Classic Hifi Care

Many of these "store-branded" consoles were smaller, lighter and generally favored popular styles offered via catalogs with credit terms that helped many folks afford this popular item.

I have had one of each in my shop, successfully servicing (restoring operation) them economically. Considering their simplicity the resale value is tied to MCM furniture preferences and these two were lookers. My customer who sells fashionable furniture wanted these two done as well as a Zenith Z940, which he knows is several times better than these as I did two other Zs for him.

Operators manual, schematic and parts list was included, the units looked as if they were barely used and just kept clean. These are summat adequate performers at best, yet all USA parts, hardwood cabinets, limited jewelry-plastics and not veneered particleboard.

Silvertone's 528-prefix chassis were made by Warwick Electronics, Syntronic changers by Crescent. I was often fooled into thinking Sears electronics was made by RCA as a kid-tech.

I rarely saw Airline, made by Wells-Gardner and sold at Montgomery Ward. A few Truetone, sold at Western Auto, Bradford sold at WT Grants, among others. Other parts of the country saw different store brands yet many were similarly spartan, though many of those stores ALSO sold certain models of Magnavox, Zenith and others. Furniture stores sold the more expensive models of those brands.

I have a 1935 Truetone model D-925 made by Wells-Gardner. Outside of having weird output tubes (6N6G) it is a well-built radio, works nicely, easy to repair. I have an affection for WG radio chassis. This particular radio belonged to my grandmother's cousin, Hershel. He listened to the Chicago White Sox on it. I would be over there putting up hay or whatever, getting a whole 75 cents an hour. When the White Sox came on, my job was to turn on the radio, then get Hershel a big glass of sun iced tea. I was still getting paid while we listened to the ball game.

Yes, Id agree the most fun stuff to work are these classic manufacturers when they all were trying to avoid patent infringements.

I don't believe one manufacturer is superior overall such as Zenith, each of the competition had some clever ideas and the market rewarded some of them. To be fair, Zeniths seem to have more issues with silver-mica disease and older desirable floor models used delicate power transformers.

The pictures are of the typical Silvertone chassis. PC boards are decent quality and so are most of the parts. The transistors are all silicon, a major plus!!! Lighter than a comparable Zenith or Magnavox, it is also easier to change any required part. Notice the slide-onto-PCB connectors in Warwick equipment - they also made organs, etc.

The caps all tested OK for ESR all but one filter cap added below chassis, yet a clue told why the left channel was weak: two burned resistors and one output transistor were laying in the cabinet, likely from a field-performed repair. Always check prior repair work! Two 2-watt 2.7 ohm resistors had been replaced with 2-watt 270 ohm resistors. That is quite a mistake, yet it still made some good sound until you turned it up.

I had a bunch of PNP Si drivers so, I replaced both that drive the phase split transformers feeding the output transistors. Traditionally, this driver is run pretty hard and causes distortion when it gets hot, especially in earlier Astrosonics.

The Crescent changer needs only a tiny stylus and a good leaning. Speed seems OK on 45 and 78 and a bit slow on 33.
These were never perfect changers yet seem to respond well to minor cleaning.

My first view of a Crescent changers bottom side. Looks simple enough and like you said, Dave, fairly easy to service.

Bill

The issue I have with the "classic" Zenith radios is that infernal green crud. It infects oscillator coils for the most part. I wouldn't change the oscillator coil on a multi-band Zenith set if you gave me the company. I have a lot of respect for Zenith TV sets, but I don't want a Zenith radio. Oddly, I have not had an issue with SMD on a 1950's Zenith radio. WG, Belmont, RCA all had Zenith beat when building radios. I don't care for Magnavox radios. Magnavox TV sets must have been designed by retired Muntz engineers. People cuss Philco radios for their phenolic capacitor blocks that need to be rebuilt. I don't mind them, myself. Every manufacturer had its good and bad points. I'm trying to get up the nerve to dig into my old Pioneer receiver. Seeing you working with SS equipment helps strengthen my resolve.....