[Fred Taylor]

I have a chance to get a philco 37-650 radio -phono this morning , needing veneer work on the sides. Looks to be all intact and from looking at gallery this somewhat a rare find only 1500 made. i think i can get it for under $50 . What do you guys think ?

[Ron Ramirez]

Unless it's wearing a saddle and bridle, it isn't "in tack", it's intact.

Your grammar lesson for today.

You're welcome.

That said...

Under $50? What are you waiting for?? Run - don't walk - and get it a'ready!

[Fred Taylor]

Unless it's wearing a saddle and bridle, it isn't "in tack", it's intact.

Your grammar lesson for today.

You're welcome.

That said...

Under $50? What are you waiting for?? Run - don't walk - and get it a'ready!

Thanks Ron, still waking up with some coffee and will be heading to convention soon , 37-650px is uncommon I guess and should be restored

[morzh]

We are all in tack...in a way. Yep. Run like a cheap Chinese cotton shirt. I mean, fast.

[Ron Ramirez]

Ah, you've posted photos now - good.

I see the 37-650 does not have its original tone arm, but it shouldn't be too difficult to find an original. It should have the 1930 "bat wing" tone arm with a magnetic pickup and the old PHILCO logo with lightning bolt. Those tone arms, incidentally, were made by RCA Victor and used in several competing sets, including even Atwater Kent. Each manufacturer replaced the RCA Victor logo with its own logo.

I've only seen one 37-650PX in all of my years of collecting, and it was at AWA-Rochester in the mid-1990s.

[NostalgiaRadioTime]

Frederick, Nice unit. Hope you took Ron's advice and picked it up. As you may recall, I found one of those batwing tone arms, albeit the RCA version, back in July at an antique auto show swap meet. It's missing the magnetic pickup on the end, but if you need it for the 37-650 I'll be glad to sell it to you.

[Fred Taylor]

Yes indeed, I cant believe nobody bid on it except me! Took it home for a $20 and did power it up with varaic with positive results, hums . Shadow meter works and speaker is good, transformer checks ok and cant wait to get going on restoration. I do have a correct tone arm assembly that I can take out of another radio /phono set if need be. This radio is a lot bigger than it looks, biggest round dial of that style and is very heavy. Looks to be original finish although there are no decals around the nobs?

[Nathan Slingerland]

Congratulations - this looks like an awesome set.

The chassis sure is clean - hardly any rust at all. The tube shields look like new.

[Fred Taylor]

Congratulations - this looks like an awesome set.

The chassis sure is clean - hardly any rust at all. The tube shields look like new.

Now I have 2 philco radio/phono sets 1st one is a rare 23x and this rare 37-650px. Woo Hoo!

[Fred Taylor]

Frederick, Nice unit. Hope you took Ron's advice and picked it up. As you may recall, I found one of those batwing tone arms, albeit the RCA version, back in July at an antique auto show swap meet. It's missing the magnetic pickup on the end, but if you need it for the 37-650 I'll be glad to sell it to you.

I may buy it from you, does it have the pedestal that it rest on? The mechanism that the batwing tone arm pivots on, its screwed to the wooden base.

[NostalgiaRadioTime]

Hi Fred,  Congrats on the rare radio / phono combo! Quite a nice find. As far as the tone arm goes, I figured the easiest thing for me would be to take a few pictures and show you exactly what I have:

   

   

   

   

[SteveG]

Glad you got it Fred. I know that cabinet will get the restoration it deserves. Is your house expandable? I thought my collection was growing fast! Love the 30's stuff!!

[Fred Taylor]

Glad you got it Fred.  I know that cabinet will get the restoration it deserves. Is your house expandable?  I thought my collection was growing fast!  Love the 30's stuff!!

I sell restored radios now and then and that way its balanced in the number of radios here.  I really don't have much more room to put radios without having the house looking stuffed.