Hi,
I have a question about cabinet variations on the 37-116x. This is in regards to the side panels on the radio. Looking at the one that Bruce Lach is refinishing in this video. The sides are just straight grain (walnut or mahogany ?) from top to bottom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1lSZ26kPgE
I picked up a Canadian version and it has walnut strips running sideways on the top and bottom of the sides.
Looking at a lot of photos of the 37-116x on various websites, it seems the straight version seems to be much more common.
Is this the case ? Or does someone that is a lot more familiar with this model know about the variations in cabinets.
Thank-You
Tony
Does the alternating grain exist on both sides? The bottom half of the cabinet side veneer looks almost like a patch job. The veneer is not really a match to the strait grain on the rest of the cabinet and I dont know why it would be so high up.
I dont have one so I cant compare and there are no side views online that I see for the canadian version...
Hi, I can assure you that it is original, and does exist on both sides. If you look, it does match up with with the pieces of curved veneer on the corners. It will be a lot more obvious once the cabinet is stripped. The lower pieces are bookend. Just wondering if anyone has one like it.
Tony
My best guess would that this is just a variation between the Canadian and the USA versions of this set. I've seen a few 37-116 sets...have owned a couple at different times...and each one I have seen had vertical grain veneer on the sides, no horizontal panels.
I guess them Canadians just had to be different, eh!
No offense intended, Tony.
(and I moved this thread to Philco Cabinet Restoration since we are talking specifically about a cabinet, and not a Philco radio in general.)
This is because the cabinets for Canadian Philco models were made in Canada, sometimes by Philco but often by furniture companies on the outside. My Uncle used to own a Canadian Model Philco 45L, or was it a 345L, and the cabinet was made by McLagan Furniture in Oshawa, who also made cabinets for some Rogers models. The Philco 38-3610 I saw a few months ago was also different then it's cousins from Philadelphia, it had a cabinet like a 38-9T but with inlaid banding on the top, and it had an extra socket hole in the RF deck, with no socket.
Regards
Arran
Thanks for the feedback guys I kind of figured this was the case. I know the Canadian cabinets tended to be of much better quality than are cousins to the south. I didn't know if this was a early production change, to save money. Or maybe there were 2 levels of cabinets available as an upgrade.
The chassis is a 37-3116A and it has a massive 25 cycle transformer that is twice as tall as the 60 Hz version. The metal tag shows 25 -40 cycles (not 60 cycles) which I find interesting.
I have the schematics on the Canadian CD, it is Data sheets 41, and 41a. One thing I don't have is a parts list for the 37-3116
This one uses the 6B4G output tubes. Rectifier shows a 5U4G, but there is a 5X4G in there.
Tony
Which is good, if something is not to worry about it is that transformer.
And, though it is not really noticeable, it does in theory improve the sound at large volumes, as it can take transient better.
(This post was last modified: 09-12-2014, 08:13 PM by morzh.)
Perhaps best of all, that 25 cycle power transformer can handle 60 Hz AC just fine. The reverse was not true; i.e. a power transformer designed for 60 Hz AC would burn up if you tried to run it with 25 Hz AC.
I don't think that there was any difference in quality between the cabinet for a Canadian built 37-3116X and a Philadelphia built 37-3116X, the added marquetry was probably the prerogative of whoever built the cabinet. Then again maybe they had a lot of short pieces of veneer on hand that they wanted to use up? As far as I know Philco Products of Canada didn't offer different grades of cabinet, at least not with that model, but there may have been variants between production runs depending on who built the cabinets. Like I mentioned my uncle used to have a 345L, where the cabinet was built by McLagan Furniture, but I have also seen Canadian Philco cabinets built by Thomas, and others with no maker noted.
There have been plenty of varients in U.S built cabinets as well, like in the grain direction on a Philco 70 cabinet, sometimes in the species of veneer used. You see a lot of cabinet variants on Canadian Westinghouse sets, like the model 780X for example, which was the set featured in "A Christmas Story", some have inlay on the top and control panel, others have stump walnut veneer and no inlay, and the number of grill bars differs between the two types as well. I don't know if Philco of Canada had their own cabinet shop like Philco of U.S.A did, I think maybe they did but farmed out production on some models or runs. Ron has the Philco furniture book which states who made what, some were made in house, others were framed out to outfits like Red Lion (whom also made cabinets for Atwater Kent).
Regards
Arran
This cabinet was made by McLagan Furniture. The original brass metal tag is still nailed to the cabinet at the very top on the back.
Did Philco of Canada produce the higher end 20 tube 38-690 , or the 37-690 ?
I don't ever recall ever seeing one.
Tony
According to this list, compiled mostly from a list of Philco radios produced in Canada up to 7/1/1942 and put out by Philco Corporation of Canada, Ltd., the answer is no - Philco of Canada did not produce a version of the 37-690 or 38-690.
I kind of figured this was the case. I know the Canadian cabinets tended to be of much better quality than are cousins to the south. I didn't know if this was a early production change, to save money. Or maybe there were 2 levels of cabinets available as an upgrade.![[-]](https://philcoradio.com/phorum/images/bootbb/collapse.png "[-]")
