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Motorola 3-Ch w/Vibrasonic Drexel cab Bloomington, IL $300
Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2023 3:03 pm
by macgolf
I really need to quit checking out FBM.

After checking out MM's and others threads about these styles of Motorolas, it makes my 3-Ch Philco seem simple. PP 6BM8 and SE 6BQ5 amps.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... _type=post
"Mid 20th Century Motorola SK55W Stereo Console with Drexel Cabinet
Brand: Motorola, Drexel
Model: SK55W
Materials: Walnut, Metal
Working Condition: Fully functional.
Components Included: AM/FM Stereo Tuner, Turntable, Speakers
Serial Number: 724624.
Fantastic vintage sound produced by a vacuum tube system with 6 vintage speakers.
Please note. This is heavy!"
Not sure why 1st pic posted multiple times.
Mark
Re: Motorola 3-Ch w/Vibrasonic Drexel cab Bloomington, IL $300
Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2023 3:29 pm
by Firedome
It may be made Mid-Century, but not MCM, which seems to be the latest buzzword.
Re: Motorola 3-Ch w/Vibrasonic Drexel cab Bloomington, IL $300
Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2023 7:03 pm
by William
It has the same guts mine does, but mine is really a MCM Drexel cabinet that looks like it has been run over by a bulldozer. It's on the list of someday I will get to it.
Bill
Re: Motorola 3-Ch w/Vibrasonic Drexel cab Bloomington, IL $300
Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 9:12 am
by walyfd
Hope that wallpaper isn't included in the sale....
Re: Motorola 3-Ch w/Vibrasonic Drexel cab Bloomington, IL $300
Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 3:22 pm
by Firedome
I like the receiver in this Moto unit, but not the cabinet. it's an SE 6BQ5 or a 6BM8 PP? At least NOS 6BM8s are still fairly reasonable.
Evidently wallpaper is back in style! Our daughter just put it on 1 wall of 3 rooms of her very modern house in Denver!
Re: Motorola 3-Ch w/Vibrasonic Drexel cab Bloomington, IL $300
Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2023 6:28 pm
by macgolf
Bill, are the Drexel cabs as stout as they appear? The seller claims it's heavy but "heavy" is relative. My Philco is heavy compared to my others but definitely not CG heavy.
I think that cab looks at home with that wallpaper. Our stucco walls take wallpaper out of the equation. That's a good thing as far as I'm concerned.
I believe it has a both a PP 6BM8 and a SE EL84. I don't have any experience with the 6BM8 but my Wards console has a SE 6GW8 Wells-Gardner receiver. I believe the 6BM8 and 6GW8 are both pentode/triode combination tubes. I bought a NOS pair for the MW and don't remember them being overly expensive.
Mark
Re: Motorola 3-Ch w/Vibrasonic Drexel cab Bloomington, IL $300
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2023 12:50 am
by William
Drexel cabinets are what I would call heirloom furniture quality, so yes, they are kind of on the heavier side. Also keep in mind there is a VM changer in there, plus the reverb amp and the spring thing that makes the reverb. Also, the amp with its large PT and three output transformers, plus the tuner/preamp, plus if it's like mine there are 7 speakers in it. Putting all of that together makes it kind of heavy.
It also has 6-6BM8 tubes and 2-6BQ5's plus all the other tubes that make up the different chassis.
Check this out:
https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/motorola_ ... s_862.html
Bill
Re: Motorola 3-Ch w/Vibrasonic Drexel cab Bloomington, IL $300
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2023 12:57 am
by electra225
Bill, is that the model that uses the 3DG4 rectifier?
Re: Motorola 3-Ch w/Vibrasonic Drexel cab Bloomington, IL $300
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2023 1:00 am
by William
Yes it is!
Bill
Re: Motorola 3-Ch w/Vibrasonic Drexel cab Bloomington, IL $300
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2023 1:22 am
by macgolf
Bill,
Thanks for the info on the Drexel cabs. I can see now the weight easily adding up. And now it's down to $150.
3DG4 rectifier is a new one for me. I recognized the power and driver tubes and some of the more common tuner tubes but couldn't pick out a rectifier from the RadioMuseum website list.

I need to stay off of FBM.
Mark
Re: Motorola 3-Ch w/Vibrasonic Drexel cab Bloomington, IL $300
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2023 3:12 am
by William
You need to stay off, and I wish I could join FBM. I have tried joining twice and both time my joining was successful. The next time I went to log in it ask if it was ME, I said yes, and then it kicked me out. I gave up deciding that I was not meant to be on Facebook.
Bill