[y2kbruce]

The Capt of the ship here recently forwarded me an email from a fellow in California who was acquiring a Philco 509X cabinet that had a newer audio system in it and was looking for a home for the soon to be empty cabinet. The rare (500 were sold for $600 each) circa 1935 Hi-Fi set has been on my bucket list for many years.

I worked out a deal with the fellow and it will hopefully be delivered here to my home soon while I continue to look for some original guts aka 201X stuff for it. Ron told me a 118 chassis would also fit the original face board. The non-correct RP was spoken for by another collector in Ca.

One of these sold as a complete set a year or so on Ebay for big $$$ and I think this one has a much nicer cabinet as long as the movers don't drop it on the way here.

Thank you Ron for the lead.

I had Kenny Richmond look at the photos for his opinion and he said if I sent it to him I would never see it again he liked the look so much.

His description of the veneers used :

Well,...the lid and the face is Carpathian Elm,.. the field for the 2 inch inlay is Cocobola and the black is probably Azobe or some other common African black hardwood.

The top surrounding the lid is a straight grain Walnut most likely Claro, as it has a pretty blond color, and then the rest of the cabinet is just cross grain panels of the same Claro walnut with some Dark Walnut Burl panels on the upper and lower sides.

Then the same Walnut Burl on the crown of the grille and grille surround.

And everyone says my grille cloth is a good duplication, as this one is quite faded.

Very Pretty Set !!

[Image: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc249...261ab7.jpg]

[Image: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc249...2e83a8.jpg]

[Image: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc249...4b6d04.jpg]

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[morzh]

Does it consist of two parts?

Beautiful inlay. And in great hape too! Lucky you.

[gregb]

What a spectacular cabinet! I can see why it was on your bucket list Bruce, hope you find a chassis for it.

Gregb

[Arran]

It looks like they used Carpathian (or a similar looking species like an ash burl) in the banding, along with ebony, but they used a parquetry effect by reorienting the grain in different directions. It's very likely that a sale brochure would document and describe what species of veneer were used, some of the veneer looks like olive burl, others walnut burl like an English car, the striped veneer behind the door looks like Australian walnut or oriental wood.
Most North American radio cabinets used assorted cuts of French walnut veneer, quarter cut, plain cut, or rotary cut it's lighter and more reddish then North American black walnut, the 1937-38 and 1939-42 Philcos used a lot of quarter cut French walnut in combination with plain cut. Without the original sales brochures it's purely guesswork as we all know how they used to obscure the natural colours and grain with tinted finishes.
Regards
Arran

[Art Hoch]

what a nice cabinet!

[PhilcoJohn]

Wow Bruce nice find ...I hope it turns out great!

[Gene Pederson]

Fantastic looking cabinet Bruce! That would be on my bucket list too!

Gene

[y2kbruce]

Cabinet was picked up yesterday and is on its way.

[Image: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc249...c5649a.jpg]

Here is a photo of it in natural light , showing off some of the side veneers used.

[Image: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc249...32e97a.jpg]

[y2kbruce]

The cabinet arrived this morning and boy is it heavy. Very well made and inside I found a decal with the name Sherman Clay and Co.

They were a well known piano store in the SF Bay area so I suspect they also sold high end radios also as I *think* I have seen that name on some McMurdo's of the same era.

Off to the store to get some cleaners and will post a few photos once I get it all cleaned up. It looks like the speaker sound board was removed but I can figure that out. I have acquired a correct (with a minor resister difference) 201X chassis and speaker and its on it's way this week to a repairman who will hopefully get it playing for me.

The inlays and veneers are just stunning. I wonder who made the 500 cabinets for this model.

[TA Forbes]

Another outstanding set added to your fine collection, Bruce.

Color me impressed/envious!!!!!!!

/

[Ron Ramirez]

I have the info on who made the cabinets. I'll try to remember to look that up tonight. Kindly remind me if I forget.

[codefox1]

Hey this is way beyond snazzy, and will do justice to any room.

[y2kbruce]

I spent 3 hours going over the cabinet today with cream hand cleaner and wiping rags. Then I used Kenny Richmonds polish cream to bring out the finish. This cabinet is amazing. Its at least a 95% of showroom new condition with no scratches nor gouges nor veneer issues. I did not even have to use any Howard's restore a finish on it. The veneers are just stunning with the top lid having 16 separate inlays of burl, 8 forming a rectangle of triangular pie slice shapes and 4 more on each side of the center in rectangular shapes.

The side doors are 1 1/2" thick at the edges and the insides look like planked walnut. All the dirt and dings in the before photos was just dirt and wax buildups and cleaned up NICE.

The cabinet really does weigh 150 lbs empty and the skirt trim goes all the way to the ground so its hard to get a hand under to lift it up.
I took the WOOD 3/8" veneered back panel off and everywhere are signs of high quality construction. There are 3 different stamped numbers or hand written in chalk No 317 so I am guessing this one was 317 out of the run of 500.

I can't stop looking at it every time I walk by it. Its as good as or better quality than any of my Scott or McMurdo factory cabinets and reminds me of a Capehart 400 Deluxe construction.

The finish is truly an original piano finish smooth as glass to the touch. There is one section of veneer that looks different but it is for sure original and under the lacquer and looks like bleed out from the original burl swirls. Even the original felt strip under the lid is inlaid and is under the entire outer edge of the lid.

I would guess this one sat in the same place since 1935 and was loved and cared for. The 201X guts have been acquired and are on their way to a repairman in Tenn to get playing I hope soon.

16 veneer pieces make up this top lid mosaic
[Image: http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc249...8ab8ea.jpg]

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The original odd veneer piece. Not paint but almost like sap ran out from the burl.

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[jerryhawthorne]

Simply a stunning work of art on that cabinet Bruce. I can see why that was on you bucket list.
Jerry

[gregb]

Hey Bruce that is one fantastic looking cabinet! Can you just imagine having the ability the original craftsman had that made it!! I could only hope for such skill.

Gregb