Now this is LOWfi - but beautiful

dee1949
dee1949 Posts: 1,425
edited March 2011 in The Clubhouse
....anybody else have some of these ole time beauties. I had a house on top of a mountain outside Berkley Springs W.Va. This beauty used to pick up a couple of stations from Pa. and W.Va. Was like a trip into the past.

Haven't played it in years because I think there is a rip in the 15" speaker. Will need to look into the tubes also. Reminds me of the jukeboxes of the 50's. First radio to have push button tuning.

Can you imagine what it would cost to build a cabinet like that today??? This probaly cost 50% of a car in it's day. I worked in a cabinet shop out of college....never did work like this.

It's a 1937 RCA 811K...Let's see your lowfi "stuff" !!!

..here is a link to full size pic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kb1awv/204396448/
Post edited by dee1949 on
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  • dee1949
    dee1949 Posts: 1,425
    edited March 2011
    ...Some other beauties of times past.

    http://www.jitterbuzz.com/indrad.html

    ...here is link to my RCA radio debut:

    http://www.jitterbuzz.com/philfil/rca_1939_lg.jpg
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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,809
    edited March 2011
    I have an RCA console from the 60's in the basement. Very "mod" styling. Impressive output for a console as well. Needs to be gone through though. Gotta get up to this guy's shop in Northeast Philly for a refurb.
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
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  • sucks2beme
    sucks2beme Posts: 5,601
    edited March 2011
    I was just thinking about this today.
    The idea was to do a classic style 60's console cabinet
    and fill it with modern gear. Built some nice speakers into either
    end of the unit, and it should blend in nicely. Wife friendly.
    Quick, to the woodcave, batman.
    "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited March 2011
    I have that ^ radio.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • dee1949
    dee1949 Posts: 1,425
    edited March 2011
    ....but do you have stuff like this? Wind them up !! Audio history...side by side.
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  • Stew
    Stew Posts: 645
    edited March 2011
    The RCA radio was my grandparents. It receives broadcast, medium wave, and short wave. It's all original except the grill cloth and still works.

    The phono is the wife's. I bought several packs of new needles last summer and it sounds pretty good for what it is.
    SDA 2B-TL (Sonicap/Solen/Mills, Erse Super Q, Rings, Spikes, No-Rez)
    1000VA Dreadnought
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    Jolida JD-100a (Sylvania BP TM Gold Brand 5751's), NAD C275BEE, Blue Jeans

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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,809
    edited March 2011
    RuSsMaN wrote: »
    I have that ^ radio.

    And a new nickname.
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
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  • dee1949
    dee1949 Posts: 1,425
    edited March 2011
    Stew wrote: »
    The RCA radio was my grandparents. It receives broadcast, medium wave, and short wave. It's all original except the grill cloth and still works.

    The phono is the wife's. I bought several packs of new needles last summer and it sounds pretty good for what it is.

    ....it's great to have this ole technology when the power goes out. Back up systems. Wynd and Dine. Also a great picnic with an ole wind up portable Victrola and some classic 78's.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited March 2011
    I have a RCA Victrola from 1911 and various consoles varying in age, condition and make, I'll post pics sometime this weekend.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited March 2011
    sucks2beme wrote: »
    I was just thinking about this today.
    The idea was to do a classic style 60's console cabinet
    and fill it with modern gear. Built some nice speakers into either
    end of the unit, and it should blend in nicely. Wife friendly.
    Quick, to the woodcave, batman.

    I can see it now with a VPI (or similar) turntable inside and some tube power with high efficiency speakers. The cabinet would have very fine craftsmanship. Too bad though, I'm not a woodworking guy. I'm also not sure how you would toe-in the speakers properly but with the right design you might be able to angle within the cabinet. Cool idea!

    Love those old radios. I'm always looking for a classy one to present in the living room. And I actually listen to AM all the time so it would be functional for me too!
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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