Newcomb TR-16A Record Player

[Bill Cahill]

I've had this machine for a few years. I rebuit it then. Speaker went bad, and, stole another Newcomb speaker.
I't s a model TR-16A.
It's 1947, and, is a two speed, ten watt transcription player.
My grade school had these.
Can anyone find an original rool cart for me?
Here is a picture of it.


Bill Cahill  

[jsowers]

Bill, that's nice to see. I haven't seen one that old before. The ones I remember from school were made in the early 1960s and were a putty gray color. They were also tube-type and large like this one. I believe they will play 16" transcriptions, which were used to record radio shows back in the heyday of radio and before magnetic tape was common.

I have one of the 1960s Newcomb models I bought at one of our school auctions many years ago. I've serviced lots of them in my time. I started working on school AV equipment in 1979 and became my school system's first AV-computer tech in 1985. My job has changed a lot in the past 25 years, but I still have a soft spot for the old stuff. Thanks for posting a picture of your record player.

[McHeath]

A school I taught at in the mid 2000s still had one of those hooked up in the cafeteria basement.  It had a special niche in the wall and the speakers over the stage were wired into it.  You could control the whole sound system without being seen, but from the record player niche you could see the stage so as to time the music.  It was covered in dust and who knows how long it had been since it was last used.  Probably still there.

[Bill Cahill]

I really love these machines. Can anybody find me an original cart for it?
I really need one.
Two wood shelves with formica. Aluminum strip around it.
Four metal legs ending in heavy duty casters.
Speaker went below.
Please help!
They can be dismantled for shipping.
Bill Cahill

[Bill Cahill]

I really love these machines. Can anybody find me an original cart for it?
I really need one.
Two wood shelves with formica. Aluminum strip around it.
Four metal legs ending in heavy duty casters.
Speaker went below.
Please help!
They can be dismantled for shipping.
Bill Cahill

A school I taught at in the mid 2000s still had one of those hooked up in the cafeteria basement.  It had a special niche in the wall and the speakers over the stage were wired into it.  You could control the whole sound system without being seen, but from the record player niche you could see the stage so as to time the music.  It was covered in dust and who knows how long it had been since it was last used.  Probably still there.

Can you locate that machine? Get it for me?

[Bill Cahill]

Pulled out one of my TR-25  25 watt units last night, and, tried it... And, tried it.... And, tried it..........
I'm spoiled!
With as good as the TR-16 sounds, and, believe me, that's very good,  The TR-25 sounds FANTASTIC!
Loud, clear, deep bass, in other words, FANTASTIC!
A friend sent me an e mail with views from several pages of a catalog from 1951, and, 1959 catalogs. They show the list prices for several Newcombs at that time.
All these machines had predicessors that were higher priced, or, in some cases, lower.

Here is what  I gleaned from it.
My particular version of TR-16 originally cost 179.99.
Two speed. One semi permanent needle on GE magnetic cartridge. 10 watt
Color: Maroon.


TR-25AM 3 speed. 25 watt.  color: grey bottom, maroon lid, maroon matched speakers. Dual needle GE magnetic cartridge.
Cost: 299.99.
They also offered 4 speaker systems for 499.99 with 25 watt unit.
They also offered a maroon encased monitor speaker with a 6"X9" speaker to use with the 25 watt unit. It had it's own amplifier with tone, and, volume controls.Price: 199.99.
Bill Cahill

[jsowers]

Bill, those GE magnetic cartridges are well made units. They don't suffer from the same fate as crystal cartridges and some ceramic cartridges. They don't deteriorate over time. I have one in a GE radio-phono from about 1947 (78-only) and it has always played 78s better than any other old record player I own, and doesn't damage them.

The carts I have seen in one or two of our high schools in the past, but not lately. They were Formica-topped and either light green or beige. I had no idea that was their original purpose. They were just used as AV carts. They were trapezoidal--the lower shelf was larger than the upper shelves--and had bands around each shelf to contain the Formica top. Some had two shelves at the top, some had only one. If any ever show up at our yearly auction sale, I'll keep you in mind.

[Bill Cahill]

Thanks. Why don't you ask the school system. Sometimes when they take them out of use they store them away.
Call the AV dept.
Bill Cahill

[Bill Cahill]

Bill, those GE magnetic cartridges are well made units. They don't suffer from the same fate as crystal cartridges and some ceramic cartridges. They don't deteriorate over time. I have one in a GE radio-phono from about 1947 (78-only) and it has always played 78s better than any other old record player I own, and doesn't damage them.

The carts I have seen in one or two of our high schools in the past, but not lately. They were Formica-topped and either light green or beige. I had no idea that was their original purpose. They were just used as AV carts. They were trapezoidal--the lower shelf was larger than the upper shelves--and had bands around each shelf to contain the Formica top. Some had two shelves at the top, some had only one. If any ever show up at our yearly auction sale, I'll keep you in mind.

The ones in my grade school had beige formica, but, I'm not crittical on color. Only originality.
If worn, coroded, I don't care. I still want them.
These carts are just plain hard to find. I don't want the new ones. I want the originals.Thanks.
Bill Cahill

[Bill Cahill]

Has anything come Up?? Haven't heard from you, and, just wondering.
Bill Cahill

[jsowers]

Bill, I think those carts were auctioned off several years ago when the high school got rid of its AV storage room. Sorry! Keep looking.