[PhilcoPhan1936]

Here's a puzzler. This was just shared in the Antique Radios Facebook Group. The cabinet is a 38-1XX. But the chassis and cabinet label are for a 38-3XX. I'd wager by the evidence in the pics, that it came out of the factory this way. Any ideas, anyone?

https://omaha.craigslist.org/atq/5767389098.html

[Ron Ramirez]

If you want my guess, and it is only a guess because the principals involved are dead...and dead men tell no tales...and this sort of thing was not documented...

I would say that the 1938 selling season neared an end, the 1939 models were waiting in the wings, and Philco had one - or a few - 38-1 cabinets and 38-3 chassis left over.

So...they created some Phactory Phranken-Philcos utilizing the mismatched cabinets and chassis and sent them out the door to be sold.

It wouldn't be the first time they did that. I have a 200X cabinet with a 201 chassis, and it has the factory stickers inside the cabinet indicating it as a 201. One was stuck over an original 200X sticker where the "MODEL 200X" still shows.

There are other examples of Philco doing this sort of thing, some of which have been documented here in the Phorum.

Now, if that cabinet didn't have a 38-3 tube layout sticker, I would have said that it was mismatched by some "collector." But with the factory tube layout sticker indicating it as a 38-3 points to this having been done at the factory.

[PhilcoPhan1936]

I kind of figured It was something like a Phranken-Philco, based on the pictorial evidence. Thanks for that little gold nugget piece of historical info, Ron. Something like this wouldn't particularly raise the value or make it any more collectible would it?

[Ron Ramirez]

Not really, in my observations. It comes down to being...another console that most collectors do not want because they take up so much room.

[PhilcoPhan1936]

Yup, I hear you on that. I have 5 consoles, and I plan on selling 2. The 38-1 I have is a keeper, as well as the 95 Lowboy and 41-605P, with the record changer intact. The 38-1 has a 12-tube chassis, and sounds great! The 38-3 I know only had a 9 tube chassis, so in that sense, I think that radio in the ad has an inferior chassis in an otherwise really nice cabinet.

[Arran]

Kirk;
  In terms of the power output stages the 38-3 would be inferior to the 38-1, since the 38-3 employs that goofy screen grid inversion setup Philco liked to use, I other then the "magnetic tuning" (or AFC) feature of the 38-1 I don't think that there would be much difference in the front end. Since the 38-1 was a more expensive set then a 38-3 that may explain why they at some point ended up with left over 38-1 cabinets, or ran short of 38-3 cabinets one day back in 1938.
Regards
Arran

[PhilcoPhan1936]

Hey Arran, I think you got me confused with Kirk (old restorer). This is Jeff W.  . But yes, I see where the 38-1 would be costlier, and not sell as many. That would be another reason to have leftover cabinets. The 38-1 did have push-pull output.

[Arran]

Hey Arran, I think you got me confused with Kirk (old restorer). This is Jeff W.  . But yes, I see where the 38-1 would be costlier, and not sell as many. That would be another reason to have leftover cabinets. The 38-1 did have push-pull output.

Sorry Jeff;
  I thought that Kirk replied to this thread saying that he had a 38-1. Actaully both the 38-3 and 38-1 have a push pull power output stage, but the 38-3 uses a different circuit, actually a simplified and cheaper circuit (Philco called it screen grid inversion) that only requires the two power output tubes and a first audio tube, there is no audio interstage transformer or a phase inverter/splitter tube. Philco used this in a number of models, but probably most prolifically in the early 1940s in their 40-180, 41-280, 42-380 and related models. Some say that the sets that use a proper phase inverter setup have a fuller sound, I don't know is that is true but they do have more output power.
Regards
Arran

[Jayce]

Like Ron said, definitely examples of Phactory Phrankens out there. I have one, possibly two in my collection. That odd model 19 or 17 (need to get it out again) and my model 30 in the earlier version lowboy cabinet.