Yeah I really like that style too. Sets like that can't be that hard to find, I got my daily watcher in near-mint condition when it was a bit over 39 years old; it's pushing 42 now. Also it's a Canadian set and top-of-the-line for its time so the style was popular up here too.

Refinishing and custom builds are good ideas too, especially the latter. I don't think maple stain would look quite right on wood that isn't maple.

Nice Zenith! Well-worth getting back into top shape.

Thanks to you all!

We like the American Colonial cabinet style, so I'd prefer to find one rather than try to lighten up the one we found, but of course we'll preserve it and won't change it in the meantime until we can find what we want, and even then would save the old cabinet. A swap would be ideal if someone wanted the more mid-century modern look of this one we've got.

I have a feeling we will soon be looking for a vintage TV guru to massage this one back to a long and future life, hopefully someone within a few hours of Bingahmton NY! (we're 1 hour S of Syracuse, and 1 hour N of Scranton PA).

This one is a bit above our pay grade, DH is more about old cars and old furniture, besides some house wiring, a 1930s Zenith radio is the most ambitious electrical project he's thus far undertaken. He's more into working on things than writing on the computer. All of the old stuff we own, including our 1955 ranch house, is a work in progress, so that much we are used to, one becomes more of a steward, not just the owner, it's the nature of the beast!

You could contact a radio/TV collector club in your area and ask for a repairman recommendation. Here's a list of US clubs:

http://antiqueradio.com/clublist.html

Even if the nearest club isn't next door, they might know someone closer to you.

Regards,

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
https://antiqueradio.org/index.html

Thank you for that idea Phil!
I'd just wonder, though, if color TV repair might be different enough from their usual experience with old radios that most folks who are also into vintage color TV might be more prone to congregate right here?

Nearly every radio collector club has a TV guy or 2 in its membership...I'm with the WARCI, ARCI and have visited and or been a member of at least 3 other clubs (one of which is not even around anymore).

Counting myself there are at least 5 TV guys from VK that are WARCI regulars, and some folks who are into TVs that DON'T visit VK.

You never know who may be at an antique radio club meet...Some swap meets have enough non-radio electronics that it really gives an interesting window into the diverse interests electronics hobbyists have.

I had one of those early American ones as you pictured; it's been swapped around a couple times since then among some of the members on here. Somebody still has it! I agree that you couldn't do better, from a dependability state, than Zenith. Truly great sets.

That's good to know, I'd have to call it beginner's luck!

If anyone does have an Early American cabinet or set they can part with please do let me know!

Can a roundie be put into a later cabinet? It seems like it would be best to try to keep it all Zenith if at all possible.

There are various issues with trying to put a roundy in a rectangluar cabinet.... probably the worst being a much shallower cabinet on the rectangluar sets, and possibly the CRT masks having different size cabinet openings. Probabily of success is less than 30% unless doing major carpentry is an option, or an original level of build quality is not desired.

I've never been to Syracuse but I am in the Liberty ny area if that would help at all with your finding someone to help with your color set.

Hi Timmy: We're in Endicott (Binghamton) right up Rt 17 aka I-86, about an hour S of Syracuse, just 7 or so miles from the PA-NY state line!

Syracuse is my college town, graduated in 1978. Back then, Syracuse was a city so small that they only had 4 TV channels :D I grew up near NYC, which had 7 VHF channels. And a bunch of UHFs, which my 1950 Admiral could not receive.

Binghamton was smaller yet, worked there around 1980 at a defense contractor. Endicott was a company town, IBM the company.

Wasn't Binghamton the place where McIntosh was located. :scratch2:

Yes, McIntosh has been here since 1952, and is still here, but their stuff is well beyond our station in life!!
IBM had 15,000 people here and it's where it started, now down to 800 employees in rented space. Endicott-Johnson Shoe was once the biggest in the world, 34,000 souls worked there, many from Eastern Europe and Ireland, but they've been out of business for 20 years now. But it's still a nice place to live, BAE British Aerospace and Lockheed have a big presence, and Binghamton University is a top notch institution and contributes a great deal to the community.

Well it looks like the seller won't be able to meet us in Syracuse to deliver the set this weekend :-(( I'll post some more and better pictures as soon as we get it home. I thought we had more from the seller but it's only from the back of the set. Does anyone have a guess of the actual year it is? We have no numbers to go by yet.
"Anticipation, anticipa-aa-tion.... is keepin me waitin"!"