Bucket list find - McMurdo Masterpiece 1 - Printable Version

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+--- Thread: Bucket list find - McMurdo Masterpiece 1 (/showthread.php?tid=7728)

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Bucket list find - McMurdo Masterpiece 1 - y2kbruce - 10-20-2013

I have been looking for the very 1st model of McMurdo Silver's Masterpiece radios for several years to complete my collection of MP's.

Only about 6 of these 1st year MP's have publicly turned up so far. They date back to circa 1932 fall introduction and were considered a 1933 model.
(Kind of like car models that come out in the fall)

Recently I was made aware via a private collector of a possible sighting of an MP 1 (henceforth called just a Masterpiece,
as there was no firm plan originally for follow-up models when it was introduced)

Further information on another web site disclosed that an auction was going to be held over several days in Tenn of a 10 year old estate
that had been held for all those years looking for an heir.

Pictures from the auction house showed what did appear to be an original MS Masterpiece found in the attic. It was later
determined that it was indeed a complete set with all 3 pieces: main chassis, amp and speaker. There was also a very large high boy cabinet
of the same era in the home that had been converted into a storage unit.

A friend who lives in the area agreed to attend the auction for me and was able to procure the entire set, including the unknown cabinet.

These are pictures of the set as found. A restoration is going to be started and hopefully will be successful. This particular set has a bad tuner design
that has a high failure rate. Initial indications are this set may still have a functional tuner.

Anyone recognize the tall boy cabinet ?

The chrome seems to be surprisingly nice for its age:

[Image: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/y2kbruce/McMurdo%20%20masterpiece%201/photochassis_zpsf27ed8d7.jpg]

[Image: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/y2kbruce/McMurdo%20%20masterpiece%201/1b3d6aea-f9f8-4c5c-b327-b24ccddb7eda_zps72a6a35f.jpg]

[Image: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/y2kbruce/McMurdo%20%20masterpiece%201/Scott1_zps755aca5b.jpg]

[Image: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/y2kbruce/McMurdo%20%20masterpiece%201/5b0d81ed-f77a-4372-a80a-9753e2f7596b_zpse11f8eb8.jpg]

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RE: Bucket list find - McMurdo Masterpiece 1 - Ron Ramirez - 10-21-2013

Congratulations, Bruce, that's great!

Wow, even the speaker pedestal is chrome plated...

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RE: Bucket list find - McMurdo Masterpiece 1 - Jamie - 10-21-2013

Wow.. that's a great find!

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RE: Bucket list find - McMurdo Masterpiece 1 - PhilcoJohn - 10-21-2013

Wow Bruce great score hope it did not put you back much.

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RE: Bucket list find - McMurdo Masterpiece 1 - y2kbruce - 10-21-2013

It turns out I already have an ORIGINAL Masterpiece 1 cabinet. This same cabinet was made in Rockford Il by Peerless furniture and sold to both EH Scott and McMurdo Silver for about 1 year. Scott called his the ORLEANS and McMurdo called his the Sheraton Combination.

I found this cabinet 2 years ago in St Pete in a used furniture store as a shelving cabinet and had Kenny Richmond do a restoration on it. There were differences in where the speakers were mounted due to size differences. Many thanks to Gerry Steffens for the original cabinet brochure for MS.

[Image: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/y2kbruce/McMurdo%20%20masterpiece%201/kennycabinets023_zps9bc1cce1.jpg]

[Image: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/y2kbruce/McMurdo%20%20masterpiece%201/Masterpiececabinetsnippet_zps1171af36.png]

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RE: Bucket list find - McMurdo Masterpiece 1 - TA Forbes - 10-21-2013

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