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Searching for history - Printable Version

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Searching for history - Jmeulemans - 06-23-2022

Just today I won a receiver at a local auction. It is "The Crown" 5 tube receiver made by the Custom Built Radio Company in 1931. I am trying to find any information about the company as all I can find are 2 advertisements in radio publications from the time, one of which is for this particular receiver. I already have what I believe to be an accurate schematic, but I would like to know more about the company.

RE: Searching for history - Eliot Ness - 06-24-2022

I also have a Crown similar to yours. I'll dig through my Floyd Paul archives later for more info on the company, but I doubt I'll find much more than you already know. There were a lot of short lived west coast (Los Angeles) radios in the early 30's, with Gilfillian making most of the chassis.

RE: Searching for history - Eliot Ness - 06-24-2022

   
Attached is a picture of my Crown radio.

As I suspected any information on the Custom Built Radio Company is pretty sparse.  Combing through some of the Floyd Paul archives he lists Custom Built as one of the minor players in the LA radio scene, probably because they weren't around very long.  In a list of manufacturers he lists a Nick Hiriart (possibly the owner) and an estimated start date of July/August 1931 with no date of when they ceased to exist.  He does mention the lifetime for some companies was a matter of weeks or a few months.

I did find one ad for one of their radios in the June 1931 issue of Western Music and Trades on page 17:

https://worldradiohistory.com/Western_Music_and_Radio-Trades.htm

If you're interested in the Los Angeles early radio scene you should buy Floyd Paul's books on the subject:

http://www.antiqueradios.org/radio_books.html

There is a tad more info on Custom in supplement #2 of the above.

RE: Searching for history - Jmeulemans - 06-24-2022

Thanks! I really appreciate the info. I kind of figured there wouldn't be much more than that. I had found the article you posted, but also found another in a September 1931 issue of "Radio" The National Trade Magazine on page 4 that was specific to "The Crown" receiver that we have.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio/30s/Radio-1931-09.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjrm9_91cb4AhW1JUQIHamnAEsQFnoECDUQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2GrG3OuhMbPM8PSSk97QGo