a magnetic cartridge that was designed to be used in changers.Don't know if they are still available.There are still a lot of Collaro/Magnavox TT's still in use out in the wild!

 

[arbilab]

Ah, the big picture. Understood. Nevermind my audiophoolery then.

Ah, Westinghouse elevators. Here's something you're VERY unlikely to ever hear/see another human being say/write: I worked on Westinghouse elevators in the summer of 1965. Dad got me on with a waiver from the union. They were just installed. I was the apprentice to the verification/test engineer. FAScinating! Besides that, it paid roughly 3x minimum wage. I bought a Honda Sport 90 which I later sold for what I paid for it and a Sonor drum set which well-more than paid for itself over the following 10 years. (I was a pretty good cover drummer. Our band played warmup for the Doobie Brothers in 1974.)

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled thread.

 

[retro-man]

The building I live in had Westinghouse elevators. They are in the process of changing them out. One is gone and the other is the process of being removed. Problem was that they were installed in 1986 and most parts are no longer available. New ones are Stanley. Is there someone in the Boston area that works on console stereos? I have a Zenith that was working well prior to the move and now has a lot of low static on the speakers and the cartridge needs some rewiring. Don't really have the time or the knowledge about this to fix myself. They could take it out and work it over or work on it at the house. Thanks

Jon

 

[112561]

To whom it may concern

There are no fools here, only people who have likes and preferences. My complaints are with people I've had face to face contact with, who REFUSE to consider finding something I've dearly wanted for years and years, because it's garbage to THEM. My main system has a Collibri linear tracking turntable that programs like a CD player. The stylus broke, so it's currently useless. I have a Technics turntable that doesn't have the factory ground wire, so it's half useless. I have a 1980 Sherwood receiver with Infinity bookshelf speakers, TEAC CD player, and a dual TEAC cassette deck. I just love my old hi-fi consoles, stereo consoles, and I refuse to let them alone. 

 

There is an unnamed vintage console site that has some toxic entities on it. One guy loved to point out that Astro-Sonics with "non wood material" trimming are all "firewood with speakers". He blew a gasket when a prominent RCA Victor collector quite innocently used a photo of his, AND an immediate apology in an example of soiled grille cloth, and the statement that NO ONE was being singled out for ridicule, the picture was strictly for an example. Mr. Firewood hasn't posted since. I quit posting there because I got sick of hearing how solid state is the devil's tool.

 

[norgeway]

Well...

My big old GE console is solid state, and it sure ain;t of the devil..LOL!!!! I would love to find a early Astro Sonic in a modern cabinet, every one I find here is old early American or French provential...I grew up with that style,,,NOT happening!..I saw a beautiful 63 Astro Sonic at the Goodwill a while back without a scratch on it....French Provential!!LOL

 

[lordkenmore]

Converting changers from ceramic cartridges

My parents had a low end Garrard changer that almost certainly came with a ceramic cartridge, but was converted over to a magnetic. No idea why that conversion was done. The cartridge was a Shure, probably M44, and I'm under the impression the person who did the conversion also might have modified the arm to add a counterweight.

Then, to finish it off, a phono preamp was added to match the Shure to the input on the receiver. Stand alone phono preamps are now quite common in audiophile circles. My parents were tuned into a Hot Audiophile Trend years and years before it became hot. LOL

>Grado made a magnetic cartridge that was designed to be used in changers.Don't know if they are still available.

As far as I know, Grado has nothing today specifically targeted at changers. I have no idea about years back, but I can say that I have seen Grado cartridges on a couple of changers, including one that looked exactly like what my parents had. It was sort of shock, actually, because Grado now seems like a specialist high end company...and I see one of their products on a mass market system.

I suppose a current Grado could be used in SOME changers. But I'm thinking the changer would need to a fairly modern one, and have been a fairly good one new. One issue: the changer needs to handle a cartridge that tracks lightly. I'm under the impression some changers need heavy tracking forces to trip the change mechanism.

Also note one Grado issue: the cartridges can pick up hum easily (from turntable motors and AC transformers). I've had little trouble, but some people have had so much trouble that they consider Grado unusable.

I don't have a console, but if I did, I'd probably choose something other than Grado for it.

 

[lordkenmore]

vintage console site that has some toxic entities on it

I don't think it's just that unnamed site. It seems like toxic, opinionated people exist across a wide chunk of the audio world. No matter what you have, there is someone out there who will call it a piece of junk.

One of the pieces of advice I ever heard basically says the ONLY opinion that matters is the opinion of the owner. He or she is the one who buys and has to live with the investment.

 

[kenwashesmonday]

Even on the forums specializing in antique wind-up phonographs, there's always someone to pop in and warn people to never, ever play any records on their machines.

 

[classiccaprice]

Volvoguy87 has two modern early 60's magnavoxes that he'd like to sell. They are in Cincinnati, but send him an email if you are interested.

 

[tolivac]

Yes,just remembered that Grado is now hi-end-they also make Hi end Hi-Fi headphones.So if you were going to look for a mag cartridge to use in a vintage changer--some homework will be required.I sort of remember when I did this and another fellow I knew made conversions.There was a point in time you could get a simple,one tube(12AX7)mag preamp from Radio Shack for like 50 bucks and did the job very well!The High end models are just to ridiculosly priced to consider.Other option were the ones sold by radio station suppliers.These would have 600 ohm balanced outputs to match other station audio equipment--consoles.Often these preamps were switchable to use it as a TT preamp or a mic preamp.For TT use a phono equalizer was switched in to match the RIAA curves.For mic use--flat.I encountered a lot of these tubed preamps in older Gates-Harris consoles.2 6J7 tubes.Modern ones of coarse solid state.The solid state units you could match the cartridges impedance and capacitance.You adjusted those for flat response with the Shure test records.Did a lot of this servicing radio stations.-And at the agency I work now-24 studios-installed and set up two TT's in each Technics SL1200 with Audio Technica cartridges-offhand don't remember their model#s.

 

[whirlcool]

Grado Hum

Grado cartridges aren't shielded. That's why they pick up hum from turntable motors, sometimes.

In the world of Dual turntables, some Grado cartridges will hum and others will not. I have even heard that if you have two of the same Dual models one will hum with a Grado cartridge and the other will not.

On the www.audiokarma.org website there is a grid of Grado cartridges with a listing of what turntables which Grado models will hum with. While I have never owned a Grado cartridge I have heard from plenty of people who did and they are happy with the sound if the cartridge doesn't hum on them.

I think in a lot of console stereo's ceramic cartridges kind or restricted the quality of the sound. A magnetic cartridge would sound much better if the turntable could handle it.

 

[frigilux]

Playing Records On Vintage Changers: If playing your records on vintage equipment brings pleasure or joy, by all means, play them! Life is short. If you intend to donate or sell a pristine collection, then you might want to think twice. But if seeing those records spinning and changing on the player of your choice makes you smile, have at it![this post was last edited: 2/28/2015-03:45]

 

[norgeway]

I had no idea!

People had such strong feelings about records..I have collected records for over 40 years, ever since I was a kid, some are like new, some scratched and worn, but like everything I have, I use them, a few scratches doesent really bother me, I do handle my records very carefully , and keep them clean, but I do play and enjoy them, I play something almost every day, I have had many different kinds of stereos and Hi Fi setups thru the years, my favorite is my 62 Phonola consolette with reverb, it is certainly not the most powerful thing on earth, but it plays good, has a good rich sound and the VM changer works like a charm, My Mother and Dads best friends bought it new in 1962 from Allied Radio,which sent out a catalogue in those days, their late Daughter Jodi told me she played the first record ever played on it, Telstar by the Ventures, I spent many hours as a kid sitting on the floor listening to it while the adults played cards and talked so it has sentimental value,no where near the best stereo ever made, but I sure have enjoyed it, both as a kid, and later when it was given to me, ive had it 25 years or so.

 

[112561]

I have several hundred record albums, most of which were purchased in thrift stores. The entire lot might be worth $300, it would be a fight to get that out of them. They range from pristine to trash, the trash being purchased for musical content, not appearance. Our mom got an RCA Victor/Breck Shampoo promotional album through the mail, and a ten record set of light classical music from RCA/Reader's Digest around 1960. They were played on a child's RCA portable, and to this day, none of the discs have a mark on them. The record set case is a different story. The first "real" stereo was a $59 Sylvania BOL portable for Christmas 1966, with the first Monkee's album. Parents weren't into consoles or records, but we kids always took care of the discs we got with allowance or gifts. I think my brother still has all his records, but his nice component system he had in the day is long gone.