Found 3 sad looking record players
 

From the same guy I bought the new Crosley from, I got these three sad looking record players.

The first one is a King 3-speed "one tube wonder" that uses a 32L7 tube (rectifier and output in a single tube) and the filament is wired in series with the 90V phono motor. The cartridge is the old flat metal 78 rpm style and the only capacitors in the unit are the electrolytic filter caps. For the needle, someone stuck a straight pin in the cartridge. And, the case covering is in rough shape. Looks to be from the early '50's. Has anyone ever recovered one of these?
http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/f...rosley0003.jpg
http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/f...rosley0004.jpg
http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/f...rosley0005.jpg

The next one is a late '50's Olympic with a BSR changer. Also is in bad shape and probably another "one tube wonder".
http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/f...rosley0006.jpg

The last one is a late '40's Silvertone AM radio/78 rpm record changer. Like the other two, the cabinet is fairly beat up with veneer damage. Is that changer a VM or was it made by someone else?
http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/f...rosley0007.jpg
http://i538.photobucket.com/albums/f...rosley0008.jpg

Very early VM. Same model used in 1948 Crosley combos, except those had semi-permanent (sapphire?) needles and no setscrew sticking out the front of the headshell.

Oh, man. I want that VM!
I love that machine!
Bill Cahill

That first one, labelled "king" looks exactly like a phono that I had in the mid 50's when I was around 10. Looks like it has the ubiquitous drive mechanism of that era with the wedding-cake shaped capstan.

I just love the look of the Silvertone. I'm a sucker for tabletop wood cabinet radio/phono combos of that vintage. Does it have a manufacturers code that tells who made the electronics?

I just picked up a Silvertone phono/wire recorder/radio from the same era which I hope to start work on soon. It's way heavy and has a huge number of caps to replace (around 12 electrolytics and 60 paper) so its at the back of the queue at the moment, but I've wanted a wire recorder for a long time so I'm looking forward to seeing it done.

There is a metal plate attached to the chassis that gives the code; but, I have not gotten this unit in a good enough light to see it. I figure it's either an Arvin, Colonial, or Stewart-Warner.

Looking at the finish on mine, I wonder if it's original or is this one a victim of someone "antiquing" it? When I fix this, I'll probably have to farm the cabinet work out to someone else. This thing has seen some moisture and the veneer is chepping and coming loose.

I do have a console Silvertone AM radio/78 rpm phonograph/wire recorder that was given to me by a lady. It's missing the speaker and the cabinet is a little shaky; but, it looks very restorable. There are also 3 or 4 wire spools with it and there's no telling what's on them.

They all look quite nice :)

The King logo pictured looks like the King Records logo. Must have had some tie in with the record label in Cincinnati, Ohio. Beautiful. Appears to be a 3 speed machine. The Olympic has a BSR Monarch changer and that Silvertone is very early V-M. Interesting trio.

That King looks a lot like the phonograph I built in high school except mine had a three tube amplifier. The Sears really strikes a nostalgia chord, as I have worked on so many of those kinds of rigs over the years. I can practically draw the entire diagram from memory.

I have a Webster-Chicago wire recorder in great shape that I would love to sell. And a Meissner Radio-Phono-Recorder that needs some TLC. You gotta love this old stuff, even if it's crap.