Relics of a bygone era.......More pics added. See these.

[Bill Cahill]

I especially love that Silvertone with the tunning eye.
Nice set. I wouldn't re finnish that. Looks too nice.
Other one looks nice, also.....
If you need help on these I can help you. Been restoring stuff for years.
I miss my dad's Magnavox 1946 radio-phonograph. It was a deluxe model using 4 6L6 tubes on the seperate amp chassis.
It had am, early fm, and, two shortwave bands. A tunning eye, and, deluxe 78 rpm Webster Chicago record changer. Changer had a solonoid in it so if you were too lazy to get up, and, wanted to change the record, you could push a button on the front panel of the radio.
I sure miss that set.....
Bill Cahill

[jsowers]

I miss my dad's Magnavox 1946 radio-phonograph. It was a deluxe model using 4 6L6 tubes on the seperate amp chassis.
It had am, early fm, and, two shortwave bands. A tunning eye, and, deluxe 78 rpm Webster Chicago record changer. Changer had a solonoid in it so if you were too lazy to get up, and, wanted to change the record, you could push a button on the front panel of the radio.
I sure miss that set.....
Bill Cahill

Bill, that Maggie sounds like a nice one. I took two years of electronics at the local Community College, but that was almost 30 years ago, so I've forgotten a lot of it. The first year was TV servicing and the second was all kinds of electronics. I work on computers now and there isn't a lot of component level repair, nor are there schematics to follow, so I may be a bit rusty there. Thanks for the offer for help.

While I was at the college, someone brought in a Magnavox like you mentioned, but it was a little bit later model. Beautiful maple cabinet, AM and FM, and it had a separate amp chassis. I got to work on it and I'll never forget my instructor saying with surprise, "It's bi-amped!" It had a separate amp circuit for treble and another for bass. That circuit was where the problem was. I followed the schematic and replaced a few parts. Once I got it working, it had wonderful sound and we played it in the classroom for weeks, checking it out.

I have a Zenith radio-phono from the same year as your dad's Magnavox. It has a Cobra-Matic changer with a snake tone arm (complete with snake eyes and the needle looks like fangs) and a reject button on the radio side to change records. It has both FM bands and when I last played it, it worked fine, but needed some lubrication on the tuner. It's a huge thing and sits in the basement. One day I'll get around to it.

I have a 1942 Philco console in the spare bedroom that has a Music on a Beam of Light changer that doesn't work. One of the poorest designed idler mechanisms I've ever seen, but very neat looking because the tone arm lights up. The radio works fine, though, and came from a donor console exactly like it. The cabinet of the one that worked didn't have a scratch, but the radio didn't work. I found a beat up console exactly like it for $1 at an auction and it played perfectly! So I swapped things around and got one good radio. I think the 1942 models may be a bit rarer than the others because of WWII, sort of like cars, because production was curtailed for the war effort. I haven't seen many of them. My dad's first car was a '42 Ford, so I've heard the stories about '42 models being rare all my life.

[Bill Cahill]

Don't know what happenned to my restored picture of my Edison Standard model  B, but, I took new ones. Here they are.
Same motor, case. Exact replacement lid, crank, reproducers, horn, and, upper works.
Originally a 2  min. only machine, I converted it to 2, 4 minuite.
Record cleaning brush on back of carriage is also original to the machine.
Bed plate screws are also original.
This machine came out in 1905.
Notice in the last picture I was playing my favorite Edison Blue Amberol cylinder record  "Waltz Memories".
Bill Cahill

[Dennis Markham]

Bill, that is very nice.  I would be great to hear the sound coming from it.  Nice job on that restoration!

[Bill Cahill]

Bill, that is very nice.  I would be great to hear the sound coming from it.  Nice job on that restoration!

pm me your phone no. I'll call, and, play the very record on it now.
B C

[McHeath]

Spent the last few days over at the coast on vacation.  Hit a lot of antique shops looking for phones, found a lot of highly overpriced modular phones, prices like $65 for a late 70's ivory 500.  Kwazy.  Badly cracked up 1984 Princess for $28.  Huh?  Needless to say I bought nothing.  

By the way, in grade school we had alot of kids fights, but, nothing lethal.
Usually a black eye, or, something like that.

In my neck of the woods an actual come-to-blows fight in school is rare these days.  The kids fight way less than we did in my era, which is interesting.  We went a whole year in 2007-08' at a continuation high school without a single fight.  

[foots]

Not to get too far off topic but now days, kids do seem to fight less, but the sad thing is that they just shoot each other now.

[Dennis Markham]

Bill Cahill gave me a call this morning and played his Edison Standard for me to hear.  I was surprised at how clear the music sounded.  What a thrill to bring something back to life that has been silent for so long.  Great refurbish job on this antique Bill.  You should be proud of the work you've done to bring this machine back to life again.  Just like with our old telephones, I'm sure the person that assembled that player in 1905 never dreamed someone in 2009 would be listening to it play.

[HobieSport]

Bill Cahill gave me a call this morning and played his Edison Standard for me to hear.  I was surprised at how clear the music sounded.  What a thrill to bring something back to life that has been silent for so long.  Great refurbish job on this antique Bill.  You should be proud of the work you've done to bring this machine back to life again.  Just like with our old telephones, I'm sure the person that assembled that player in 1905 never dreamed someone in 2009 would be listening to it play.

That's very cool and so nice of Bill. Now then...next time could you record and post an avi. (?) file about what the Edison sounds like when listened to on a 1950s WE 500? Pure listening heaven.

[Bill Cahill]

  Thanks, Dennis. It used to haunt me hearing dead people singing again. What's the difference. We'll all be singing in the next life anyway.
I'm thrilled to be saving these machines for my enjoyment, and, future generations to know about.
That is two machines I've brought back from the dead just in the last ten years.
The other is an earlier model B 2 min. Edison Home phonograph.
wait!
Three machines!
I got a box full of junk edison parts some time ago, and, completely refurbished it.
It's a model B Edison Home converted to 2, 4 minuite.
It's nother one of my accomplishments to bring something back to life from the dead.............
Bill Cahill

[Kenny C]

I have the same Bing Cosby record mine has a date of 1949

[Doug Rose]

Hey Bill....nice thought. i agree 100%. We are extending history for the next generation. Nothing is more fun than seeing the little ones trying to dial the rotary phones.....Doug

[Bill Cahill]

Well, I thought I'd show a couple of new pictures of both my Standard, and, my latest project, my Edison Fireside model A phonograph. It was a bed plate in a junk repro. cabinet when I got it. Almost finnished, it's now a complte machine in an original bottom case. It still needs work, but, plays records. Pics. follow....
Bill Cahill

[Dan/Panther]

Jonathan;
I just noticed in your last photo, I have that same Bing Crosby album.
D/P