I found this while out roaming today. It's an Admiral Bar TV, Radio, Record Player. The bar set is complete and the whole thing is pretty cool. But it's BIG and heavy. I have a option to buy at what I think is a pretty good price, but wanted any feedback, information or history someone here might be able to provide. The owner said he would pull it out and get the model number and take better pictures. I'm posting this at another site in hopes of getting info quickly - pardon for the cross-posting between sites...

http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/Admiral-Bar-1.jpg

http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/Admiral-Bar-2.jpg

http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/Admiral-Bar-3.jpg

http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/Admiral-Bar-4.jpg

You know you just gotta have it! :D

It's a '51 model. Quite rare. I never heard of it.
Seriously.....
If the price is right, grab it, and, run like mad!
Bill Cahill

Just found one close online - it's a 1951 (or so) Admiral Tele-Bar. The one I saw online was labeled a 1951 had AM only, this has FM.

That's only the second one of these I've seen, the first one is in an antique shop close to here with a high price tag. It's a roundie though IIRC, the only thing that kept me from buying it is that someone gutted it. The cabinet is perfect though, if it were cheaper I'd buy it and find the correct chassis' for it. It's funny that this one popped up, I was just thinking of the one I mentioned and was wondering if it was still there.

A garden variety Admiral tv, am/fm/phono, BUT, one hell of a conversation piece. I would snap that up in a heartbeat, especially if the barware was all, or mostly original as supplied when purchased new. Still I would not pay a large amount of money for it - the tv/radio/phono are not anything to brag about.

Interesting. I hadn't heard of a TV bar before. Here's a restoration article with a groovy ad:

http://www.freewebs.com/cdmarion/admiraltelebar.htm

Phil Nelson

That's only the second one of these I've seen, the first one is in an antique shop close to here with a high price tag. It's a roundie though IIRC, the only thing that kept me from buying it is that someone gutted it. The cabinet is perfect though, if it were cheaper I'd buy it and find the correct chassis' for it. It's funny that this one popped up, I was just thinking of the one I mentioned and was wondering if it was still there.

Out of curiosity, what was the antique shop price?

Got the beast home! It's in okay shape; the cabinet is going to need some finish work, but otherwise it will be a fun project. As others have mentioned, the TV and radio/phone are standard issue Admiral so getting it working should be pretty straight forward. Here are a few pics:

http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/admiral-bar/Admiral011s.jpg


http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/admiral-bar/Admiral015s.jpg


http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/admiral-bar/Admiral014s.jpg

Wife removed all the glassware for cleaning...
http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/admiral-bar/Admiral013s.jpg

http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/admiral-bar/Admiral018s.jpg

http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/admiral-bar/Admiral009s.jpg

http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/admiral-bar/Admiral008s.jpg

How many poor or suspect repair jobs can you spot?
http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/admiral-bar/Admiral006s.jpg


http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/admiral-bar/Admiral005s.jpg

No shorts on the picture tube:
http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/admiral-bar/Admiral001s.jpg

And the emissions look great. The cutoff was very good and the "life test" was very slow to drop - a very good sign on the tube.
http://www.dygit-dev.com/images/radio/admiral-bar/Admiral002s.jpg

Very, very cool...and it looks like most (if not all) the barware's there! I know that in the case of "bar radios" you're lucky to find one with even a few glasses left.

I do have to say, if the glassware had not been there, I would have passed. The only thing missing are two of eight "cordial" glasses - so, all in all I am happy.

Nice.

Looks like a straight forward easy refurb/restore on the cabinetry and the electronics as well - nice that nearly all of the original barware is there also.

Great piece for the man cave.

And I'm betting some day you'll walk into a junque shop and voila! a full set of "cordial" glasses!

This is only the second Telebar I've seen. I own the first. Great find. What part of the country are you located?

This is only the second Telebar I've seen. I own the first. Great find. What part of the country are you located?

Hi Chris - I saw your site and your brochure material has been helpful. I live near Rochester, NY but found this in Buffalo. Did yours have the barware?

Mark

That is one of the coolest tvs I have seen. I love the whole concept.

I doubt I'll ever find one of these but I would so love to have one. It's odd that with this cabinet design the radio/phono is down at the bottom near the floor. Seems terribly inconvenient. If I'd had a hand in the design, I'd have left it out and just gone with the TV and bar cabinet.

Hi Chris - I saw your site and your brochure material has been helpful. I live near Rochester, NY but found this in Buffalo. Did yours have the barware?

Mark

Hey Mark,

Mine did not come with the barware, I wish it did. I picked mine up in Canton Ohio a few years ago for $100, I've been curious as to why I've not seen any of these around, really no information out there either. I just happen to find the 1951 Admiral catalog on ebay, thats been my only source of info.

If your ever around Cincinnati or Dayton Ohio you've got to stop by and see it in person.

By the way if you PM me your email address I will scan the catalog info on the Tele-Bar and send it to you.

Quick find this weekend... Watching an old movie (The People Against O'Hara) from 1951 and there is a part where the mob-villain is entertaining Spencer Tracy and offers a drink from his Tele-Bar! Pretty cool.

http://www.oldtubes.net/library/images/tb1.JPG

http://www.oldtubes.net/library/images/tb2.JPG

http://www.oldtubes.net/library/images/tb3.JPG

You gotta love it! How cool...