1958 Motorola 15KT24

[Moto_TJ]

***Copied from the old forum for posterity***

This past Friday I reached out to a seller on Facebook Marketplace about a '59 Motorola 3-channel Console in an early Drexel cabinet (not the uber desirable Drexel Declaration cabinet) but never heard back. Then Saturday, while at the local antique mall shopping for my mom's birthday and Mothers Day, which are only 2 days apart this year, I came across this lovely '58 Motorola. I like it when Karma works in my favor! The cabinet is in great condition, in a wonderful Mahogany that matches my '58 Magnavox Continental almost perfectly. Everything currently works on it, but it does need a recap. Watching my little kill-a-watt meter, the watt usage will ever so slowly climb up as you use it. so there are some caps starting to get leaky. In its current condition, it sounds great. The record player works, the tuner works, but there is something going on with the string, I had to manually reach in and move the tuning capacitor by hand. All 4 speakers are Jensen branded. This was one of the last of Motorola's premium Mono HiFi units before they released their stereo units, it was second from their top-of-the-line model and it shows.

I also discovered a new console to lust after after finding original advertising for this one, the '58 Motorola 15KT25, which uses EL34/6CA7 output tubes, and 3 Electrovoice Speakers; 1 woofer, a mid horn, and a tweeter horn with an EV crossover network. They apparently made a stereo version of it later in 58, with all 3 cabinets, it was 9 feet long!

Here are some pictures of my 15KT24: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Cwj3EhPSjiSp5W2NA

Here is a link to the brochure I found, there are multiple pages to swipe through that eventually lead into other makes:
Page 1 https://www.flickr.com/photos/29533980@N05/6274349510
Page 2 https://www.flickr.com/photos/29533980@N05/6274350390
page 3 https://www.flickr.com/photos/29533980@N05/6274353510

The 15KT25
Page 1 https://www.flickr.com/photos/29533980@N05/6273826785
Page 2 https://www.flickr.com/photos/29533980@N05/6274352488
Page 3 https://www.flickr.com/photos/29533980@N05/6274354558

[TC Chris]

What a handsome device! My only quibble would be with that upside-down power amp under the tuner. Maybe add a small quiet fan to move the air and keep the temps down?

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

Motorola was the "other M" along with Magnavox. They built equipment that was every bit the same quality as Magnavox. And, they used VM changers, a real plus when you restore one of these instruments. Very impressive.

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

I always enjoyed the hip design of Motorola's controls.

Several years ago, I found and restored a 1954 Motorola 64HF1,
which used their really nice PP 6V6 chassis design.

The 64HF1 was beautiful. Matched burled mahogany
cabinet finish, and a nicely designed V-M 950 series changer.
The pilot light was really cool, in that it was designed to
shine down, and a pattern was seen on the baffle.
It had a 15 inch woofer and a sealed tweeter !

Man, when I played some vintage mono records on it,
it was like the performers were sitting right there
in the room.
I sold it to a nice recording studio guitarist, and he said it
was the best sound he'd ever heard from a
record player.

That chassis was used in a lot of mid-fifties Motos,
and is one of the best I've ever heard.
Always matched to at least 3 speakers, with the
above exception.

[William]

Your description of the way your Motorola sounded is what I get from Magnavox Berkshire. The Berkshire was the Concert Grand of mono's consoles in 1956. Of all the consoles I have up and playing it is my best performer, and my favorite. It beats the Imperial and the Symphony. It's just a pure/clean sound that makes things sound real and natural. I have a Motorola console stereo in the waiting for restoration. It's in a MCM Drexel cabinet with reverb and it's a three channel. It's called the Declaration. I can't remember the model. The cabinet needs refinishing along with a total rebuild of the electronics. I'm hoping for a fall restoration.

Bill

[Moto_TJ]

The reason I copied this post from the old site is that I am still working on this unit. It is about 95% done, the changer still needs some tweaking done to the mechanism, and there are some minor tweaks that I need to do to the chassis as the indicators for the bass are binding to the cabinet.

[William]

Keep us posted on how your progress is going and maybe your usual post with it playing when done?

Bill

[berkemo]

Hi All! Just found this site/forum. I recently picked up my first console - a 1958 Motorola Model: 13KT15CW Chassis: Ch= HS-677. I've been searching the net without luck for anyone who has this model and was excited to find a close one on this thread! The 15KT24 is very similar in many ways. I'm in the middle of working on mine. Recapped and turntable serviced. The cabinet is in really rough shape so we'll see where that goes! Cheers!


https://photos.app.goo.gl/P9UMr8UnCFSZBRrS8

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

Welcome berkemo !

Thanks for the good photos.

That is a really nice Moto 13KT15CW you have.

Let us know how it goes, and bring questions
as needed.

[William]

Mr. Berkemo a favor please. To make it easier to follow your Motorola project we suggest that you start a new thread, that way it's all yours and not attached to someone else's. It makes it much easier to follow along and find things when we want to go back and refer, answer questions or make comments. Thank you for joining our little forum and we look forward to your posts and photos.

Bill

[TC Chris]

Handsome device, isn't it? And looking at your chassis photos, I see a 3-gang tuning AM tuning capacitor, so it has a tuned RF amp stage, and it looks like a P-P output stage. Plus there's one mystery tube at the front of the chassis on a little subchassis sticking out. Is that a tuning eye tube?

Chris Campbell

[berkemo]

Handsome device, isn't it? And looking at your chassis photos, I see a 3-gang tuning AM tuning capacitor, so it has a tuned RF amp stage, and it looks like a P-P output stage. Plus there's one mystery tube at the front of the chassis on a little subchassis sticking out. Is that a tuning eye tube?

Chris Campbell

Yes Chris it is a handsome unit! Nothing special design-wise but a simple piece of solid 50s furniture. You're right on all counts regarding your observations. That tuning eye tube is one of the cool features on this one.

[Motorola minion]

Wow - I have never seen one like this. Jensen speakers are often found in Motorola and Fisher but was rarely found in other sets.

I thought I have seen many Motorola's but these two pre-1960 offerings at the transition to stereo should each have a thread.

Berkemo, yours looks like a 1959 SK17 I have, which is missing its matching speaker.

See, its not all about 3-channel with Motorola

[Firedome]

IIRC there are 6 Jensens in the Du Mont, 3", 5" 10" x 2... the 10 inch-era are very sought for vintage guitar amps, Fender Champ maybe?

[berkemo]

Wow - I have never seen one like this. Jensen speakers are often found in Motorola and Fisher but was rarely found in other sets.

I thought I have seen many Motorola's but these two pre-1960 offerings at the transition to stereo should each have a thread.

Berkemo, yours looks like a 1959 SK17 I have, which is missing its matching speaker.

See, its not all about 3-channel with Motorola

Would love to see the SK17. This mono-stereo transition period in consoles really interests me. Looks like Motorola was trying to figure out where go design-wise in this period. My console is also set up to expand to stereo with a matching speaker.

I'm curious why I haven't seen more of this type of console too. Did the period come and go so quickly that not many are out there? That's why I was exited to find the OP's thread here. I just haven't seen any other 15KT24s or 13KT15s. The Jensen speakers are fantastic in my unit. Really sounds great.