[reybo]

Hi,

New caller whose background is mostly Zenith.

Ran across this Philco 40-158 console with fancy finish. Very professionally done. It's clean enough to be a special factory model kept in a protective bubble all these years. Or a recent repaint by someone with the expert's touch. Anyone ever hear of this design?

[codefox1]

Looks like the export model to MARS

[TA Forbes]

I am willing to bet that it is someone's personal design. A little far out, but artistic in it's own right. For that reason I would say that it would be worth keeping.

Personally I would not consider creating somthing like this unless it was a way-far gone cabinet. And even then, the challenge of bringing a "rough" cabinet back to it's original appearance appeals to me.

However, you will find many what we call "franken radios" in many of our collections. They range from radios that can be directly linked to the factory to personal modifications. The personal mods are where it gets interesting. Often functional or even practical. And in some cases a little bizarre.

[Ron Ramirez]

Welcome, Reybo.

That looks to me like someone who was high on LSD in the '60s did that to that poor radio cabinet. It sure as H**l wasn't done at the factory.

[reybo]

Thanks for the info. An export version for Mars might explain the missing speaker. Thin Martian atmosphere means minimal sound waves.

This is coming up for auction in a few month. I'm thinking of buying it to take to a D.C. area swap meet over the summer. Testing the tubes adds a little value.

On another topic, does anyone recognize this AM chassis? It's in a Sonora Model B33 console, and I was told can be found in the oldest Rider volume on page 2192, which I don't have. The chassis has no name or hint of maker. The eight tubes are a CX-380, two CX-345s, a C-327, and four C-324s.

Gorgeous cabinet. The only old radio we ever had that my wife insisted we keep.

[codefox1]

Does Abby Sciuto want it? Could be a perfect prop for the show. Just a thought. Wouldn't blend in with my yesteryear ketch.

[Ron Ramirez]

Please reply to the Sonora question at the following link, since the Sonora is a different subject and is not a Philco:

http://www.philcoradio.com/phorum/showth...p?tid=3168

I started a new topic on that subject there.

[reybo]

Does Abby Sciuto want it? Could be a perfect prop for the show. Just a thought. Wouldn't blend in with my yesteryear ketch.

NHOH so I looked Abby up on Wiki. Strange creature. Is that her twin who does commercials for a travel site?

[codefox1]

Same person. You should watch NCIS.

[reybo]

Same person. You should watch NCIS.

Never saw the cast list. My wife tunes in NCIS when I leave the room. Plot lines are too unlikely, too bizarre for me. I'm a shellfish lover trapped by the Deadliest Catch.

[Beckett]

Does Abby Sciuto want it? Could be a perfect prop for the show. Just a thought. Wouldn't blend in with my yesteryear ketch.

NHOH so I looked Abby up on Wiki. Strange creature. Is that her twin who does commercials for a travel site?

Pauley Perrette is tasty.... That's a whole different subject though. I agree that would be something that would fit in with her "style".

[Arran]

Hi,

New caller whose background is mostly Zenith.

Ran across this Philco 40-158 console with fancy finish. Very professionally done. It's clean enough to be a special factory model kept in a protective bubble all these years. Or a recent repaint by someone with the expert's touch. Anyone ever hear of this design?

Yes it's called the "Book an appointment with the furniture strippers" design. It reminds me of a Rogers console, 1937 vintage, that I saw as a prop on a Canadian cable network called "YTV". Someone had taken that nice cabinet and painted it with mauve coloured "Speckle Stone" paint, it had walnut burl, Australian walnut (Oriental Walnut they called it), and several other very attractive cuts of veneer under all that mess. I hope that it found a good home, or is in safe storage, and didn't end up in the dump somewhere.
Regards
Arran