Philco 16 Chassis - Cabinet?
Posts: 80
Threads: 10
Joined: Sep 2005
City: Warren, Ohio
I picked up this Philco at an estate sale today for $40. The chassis looks like a model 16 but I have not seen this cabinet before. It's in good shape and may not need to be refinished except perhaps on the top.
Steve Chambers
[Image: http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt228...G_9086.jpg]
[Image: http://i614.photobucket.com/albums/tt228...G_9087.jpg]
Posts: 298
Threads: 22
Joined: May 2012
City: Chattanooga
State, Province, Country: TN
Posts: 141
Threads: 13
Joined: Sep 2011
City: moline, il
Please find the nearest shipper who can deliver that to Moline Illinois !!!!
Posts: 13,776
Threads: 580
Joined: Sep 2005
City: Ferdinand
State, Province, Country: Indiana
Very nice...but it isn't a Philco factory cabinet. That is one of those third party cabinets that people could purchase in the 1930s to put their radios into.
--
Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
Posts: 80
Threads: 10
Joined: Sep 2005
City: Warren, Ohio
Ron:
I suspected as much. Who would have applied the Philco decal? The cabinet maker or perhaps the dealer?
Steve Chambers
Posts: 13,776
Threads: 580
Joined: Sep 2005
City: Ferdinand
State, Province, Country: Indiana
Hard to say for certain. I would guess the cabinet maker? If they knew a Philco was going into that cabinet, I would guess they would want to acquire a Philco decal before application of clear coat(s) of lacquer.
--
Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
Posts: 2,353
Threads: 92
Joined: May 2010
City: Clayton, NC
I have a Philco 116 (PP-42s) chassis/speaker that has been installed in an aftermarket cabinet, although my cabinet is not as fancy as your's.
There is no "Philco" decal on mine, but it does have the "V" chevron grillecloth. here were several cabinet manufacturers that offered cabinets for Philco and other brand radios.
Your example is very nice indeed!
Posts: 4,707
Threads: 51
Joined: Sep 2008
City: Sandwick, BC, CA
It's very nicely made, nothing personal but quite frankly, I hate it. It's an over the top, gaudy, Louis the 16th style cabinet, there isn't any one thing I don't like about it, any one detail is nice on it's own so much as the way they are put together. My first thought when I saw it was that someone fitted a Philco 16 chassis into a Stromberg or a GM radio cabinet, but both of those were more conservative, so it has to be an aftermarket job.
Regards
Arran
Posts: 80
Threads: 10
Joined: Sep 2005
City: Warren, Ohio
Everyone can have an opinion I suppose. I like it. I wouldn't want every radio or every piece of furniture in my home to be in this style but I like it none the less. Even for those who "hate" it, it is an historical example of what was being made and purchased at the time and it deserves a restoration on this basis alone. The veneer work is amazing and I have no doubt that this was someone's prized possession at one time.
Steve Chambers
Posts: 13,776
Threads: 580
Joined: Sep 2005
City: Ferdinand
State, Province, Country: Indiana
I agree, Steve. 
If all of us liked the same radio, all of the others would go begging while the value of the one radio everyone wanted would go through the roof!
--
Ron Ramirez
Ferdinand IN
Posts: 4,707
Threads: 51
Joined: Sep 2008
City: Sandwick, BC, CA
One question though, is there a plaque, a decal, or some sort of stamp on that cabinet someplace? In looking at the pictures again I don't think it was a custom cabinet, you will notice that around the top edge, base, the legs, and stretchers it appears to have shaded lacquer over a cheaper grainless wood like maple, beech, or poplar, that indicates that it was a production cabinet of some kind. It doesn't mean that it was a frankenradio but it may have been an aftermarket production cabinet.
If it were custom made it's very likely that they would have used a higher quality wood on the legs and other visible parts. The carving also would have been hand carved with a chisel, the carving on this looks like it may have been machine made, something that a small cabinet maker would not have had the machinery to do.
Regards
Arran
(This post was last modified: 07-30-2012, 06:30 PM by Arran.)
Posts: 80
Threads: 10
Joined: Sep 2005
City: Warren, Ohio
No decal or sticker that I can see anywhere inside the cabinet. I am absolutely convinced that this is not a "Frankenradio". The fit of everything is perfect, an original and faded Philco decal is present on the front of the radio, and everything looks undisturbed, as if the radio is frozen in time. I agree, probably not a custom cabinet, but as Ron said it must be one of those third party cabinets. It would be interesting to know more about these cabinets. Who sold them? Was there a catalogue? Do any of these catalogues survive? Who were the manufacturers? The manufacturing and sales history aspect of this hobby has always been interesting to me.
Steve Chambers
Posts: 1,562
Threads: 56
Joined: Nov 2008
City: Sedona, AZ/Placentia/CA
I really like this radio/cabinet. The fact that apparently is not a "Philco" made cabinet does not detract a bit from me. Over the top, no, what great wood work. If this was indeed a cabinet built to accept the Philco radio chassis as a bare chassis at the time of manufacture of the chassis, it has some real historical significance. Many chassis of the past were sold to cabinet makers for installation. If this was the case, what a nice job. I would pick that up in a heart beat. Isn't it nice to agree to disagree? Thanks Ron for that comment, I give you credit for it. 
Jerry
A friend in need is a pest! Bill Slee ca 1970.
Posts: 2,128
Threads: 18
Joined: Oct 2008
City: Merrick, Long Island, NY
Really snazzy cabinet. Stuff like this looks really wonderful in a living room with a fireplace providing most of the lighting on a winter night, and still working to provide audio. Elder disco perhaps.
Posts: 1,402
Threads: 70
Joined: Oct 2007
City: Linn Creek, MO
Certainly, a nice conversation piece. I think I could make room for it.
Steve
M R Radios C M Tubes
Users browsing this thread: 12 Guest(s)
|
|
Recent Posts
|
|
Philco 16B Parts
|
| The 16B's in the tombstone cabinet sport a 10 1/2" spkr vs the older cathedral sets which uses an 8". The p/p ...Radioroslyn — 12:58 AM |
|
Philco 38-7 Oscillation
|
| I have let this one sit because of other duties. Now I am back, and I have a couple of questions. I hooked up a Hammond ...tludka — 11:16 PM |
|
Philco 38-7 Speaker
|
| I know that when I first started working on this radio, I did not even have a speaker. Once I finally found one it was n...tludka — 11:00 PM |
|
Philco 60 Squealing
|
| I seem to remember eliminating a squeal by changing the IF frequency by a few KHz. Not that you should put too much tru...fenbach — 08:48 PM |
|
Philco 42-390, code 121 speaker
|
| These speakers pop up on eBay regularly, even if at bloated prices.
Honestly, have not seen many parts on swapmeets.morzh — 08:38 PM |
|
Philco 38-7 Speaker
|
| The put-put is not like the speaker problem.morzh — 08:29 PM |
|
Mission Bell Model 19A Car Radio
|
| Hello everyone,
As mentioned in my last post I was going to see if the vibrator / rectifier section could be persuaded...Antipodal — 08:21 PM |
|
Philco 60 Squealing
|
|
Wondering if I did it backwards.
If a coil was wound backwards, the oscillator would not work at all.
Old school...Chas — 07:23 PM |
|
Philco 38-7 Speaker
|
| 4-ohm speaker. Black, Green leads.tludka — 07:00 PM |
|
Philco 42-390, code 121 speaker
|
| #87 on the schematic.
This radio had a 8" Zenith speaker attached to it when I got it. I do don't know the hist...Stevelog — 06:39 PM |
|
Who's Online
|
| There are currently no members online. |
|
 
|
![[-]](https://philcoradio.com/phorum/images/bootbb/collapse.png "[-]")
