1956

Philco for 1956

Overview

Philco's 1956 radio line was slight­ly larg­er than 1955, with more clock radios but few­er porta­bles. They offered more portable phono­graphs, includ­ing mod­els with fold-up stands which made them usable as floor or table models.

Two unusu­al mod­els for 1956: a portable radio designed espe­cial­ly for women, with a mir­ror under the lid and a stor­age com­part­ment (D665). And one table mod­el radio did not have a clock, but did have an auto­mat­ic timer (D725).

The Tran­si­tone name was used for the last time on low­er-priced 1956 Philco models.

Philco intro­duced two portable phono­graphs for the 1956 sea­son that used tran­sis­tors instead of tubes (TPA-1 and TPA-2). These oper­at­ed on bat­tery power.

Model Index

Intro­duced Sum­mer 1955

Click on a thumb­nail to see infor­ma­tion and pho­tos for each model:

The 1956 Philco Line

D579	D590	D591	D592	D593	D595	D597
D598	D655 "Sport­ster"	D661	D664	D665 "Overnighter"	D717	D719
D725	D726	D727	D728 "Seno­ra"	D730	D734	D736
D737	D738	D1331	D1333	D1335	D1337	D1339
D1344	D1345	D1346 "Miss America"	D1347	D1757	TPA-1	TPA-2

Models

The 1956 Philco Line

Model D579

Philco released six mod­els for the 1956 sea­son that used the same chas­sis, receiv­ing the AM band and using only four tubes with an auto­dyne mix­er - these mod­els had no IF amplification.

This was one of those six models.

The cab­i­net is brown plastic.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D590

Using the same chas­sis as the D579 above, the D590 is in an ebony plas­tic cabinet.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D591

Anoth­er four tube auto­dyne mod­el, this Philco set was avail­able in three col­ors (Cher­ry, Ivory, and Lime).

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D592

This mod­el used a con­ven­tion­al five tube cir­cuit, and was avail­able in a black plas­tic cabinet.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D593

Sim­i­lar to the D592 above, the D593 was avail­able in the fol­low­ing colors:

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D595

Elec­tron­i­cal­ly iden­ti­cal to the D592, the D595 was avail­able in the fol­low­ing colors:

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D597

A five tube table mod­el, this Philco came in the fol­low­ing colors:

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D598

This Philco mod­el includ­ed a phono jack so a phono­graph could be con­nect­ed to this radio. The set uses two speak­ers and includes a tone con­trol, an uncom­mon fea­ture in 1950s table mod­el radios.

The cab­i­net is wood with a mahogany finish.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D655 "Sportster"

This portable mod­el uses four tubes plus a sele­ni­um rec­ti­fi­er, and can oper­ate on AC or DC cur­rent, or on batteries.

The leather cov­er­ing was avail­able in Rio Red and Ver­adera Sand as well as tan.

Most of these sets found today no longer have the long shoul­der strap.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D661

Using the same chas­sis as the D655 above, the D661 was enclosed in a plas­tic cab­i­net avail­able in three colors:

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D664

This AM-only portable uses four tubes plus a sele­ni­um rec­ti­fi­er, and oper­ates on AC or DC house­hold cur­rent, or on bat­tery power.

It was avail­able in sev­en dif­fer­ent colors:

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D665 "Overnighter"

Designed espe­cial­ly for women, the D665 includes a mir­ror under the lid and a stor­age compartment.

The AM radio uses four tubes plus a sele­ni­um rec­ti­fi­er and can oper­ate on bat­ter­ies or house­hold cur­rent (AC or DC).

The set was avail­able in four dif­fer­ent colors:

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D717

A four tube auto­dyne Philco clock radio which was avail­able in a brown plas­tic cabinet.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D719

This four tube clock radio was avail­able in three colors:

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D725

Using the same five tube chas­sis as the D597 above, the D725 includes an inter­val timer (no clock).

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D726

Sim­i­lar to the D719 and using the same four-tube radio chas­sis as the D579, the D726 was only avail­able in an ebony plas­tic cabinet.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D727

This five tube clock radio was only avail­able in black.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D728 "Senora"

Sim­i­lar to the D727 above, the D728 was avail­able in three colors:

Each col­or used a dif­fer­ent grille cloth pat­tern which, accord­ing to Philco, was "inspired by the Span­ish Mantilla."

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D730

A five tube clock radio which was avail­able in three colors.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D734

This clock radio mod­el includ­ed an auto­mat­ic radio or alarm fea­ture, and a delayed "off" set­ting. The clock could also be set to auto­mat­i­cal­ly turn on and off any appli­ance plugged into the out­let in back of the radio.

It was avail­able in the fol­low­ing colors:

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D736

This Philco mod­el resem­bles a small tomb­stone radio, and is in a wood cab­i­net with a mahogany finish.

The set uses five tubes and includes a clock with timer and alarm.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D737

This clock radio includes the fea­tures of the D734 above plus a phono jack to allow a phono­graph or oth­er audio device to be played throuh the radio.

This set was only avail­able in black.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D738

Sim­i­lar to the D737 above, the D738 was avail­able in three col­or combinations:

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D1331

Rem­i­nis­cent of the old RP-1 wire­less phono­graph of 1939-1942, the D1331 has no cov­er for its met­al cab­i­net. It also was not wire­less; it has a built-in one tube ampli­fi­er (with sele­ni­um rec­ti­fi­er) and a small speak­er. It can play 33-1/3, 45 and 78 rpm records.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D1333

Anoth­er three speed portable phono­graph, it also uses a one tube ampli­fi­er with a sele­ni­um rectifier.

The plas­tic cov­ered wood case was avail­able only in Ginger.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D1335

This three speed portable was avail­able in four colors:

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D1337

This portable mod­el includes a three speed auto­mat­ic record chang­er, a three tube ampli­fi­er, and a 4 inch speaker.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D1339

This mod­el uses the same three tube ampli­fi­er as the D1337 above.

It came with wrought iron legs which could be attached to the bot­tom of the cab­i­net, mak­ing this a free stand­ing set.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D1344

Anoth­er three tube portable with a three speed record chang­er, this mod­el was avail­able in tan and ivory or black and ivory. It uses two 4 inch speakers.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D1345

A portable radio-phono­graph with built-in Ses­sions clock. It uses five tubes and receives the AM band. The auto­mat­ic record chang­er can play 33-1/3, 45 and 78 rpm records.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D1346 "Miss America"

This portable phono­graph includes legs which could be fold­ed open to allow the set to be used as a self-stand­ing floor mod­el phonograph.

It includes a three speed auto­mat­ic record chang­er, a three tube ampli­fi­er, and two 6 inch speakers.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D1347

A table mod­el high fideli­ty phono­graph with an 8 inch speak­er and an elec­tro­sta­t­ic tweet­er, the D1347 also includes a 6 watt audio ampli­fi­er and a three speed auto­mat­ic record changer.

The cab­i­net was avail­able in mahogany or blonde.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model D1757

A con­sole ver­sion of the D1347, the D1757 uses a 10 inch speak­er along with an elec­tro­sta­t­ic tweeter.

Like the D1347, the D1757 was also avail­able with mahogany or blonde finishes.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model TPA-1

Philco's first con­sumer elec­tron­ics prod­ucts to use tran­sis­tors instead of tubes, the TPA-1 and TPA-2 both include three tran­sis­tor ampli­fiers and a sin­gle speed 45 rpm phonograph.

The unit oper­ates on batteries.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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Model TPA-2

Sim­i­lar to the TPA-1 above, the TPA-2 was avail­able in two col­ors: red/gray or brown/tan.

Orig­i­nal sell­ing price: Unknown

Num­ber made: Unknown

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