Here's a Califone "Continental" transcription record player/PA system from '59 that I recently obtained. This is a tube unit, using two 6AQ5's in PP, and uses a GE magnetic cartridge. It still works and sounds OK; but, the volume is weak and it will need a good going over before I trust it to use. As you can see, it has some capacitors under the chassis that have the potential to give trouble. This uses a speed control that is variable from below 16 rpm to above 78 rpm. This looks very similar to the one that was recently on an episode of "Rick's Butcherations", where Rick quoted the owner $1600 to restore it and ended up only charging the owner half. IMHO, the restoration was lousy and the whole thing looked staged.

This thing is not built as well as a Newcomb; but, I think it will be a decent unit.

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff341/radiotvnut/califone1959001_zps2254a894.jpg (http://s538.photobucket.com/user/radiotvnut/media/califone1959001_zps2254a894.jpg.html)

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff341/radiotvnut/califone1959002_zps5048da8b.jpg (http://s538.photobucket.com/user/radiotvnut/media/califone1959002_zps5048da8b.jpg.html)

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff341/radiotvnut/califone1959003_zpsf4baccc3.jpg (http://s538.photobucket.com/user/radiotvnut/media/califone1959003_zpsf4baccc3.jpg.html)

http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/ff341/radiotvnut/califone1959004_zps5da77e6d.jpg (http://s538.photobucket.com/user/radiotvnut/media/califone1959004_zps5da77e6d.jpg.html)

I've heard one of those, great sound!

Newcomb was ahead of Califone in this higher end segment of the School and Square Dance market. This is one of the last of the old school original Califones, which were mainly marketed to the Square Dance and Folk Dance crowd. Interesting. Califone seemed past this point to go more downmarket in the 1960's. Seems like Hilton took over the Square Dance market and Newcomb grew at this juncture.

I've worked on all three major players in the school record player market and Califone seem to be the lowest end of the 3. They were still decent; but, not on the same level as Audiotronics and Newcomb. I think the absolute cheapest school record players that I"ve seen were made by Hamilton. I had one of their models once and it had a cheap IC-based amp and was on the tinny sounding side.

Agree there, the Hamiltons were the cheapest made, especially amplifiers and speakers.

I had a Califone many years ago that my dad got from a school. It was dark grey with Califone in red on the front. Anyone have pics of one like that? I can't find one anywhere.

I think I had one ages ago. It was a self contained model with the speaker on the front and played up to 12" records. It was probably from the late '50's.