[codefox1]

Of all the components of a vintage radio, the capacitors are the most likely to fail. Moisture and chemistry are the reasons. The electroytic capacitors wil be the first to go, their job is to trap the charge of a positive currant and save it to the next cycle to provide a constant DC voltage to the radio. Next to go are the coupling capacitors which provide DC isolation from one gain stage to another. And finally her are those capacitors which hope to isolate the dangerous "house current" from the metal chassis, which you might accidently touch and thereby electrcute yourself. The rest of 'em might restrict or short circuit the signal to make an otherwise good set inoperative.

My standard procedure is to replace the big eletrolytic capacitors as a matter of course, all the bypass capacitors, and then measure the resistors out of circuit. If the D**n thing still doesen't play, then it's on to more severe diagnostics.

I've Got a 1954 (I think it is a model 432_ GE on my bench that has gone into phase 2 and I have ot a clue so far. But then again, I do have to go to my day job in the morning.

Be careful when working on these old models. Better yet use an isolation transformer.