General Electric RP-1590-C Stereo

[electra225]

This particular unit is the parts set we used when I redid Don's RP-1590 in 2014. Don's is a 1961 model, this one is a 1963 model. This poor old thing needs at least one of everything. I like to say something positive, so I'll say that the control panel trim is pristine and that these things sound deceptively good, considering their fairly modest livery. And that I probably would have started collecting GE stereos had I not started collecting Magnavox. This thing is about as anti-Magnavox as you can get, but most of GE's record players impress me in how well they work with no parts relative to Magnavox. This has four 6" speakers. It does have a transformer power supply with a 5Y3 Rectifier, 12AX7 audio amp, and 7189 single-ended audio output. I don't remember the speakers on Don's stereo, but these are all painted blue. The tubes are coded for the 48th week of 1962, so that would make it a '63 model. It has a VM model 1254 changer. The cartridge is a GE C-100 ceramic. My first step will be to replace the filter caps, since they are usually found really salty and the power transformers on this chassis is not known for being robust. Then I'll get a baseline of performance to see if I want to proceed further. This will be a fairly ambitious restoration. The speaker cabinets are curved, which will present a challenge applying Tolex. The cabinet is tapered, as is the lid. The colors they used are blah. I will certainly find something to brighten it up a bit. I'm not concerned about originality. I am saving a parts set. If the PT is toast, I'll pull the tubes, speakers and changer then deposit the rest in the round file. The cabinet was built by the Accurate Box Corporation. This set still has it's legs. They are removable and are stored in a cardboard tube in the bottom of the cabinet, under the front speakers. The hardware on this cabinet are all chrome plated. I don't know whether I can save them or not. The speakers are coded 918, Oaktron Industries, the 45th week of 1962.

The changer will need to be taken apart and repainted.

[TC Chris]

Four speakers, two in the main unit and two outboard. Is it a 3 channel, common-bass device, or are there R & L speakers in the main unit?

And interesting that the guy with the black car thinks the device's looks are blah, while the guy with the red truck & red Mustang & blue Chevy thinks it looks just fine in its gray-ness.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

It is not three-channel. There are left and right channel speakers in the main cabinet then external stereo speakers. You don't have to connect the external speakers to make the main speakers work. These external speakers still have the original audio plugs on them. They are quite delicate and have usually been replaced with guitar jacks. I don't know if these can still be used or not. It has some kind of "stereo enhancement" control, but I don't know what it does or how it works. As to colors, I'm thinking something like black, silver and red for exterior colors on the GE stereo with white interior. The changer is tan with a silver overarm and tone arm, a GE scheme. I think I still have at least two more VM changers that can be utilized if I decide that's a better solution. We'll have to see how the original works. Any changer that works well can be forgiven for it's myriad of sins......

Something I forgot to mention. These amp chassis circuit boards are typically found with considerable heat evidence between and around the two output tubes. This chassis looks good, with little darkening of the PCB. Perhaps a low-hour rig? Don's amp chassis was so baked I had to hard-wire much of it.

[TC Chris]

Something I forgot to mention. These amp chassis circuit boards are typically found with considerable heat evidence between and around the two output tubes. This chassis looks good, with little darkening of the PCB. Perhaps a low-hour rig? Don's amp chassis was so baked I had to hard-wire much of it.

I'm find of adding ventilation when it looks like the engineers cheated on it. Sometimes a couple added holes in the right place can encourage useful convection.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

I wish I had made notes on this thing when I was using it for parts. I found the switch open on the changer. The on-off control wouldn't move. I then saw the switch was flopping around and had the linkage jammed. I got it freed, but it only works part time. It never works if I put the changer back into the cabinet.

I don't know about this one. I have spare changers upstairs. Maybe I can find one that works, then put the unique GE parts on it. I'll try to pull this switch out and see can I tinker with it a bit and get it to work. I moved the platter by hand, and the changer appears like it somewhat works as far as cycling goes. I cut the filter cap out and cobbled up a kluge just to get a baseline on this unit. I need a couple of 100uf @ 450 volt caps. For a cheap stereo, this thing uses some spendy parts. It has 7189 output tubes...

One side of me says toss this thing into the can and move on. The other side of me says it deserves a better fate than that. Don really enjoys the one I did for him using this one for parts.

[TC Chris]

What's that slot go the right of the control knobs?

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

That is GE's "exclusive" (thank God) record cleaning system. There are two pieces of deteriorated foam in that slot that is stapled to the cabinet. I have a couple pieces of foam I used to repair the foam gaskets in Buick air conditioner blend doors. That will work just dandy to repair that useless system. It would work fine if you play mostly 3" records. You'd play the dickens trying to stuff an LP into that little slot. But, I gotta say this. GE went all out on the trim around the knobs. Top-flight stuff all the way. Real stainless steel, not anodized aluminum.

GE was a paradox of contradictions on their equipment. They used the junkiest PCB boards probably ever foisted on the unsuspecting public. Then they use stainless trim over a useless cleaning system and use 7189 output tubes.

[electra225]

I found a nicer changer upstairs in my stash. I have no idea where it came from, it may have been in the stuff I got from Don. There are electrical opportunities in this thing. One of the front speakers isn't very good. One of the external speakers doesn't work, and when I plug it in, it kills half the speakers in front. I also need to clean up the kluge I made for filter caps. I got a baseline, which is what I wanted.

Wattage draw is okay.

It must be a keeper. The little red pilot light still works....

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

What's that slot go the right of the control knobs?
Chris Campbell

I remember reading about the G.E. "Record Saver" slot on ARF.

Here is Stevel's explanation on a 2011 post:
"That record saver slot holds the edge of the record while you pull the cover off the record. When the edge of the record is in the slot, your hands are free to push the sides of the record cover in, so as you pull it off, there is less possibility of scuffing/rubbing the record."

[William]

For using poor printed circuit boards, I find GE an interesting product. Any that I have worked on, were well engineered in that everything unplugged. I did not cut any wires or unsolder any wires. Even the little Wildcat, everything unplugged. The changer was easy to service too. And they sounded good. The GE that Greg is working on reminds me, in looks, like my Motorola portable. I bet Greg's has more bass than my Motorola.

Mr. Mogul. Thanks for sharing the GE record holder thing. That is actually a very good idea, it makes it easy to install the inner record sleeve leaving greasy fingerprints from the record.

Bill

[Conelrad]

One should not fondle records when eating tacos...

[electra225]

Yeah I believe I have managed records for a long time without using a gimmick like GE's records saver. I must have missed the discussion on the big forum.

Bill, the instructions on this set says to unsolder certain wires in order to remove the Amp chassis. It can all be removed in one piece but it is ungainly.

[electra225]

I have been tinkering with this stereo while I'm waiting for parts for my little record player project. This is one of the parts sets we used when I restored Don's stereo like this one. I believe I got the best one of the bunch, although it needs a LOT of work still. I "fixed" the blue speaker in the main cabinet that didn't sound very good. In fact, it SOUNDED like it was beyond help. Dedicated tinkering has revealed that the issue was not the speaker itself, but rather was a severely dirty balance control. The control panel is a PCB mounted to a wood panel, then mounted to the cabinet. To clean the controls properly, it is necessary to nearly disassemble the entire instrument. You need to remove the changer so you can move the wires on the control panel. God help them if they'd given an extra half inch of wire. Then you have to remove the control panel from the wooden panel so you can clean the controls. They are PCB mounted and the part you clean is against the PCB. Dandy engineering. If you get the screws too tight in the control panel, you can crack it. But, again after extensive tinkering, I have the player where is actually sounds pretty decent. The wing speakers both need wiring work. One wire has been cut for some reason, this is why it shorted out the whole channel when the right wing speaker was connected. This stereo is a paradox of contradictions. The control panel bezel is the fanciest part on the whole thing. The hinges and handles re all chrome plated. Somebody did a fairly good job of installing the cabinet covering, better than the Magnavox cabinet covering as I got it. I'm leaning towards doing the cabinet in black with silver interior, red inside the lid, on the panel over the tubes and on the end caps of the external speakers. Do the decals in white. Use red grille cloth, if I can find it with gray piping made from hookup wire, probably 10 or 12 gauge. There is room in the wing speaker for another 6" speaker. I have a matching set I got out of something, so those would be likely candidates. This instument will represent my most ambitious record player restoration project to date. Wonder what all that chrome plating will cost? Yeah, it needs it all redone....

Nothing on this thing unplugs, except the changer. Everything else had to be unsoldered or removed as a chunk. That is the best route, although ungainly. I exercised my vocabulary extensively on Don's, this one won't be any better. This is perhaps one of the most aggravating-to-work-on sets I have ever encountered. A Zenith radio with inverted bakelite chassis was THE worst, by far.....

[hermitcrab]

Dumb question ... what is the dividing line for when it gets called a consolette over a portable?... the additional detachable speakers?...

[maxidyne]

You can use a console the on a table or let it stand on the floor. This stereo has has removable legs.

[hermitcrab]

Still lost ... would this be considered a consolette? it is wall mountable, or can sit on a shelf ,or optional stand.... but it has a carry handle?... so portable or consolette?

[electra225]

Yes, Elton, that might be considered a consolette. Bigger than the typical table model, with variable mounting provisions, wall, floor, etc. Posting in Record Players or in Consolettes would both be appropriate. This is why we started the Consolette board. Some might not want to post in Record Players, due to it's floor mounting cabability. Also in the description rules I posted on Record Players, it says record players don't sit on the floor. That would put the unit you mentioned in never-never land. Now it would have a home on Consolettes. Does that make any sense?

[William]

Here's another good example of an either or:

https://www.thevoiceofmusic.com/popup_p ... &TITLE=560

Also, this one:

https://www.thevoiceofmusic.com/popup_p ... &TITLE=562

Both links are from Gary's site. I have the 562 but for now it sits on a table. Someday if I come across matching legs it will sit on the floor.

Bill

[electra225]

I reckon I'm going to have to fall on my sword while I eat crow.

I BADLY misjudged this small, cheap, minimalist GE stereo. In fact, I am so impressed with it that if I wasn't already heavily into collecting Magnavox, I would consider collecting GE. This this has less tubes than the remote control on the Concert Grand.

I played 45's on this thing with a worn-out needle for about three hours this afternoon, after Western Red was over. It never skipped a beat. The wonderful VM 1200 series changer, having never been serviced worked flawlessly. The drive tire may have gotten a tad slippy when it got warm, but it never stalled. The amp pulls 76 watts in full song, so I'll put a 1 amp fuse in. Those little 6" blue-framed speakers work hard. I was only using the two in the main cabinet, I don't have the wing speakers ready to go yet. I replaced a couple of .01 uf coupling caps, the cathode bypass cap and both filter caps, cleaned the external speaker jacks and cleaned the ridiculously dirty controls and tube sockets. The GE stereo sounds much like the Magnavox TP-241 I redid. It has more bass than my Imperial. Mine sounds better than Don's did.

I was going to see if I could sell this after I get it done. No more, this thing's a keeper. I can't wait for Don to see and hear his parts set. I can't remember the last time I was so pleasantly surprised with how something performs, something I didn't expect to work so well.

I played a stack of 45's I hadn't heard in awhile. The red label 45 you see is "My Eyes Are Jealous" by Little Jimmy Dickens, on Columbia, circa 1963, the same year this stereo was made.

[William]

As I have gotten into this hobby, I too have discovered that GE for being cheaply made, usually sound much better than they should. Not sure what GE engineers did to do that, but they definitely knew what they were doing.

Bill