What is Zenith all about?

[Wild Root]

Well, I was talking to MK about radios the other day. He told me about a nice consol radio that he found in an antique shop up in his soon to be new area! I told him some what about radios that are very good investments and some that are not. Well, I asked him if it were a Zenith. He was unsure of the make of the set. And wasn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t sure he knew too much about vintage Zeniths. So, this is for you MK, a small lesson in vintage Zenith radio sets from the 30?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s to the early 40?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s. These are not my radios pictured. I have some nice sets, but Zenith?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s are just to rich for my blood right now. Some day I will have one of these magnificent radios.

I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ll be picturing some of the most sought after sets that Zenith came out with between 1936 and 1941. Mostly I have consoles pictured.

Enjoy!

Root.

PS.This table top Tombstone styled wood cabinet set is known among Zenith collectors as the ?¢‚Ǩ?ìWalton?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s?¢‚Ǩ?. This is the model of Zenith that they had in the Walton?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s living room on the show. It is VERY collectable! I have seen one of these go for over $3,000 for one that wasn?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t even restored! Restored or completely original sets of this model can reach prices over $4,000 to $5,000 on auction. This set features the Zenith Robot Dial, tuning eye tube, and that famous Zenith Shutter dial. Year: 1938.

 

[Wild Root]

Here we have a 1936 Zenith console which has I believe an 18 to 20 tube chasses, and a 12?¢‚Ǩ? speaker. This set when new cost more then some autos of that year!

 

[Wild Root]

What is a Shutter Dial? Well, that was the name Zenith gave it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s multi band dials. Instead of having Police, Aviation, Foreign (Short wave) or AM all on one big dial, they consolidated them all on their own separate dials! First, you have the black dial of AM. Now, if you wanted to tune to the Short Wave band, then you simply turn a knob and that black face would fall away to reveal another dial underneath the first in a blue color. If you wanted to tune to say, the Police Band, then just turn it again and that one falls away to reveal the last band which was gold in color. The Robot Dial was also very nice! You just simply push on a lever underneath the tuning knob in the direction you want to tune and it spins by it?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s self. You stop it by reliving the pressure to the lever. Then, use the tune knob to fine tune to the station of your choice!

Pictured is a Zenith Shutter Dial with Tuning eye tube! Note the Inset center of the dial. That is the first dial that falls away to reveal the others underneath.

 

[Wild Root]

More late 30's consoles.

 

[Wild Root]

There's more!

 

[Wild Root]

This is known as a chair side console. You would have it by your armchair and you could tune it wile you sat. They also had models like this with a record player inside.

These can get up in price as well! These are getting hard to find.

 

[Michaelson]

I stumble across Zenith's all the time in our ramblings, and most in the $120 to $300 range, depending on condition and playability. Some tubes are still available through old hard core music shops (that's right, the same tubes you find in the old professional grade amps are the same as the old radio tubes in these monsters. Just be sure they don't try and stick you with a Russian tube. They work....for a while. U.S. tubes are still available, but not in huge quantites, as the last factory that made them was in New Jersey, and went bust in the late 80's with the introduction of the ccd, but stockpiles are still around), and you can keep these radios playing for years to come. You can also find tubes through old car restoration companies, as all old car radios needed tubes too, and a lot of folks like to keep their cars all original, so a tube supply can be found with a little research there as well.
My Dad was a hard core Motorola man (we had a Motorla radio shop literally up the street from us), and I still remember sitting in front of the huge floor model Motorola we owned on Sunday nights in the late 50's, early 60's listening to the only remaining radio shows left on the air...Gunsmoke and Palidan.
Regards. Michaelson

 

[Wild Root]

Well, that's cool how you find tubes! I'm guessing that you have an old radio of some make? Lucky for me I have a friend just around the corner from my place that fixes vintage radios! Even the German ones! He has rooms full of original tubes from the 30's to the 50's. Lots of radios for sell. Yeah, in your area, any antique radio would be fairly priced. Over here, Zeniths are going for stupid amounts of cash! I have two little 1941 table models that are really good sets! Lucky for me I paid $25 for one and $56 for the other. I'll post some photos of them soon in this room.

Keep the tubes burning! Oh, almost for got, you can find parts and N.O.S tubes here at this web sight! Even repro speaker grill cloth for vintage radios and amps!

http://www.tubesandmore.com/


Root.

 

[Michaelson]

Actually at the moment, no, I do not, but am in the market for one sometime soon. Like I said, they're pretty common and affordable over here, so I'm in no hurry. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Wild Root]

Cool! Happy hunting!

Well, just for fun here are some of my collection of antique radios.

This is my 1941 Zenith table model 6-D-525. She works great!

 

[Wild Root]

Here is a Zenith model 5-D-625 from 1941. With a orignal NOS Zenith tube in box! Also a Zenith battery.

 

[Wild Root]

Here are some of my other radios like these two. A 1948 Arvin and a 1946 Northern Electric from Canada.

 

[Wild Root]

This is a 1935 Emerson wich was the first vintage radio to start my collection (left) and a 1939 GE (Right) Bottom left is a 1948 Packard Bell, and right to it is a 1946 Setchell Carloson.

 

[Wild Root]

Here is one of my consoles. A 1936 Grunow All Wave. This set has great sound and a 12" speaker!

PS. the photo on the top of it is of my Grand parents and my Aunt from the early 40's.

 

[Wild Root]

Here is the money shot! This is the dial when on. Don't get better then this!