Hooray! I Finally Got a 'BIG DOG' Philco
Posts: 237
Threads: 24
Joined: Dec 2007
City: Gladwin, MI
Yes it is true. I have had a Philco 38-690 on my want list for a long time. But for those of us collectors without deep pockets, they have become pretty scarce. Well, I finally found one. It definitely needs some work. I will have to refinish the cabinet and restore the electronics. But hey, it's all there.
The good news is that it plays and has been partially restored. That is also the bad news. I prefer to re-stuff the paper caps and lytics on my better sets. There are at least a dozen that have been replaced so I will need to find some old Philco paper caps to re-stuff and install.
Oh, I will also need to re-paint the bezel. Some doofus polished it to clean brass. Yuck! But overall, I'm just glad to have it.
Here are some pics.
[Image: http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q136/...bFront.jpg]
[Image: http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q136/...rontRt.jpg]
[Image: http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q136/...ontRTS.jpg]
[Image: http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q136/...90Rear.jpg]
[Image: http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q136/...hasTop.jpg]
[Image: http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q136/...hasBot.jpg]
[Image: http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q136/...AmpTop.jpg]
[Image: http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q136/...AmpBot.jpg]
Regards,
Ed
Posts: 594
Threads: 41
Joined: Aug 2010
City: Shepherdsville, KY
Hi That is a beautie, the cabinet looks good to me, I would think twice about refinish, I think it will polish up and look good with the finish it has. I have some old caps that you could restuff, if you want let me know and I will send them to you. I am not sure how many I have. Congrats on the radio and have fun with it I bet it will have a "big sound" 
Joe
Joe Bratcher near Louisville, KY
Posts: 299
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City: Sheboygan Falls,Wisconsin
Hi,
That is a beautiful set! Congratulations Looks like a nightmare to work on though 
I agree with Joe on the finish. that original finish still looks pretty good. I just got a 38-4 that had a finish very similiar to yours and I tried a product called "Restore-A-Finish" on it and I was totally suprised on how well it worked!! It was a lot easier than refinishing as well. Just a thought.
Posts: 24
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Two power transformers, I like it already.
You will soon be proficient at 'lytic cap restuffing.
Looks like a fun project with lots of reward when done.
Out of room, still dragging 'em home
Posts: 336
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City: Montreal, Qc
I am currently recaping my 47-1230 and am not into restuffing, so if you want I can put the good old paper caps on the side for you. PM me if interested.
-Mars
Posts: 78
Threads: 3
Joined: Mar 2011
City: Howell, MI
That's great, Ed! Did you get it "locally"?
WOW...what a beautiful cabinet! To each their own, abilities included, but I'd leave it as is!
You must keep us posted!
-Greg
Posts: 9
Threads: 1
Joined: May 2011
very very nice......
I'd love to have a big gun like that....
I agree with everyone else...i also thin that finish will clean up very nicely
Posts: 892
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City: Vieques, PR USA
State, Province, Country: PR
Great find! Isn't much of that front "photofinish"? If so I think you'd be way better off leaving it as it is. Looks great from here.
Posts: 13,776
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Joined: Sep 2005
City: Ferdinand
State, Province, Country: Indiana
You lucky dog!  Congratulations on acquiring one of Philco's best!
Bill - no, that isn't photofinish; it is real inlaid veneer. Philco may have cut some corners on the 38-690, such as in the RF deck, but at least they didn't use photofinish on the cabinet.
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Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
Posts: 244
Threads: 24
Joined: Feb 2006
Wow, that is the cat's pajamas and meow in one. Nice clean chassis to work with too. The cabinet looks great as is.
A clean and polish should make it a show piece.
Phil aka Philbert Q. Desenex - Twin Cities, MN
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City: Dover, OH
Very nice! Good score! I agree with the others on the cabinet finish, it looks pretty darn good from what I can see in the pictures. Just clean the grand lady up and enjoy her. Even that clean brass look for the bezel kinda looks good, if you like shiney brass.
The rich around my area must have been cheap in the pre-war years. I have yet to stumble on a 'big dog' set from any manufactuer here. Now post-war maggies were common around here, as my big Windsor Imperial will attest to. I will be very envious of you now! 
No matter where you go, there you are.
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City: Clayton, NC
Thats in pretty good shape! Nice going!!
Posts: 237
Threads: 24
Joined: Dec 2007
City: Gladwin, MI
37silverstreak Wrote:Hi,
That is a beautiful set! Congratulations Looks like a nightmare to work on though
I agree with Joe on the finish. that original finish still looks pretty good. I just got a 38-4 that had a finish very similiar to yours and I tried a product called "Restore-A-Finish" on it and I was totally suprised on how well it worked!! It was a lot easier than refinishing as well. Just a thought. Thanks for all the comments folks. Actually, the finish has quite a bit of flaking lacquer, especially on the sides. I may try using some 'Restore-A-Finish' on it, at least in the short term to see if I can improve it any. There is always the option to refinish the cabinet at a later date.
As far as the Philco paper caps for re-stuffing are concerned, I will make a list of what is missing and post the results, in hopes that some of you may have what is needed.
Quote:You lucky dog! Congratulations on acquiring one of Philco's best!
Bill - no, that isn't photofinish; it is real inlaid veneer. Philco may have cut some corners on the 38-690, such as in the RF deck, but at least they didn't use photofinish on the cabinet.
_________________
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Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand, IN
Ron - I remember reading in a post a while back that RadioDaze did not have the correct font for the Philco decal on these sets. I can't remember exactly, but I think there was some discussion that possibly AES had the correct font? Is this true?
Regards,
Ed
Posts: 17
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Joined: May 2006
Congratulations, I found one a few weeks ago at a estate sale. I was happy too.
Posts: 13,776
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City: Ferdinand
State, Province, Country: Indiana
etech Wrote:Ron - I remember reading in a post a while back that RadioDaze did not have the correct font for the Philco decal on these sets. I can't remember exactly, but I think there was some discussion that possibly AES had the correct font? Is this true? Yes, it is true. The AES "PHILCO" decals are the correct font as used on 1937 and later Philcos.
However...
Upon careful examination, it appears that the Radio Daze DCL-PH-HiFi decals are in the correct fonts for 1932-36 and 1937-up. If your 38-690 needs the PHILCO decal, you would have to use the DCL-PH-HiFi anyway, to get the "High Fidelity" script (and you would want the one with the script, not the "HIGH FIDELITY" in block letters which would have been used on the 1937 Hi-Fi models as well as the 200, 201, 116X and 680X).
The other Radio Daze "PHILCO" decals use a modern font which does not match any original Philco decal.
I wrote to Radio Daze about this issue...they did not bother to respond. Who am I, anyway. I'm the Invisible Man. What the H**l do I know. No, it is going to take lots of letters and emails from you guys to get their attention. They are not going to listen to just one person.
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Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
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