General Electric RP-1590 stereo cabinet restoration

[TC Chris]

Let's get specific--6th photo down, the four-knob gray box just to the left of the device under reconstruction...

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

You have better eyes than I do. I looked and looked at that picture, trying to find something that might be close to what you are referring to. In the dark, on the left of the speaker box I was photographing, is the little Lafayette signal generator sitting on top of an old Masco PA amplifier. It was my stepdad's. I have never plugged it in. He told me it was 100 watts, but I seriously doubt it. He got it from a Methodist Church in town when he upgraded their system sometime in the 1960's. He installed a multi-channel Bogen system and kept the old Masco. Masco stands for Mark A. Simpson Company. It has P-P 6L6G out put, a couple 6SJ7 amplifiers and a 5U4G rectifier. Huge iron, but I don't know what they would be good for since it is not stereo. I've kept it because it was Sam's. The inputs are antique and nothing more modern will work with them. Those would have to be changed to use it. The thing is in nearly pristine condition, spending it entire working life in a church. I figure it is from the 1930's, but I don't know that.

[electra225]

I have the decals in to Tres for him to do his thing. Now I can't change my mind on the color scheme. Black main body with silver and red accents on the wing speakers, black main cabinet with silver inserts, then with silver, white and red interior. The panel over the tubes and the motor board will be red. I haven't decided on the Masonite panel over the speakers. I don't want to get too carried away with the red. I want it accented, not gawdy. I can also finish the repair on the lid and get it ready for Tolex. Tres is going to increase the font size on the decals so they will not only be more noticeable, but they will be easier to transfer. This is not a high-dollar stereo that the value will be destroyed if it is not 100% correct. The decals inside the lid will be black and red on white. The "GE" decal on the tube cover will be white on red. The GE decal on the outside of the lid will be red on black. The "remove this panel to replace the tubes" will be a wet-transfer decal with white letters. The original lettering is small silver letters on a white background.

[electra225]

I have the lid done. I took some pictures to share.

Motor board (plinth) painted red. I may change my mind on this. I wanted it brighter, but not gawdy.

Next two photos show installing Tolex on tube cover panel, then the final product.

The old Masco PA amp Chris asked about.

[TC Chris]

Yours is a bit smaller but has more inputs. Here's my Stromberg-Carlson AU-36B, a big one with 4 6L6s in parallel push-pull. It was an auction buy, part of a mound of misc. stuff. Sorry about photo quality; low-light conditions in the garage at night.

PB100816.JPG

Chris Campbell

[TC Chris]

Trying again on the photo

[electra225]

I spent the day polishing the hardware such as latches and hinges. They were in pretty dirty condition, so I sanded them first with 400-grit wet sandpaper. This got rid of a lot of the rust and blemishes. Then I put a brass wire brush wheel in the Dremel tool and cleaned everything well with it. Then I followed up with putting a polishing wheel on the Dremel, using it and Simichrome to make it all shiny. I followed that with a rag and some Meguiar's Quick Detailer like I use on cars. This removes swirl marks and fingerprints and puts a protective coating on the metal. I believe they'll look nice. Next step is to mock up the hardware with new fasteners. I have a list of needed fasteners and will take the dog and go visit the best ACE hardware anywhere. There is a man who works there who follows my record player refinishing projects with genuine interest.

[Dr. Radio]

Greg,

That red really makes it pop. Please post more pics!

It's really nice to have a neighborhood hardware store.

I have (luckily) an ACE not too far from my house. The pull-out drawers still have some obscure treasures in them that the big box stores will never carry! Great for my one-off projects.

[electra225]

Thanks, Doc! I appreciate your input on this!

I have been looking at these stereos online and they are all monochrome on the outside. This one is coded black, according to the model number sticker. So, what if I do the outside in all black Tolex with red grille cloth and silver, sparkly piping if I can find some the right size. The piping on the front of the main cabinet has shrunk and is too short, so it will have to be replaced with something. I could re-use the small piping on the speaker boxes if worse comes to worse. Then do the inside of the lid in white, with red and black "GE stereo High Fidelity" decals. Line the edges of the lid and main cabinet in silver. That will bring out the chrome in the control panel. The red motor board and tube cover will match the grille cloth.

BTW, Doc. I like your avatar!

[Dr. Radio]

Your proposed color scheme would an instant hit in my book! That would really make it pop.

P.S. Glad you like the avatar. Some people might not "get it", but I'm also the GE/Telechron guy.

[electra225]

I found some matte (flat) paint at Walmart that I'll use on the inside of the cabinet. It is an 8-ounce bottle which should be more than enough for the job. If I have enough, I'll do the insides of the wing speaker boxes as well. This procedure will hide the black water stains.

[electra225]

I have painted the inside of the cabinet flat (matte) black. This will be similarly done in the lid and around the edges of the speaker boxes, on the front edge, where the Tolex bends. I have also painted the cutouts in the cabinet and around them a bit so that any mis-cuts on Tolex won't show as badly. I took the liberty of mocking up some of the components in the cabinet just to see how they look. I think it's going to be alright. With the inside of the cabinet painted black, it makes the picture pretty dark. I apologize for that, but it will give you an idea what I'm doing.

[electra225]

I decided it would be best to paint the entire front of the cabinet. I paid special attention to the groove for the piping. This groove is in not very good shape. It was poorly done at the factory. Getting the cabinet wet caused the cut grain to be unstable and it wants to fall out when you run a paint brush over it. I put a thin layer of Elmer's glue in the piping groove in the effort to stabilize the end grain. I had planned to glue the piping in over the Tolex and grille cloth, so this will further stabilize the area. The piping groove in the wing speaker cabinets is fine.

[William]

It's looking better and better all the time, Greg. Keep up the good work.

Bill

[electra225]

I'm saving the changer for last, Bill......

I am in way deeper than I had intended. That's part of the fun in restoration. You don't know what you have until you get to it...... I'm having fun doing it.

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

Woweee ! That's nice work, Greg.

I think that special design V-M G.E. changer is one of
the coolest ever.

I see the G.E. has the "record saver" slot, too.

Here's a link from arf mentioning the record saver.

https://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=167319

[electra225]

Being as how this old stereo was/is a parts set, I noticed the knobs on the changer are gold and black. I need the silver and black style, so those will have to be replaced. I may have a set. I also have some foam to fix the Record Saver. I have a piece of foam used for the steering column seal on Buicks and GM cars. That is just about right for use in the Record Saver. I'll have to get creative, but I have the material and it will work just fine. There is quite a combination of parts on this stereo. The kluge I used to fix the rotten wood on the right wing speaker appears to have been successful. I may need to use some different attaching hardware, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

I thank you for your kind words, Mr. Mogul.

If anybody has a suggestion on how to polish the wide round trim on the platter, I'd appreciate it. I have tried Simichrome, but it is not what I need. Steel wool may be too aggressive, even used with Simichrome. It is not HORRIBLE, but will look worse as the inside of the cabinet Tolex gets there.

[TC Chris]

Many device used plated steel, sometimes ('50s Zeniths, for example) with a yellow lacquer over it to make "gold." On one of my Zeniths the plating was so far gone that I just sprayed it with gold metallic paint. Then I used press-on numbers to replace the lost ones, and sprayed clear finish over that. the clear finish muted the metallic sparkle, which was not my intention, but what happened. Overall the effect was tolerable and avoided what you fear: the eye being drawn to the deteriorated part. Sometimes we have to choose the least of the available evils. Your little phono is already custom, non-original, so one more departure from original condition is not a problem.

My Zenith, by the way, was one my Alabama grandmother snagged for me. She was working on a household where it had been a kitchen radio that had received lots of cooking splatter, which had an unfortunate effect on lacquer and on plating over the years. Granny would be pleased to know that I think of her and her kind and generous nature whenever I see it. She and Grandaddy were not well to do, after sending all 6 children to college during the Depression, and then him dying early. But Granny had ways of remembering people. When I was a baby she made up a big book on cardboard (not corrugated) sheets, about 2'x3', joined loose-leaf style with 3 steel rings, and then cut out and pasted pictures from magazines and such--babies, animals, Santa Claus, etc. Parents could enjoy it with children, naming the image, making appropriate noises, telling little stories, etc. I've still got it.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

Well....the decals aren't done yet. The grille cloth is ordered but not here, due here on Wednesday of next week. With the holiday, I won't get to AES for the Tolex until week after next. I have found the aluminum extrusions I need, I think they will work. There are two strips of plastic that have been tinted gold on the wing speakers that are coming apart. The polished aluminum will replace those. I may use some type of wire for the piping. I'm not sure yet. AES might or might not have piping that will work. Nobody will tell me, they won't cut it while I wait and they won't take it back if it won't work because it has been cut. Really great customer service, if you ask me. I'm going to ACE hardware in the morning to fill the propane tank that I use to fry the turkey and will at least scope out the fasterners I need to re-attach the hardware on the cabinet.

[Dr. Radio]

Many device used plated steel, sometimes ('50s Zeniths, for example) with a yellow lacquer over it to make "gold." On one of my Zeniths the plating was so far gone that I just sprayed it with gold metallic paint. Then I used press-on numbers to replace the lost ones, and sprayed clear finish over that. the clear finish muted the metallic sparkle, which was not my intention, but what happened. Overall the effect was tolerable and avoided what you fear: the eye being drawn to the deteriorated part. Sometimes we have to choose the least of the available evils. Your little phono is already custom, non-original, so one more departure from original condition is not a problem.

Chris,

I came up with what I believe is a fantastic answer to "gold" replacement. I found it over 10 years ago at an auto parts store.

Maybe I'll have to do some show and tell pictures.