Classic Hifi Care

I got a line on some free oak and maple from a co-worker that has 40 acres of rough sawn planks of 5/4 ... so...I am going to try and build another console , this time out of the Montgomery Wards guts I picked up last year. All I have to do is figure out the spaghetti mess of wires and where they go and try it out first to make sure it works .... the guy I got it from claimed it did, and he meticulously removed all the wires and connections without cutting anything ...so I will attempt to interconnect the chassis on the floor and see if it is alive ...I will place everything on cardboard to insulate me since I am grounded in the basement ... then the fun starts ...

It will probably still be in working condition. It might need a tune-up. That sounds like a fun project and a worthwhile way to save a set of electronics. Make sure to share pictures as you go along. Good luck!

secured the wood ... now to make a bunch of sawdust...

Keep us informed on progress, Elton. That looks like a great project!

What cabinet style did you pick?

Bill

William wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2024 12:18 pm What cabinet style did you pick?

Bill

The carcass is glued up and screwed , cutting the template for the changer , and the radio head ...I went the normal cabinet route, I was thinking about replicating the Magnavox upright models , but this thing has 15" woofers so I wanted some separation... this will be a lowboy window seat style total height is only 28" and to shorten it up I did the woofers on the ends like Magnavox she is 65 " long , my plan is to make louvered grilles for the speakers ... that will take a lot of time ..the legs are from a gutted out RCA, I have had in the rafters for a few years

Looking good, Elton, and this must have 6 speakers?

Bill

William wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2024 11:55 pm Looking good, Elton, and this must have 6 speakers?

Bill

Hi bill , yes 3 speakers per channel , sort of like a Magnavox 15' woofers, 4x10 mid horns, and 4" tweeters... and this as an additional driver stage , instead of 2 preamps then power amp this has 3 preamp stages ...I got the internal structure , plinth and radiohead mount installed... the radio was hard to cut... there is only like 1/4 clearance around the electronics and to leave enough for the benzel to sit on the wood... the other hole beneath it will be an album holder ...

You have done the one simple thing that Magnavox usually didn't--you have isolated the speakers from the record changer.

Chris Campbell

Magnavox used a Masonite shelf between the speakers and the record changer.

Elton, did you ever determine who built this unit for Monkey Wards? Looking at the chassis laying on the floor it was not a cheapy.

Bill

William wrote: ↑Thu Oct 03, 2024 11:19 am Elton, did you ever determine who built this unit for Monkey Wards? Looking at the chassis laying on the floor it was not a cheapy.

Bill

Bill, it was built by Wells Garner... but some of the individual PC boards in the chassis look like magnavox clones, the same type of PC boards and the stenciling on them and components used , almost looks like a Magnavox R-402 chassis ... but it could have been the standard of the day I determined that the power amp was mounted on it's side as the mounting holes are on the bottom of the chassis... that would account for the big cardboard support around the main electrolytic cap being used

Wells-Gardner did not build junk. Their stuff was really good, up there, in my opinion with Stromberg-Carlson, Magnavox and Zenith. You do nice work, Elton. I'll be interested to see how it sounds when you get it done. What kind of grille cloth are you planning to use? I got some cloth from Parts Express for the Stereo Theater that worked out really well. Good luck.....

Interesting, Elton. I have an old Coronado floor radio that WG built and WG was probably 75% the main supplier for Gambles which had the Coronado brand. It was good stuff. Funny thing, at the Gamble Store that I worked at as a kid we of course sold the Coronado brand which rarely gave trouble. As a higher line we also sold Satchell-Carlson which was an upper crust brand with beautiful cabinets. Guess which one gave the most trouble, not Coronado it was Satchell-Carlson.

Bill

electra225 wrote: ↑Thu Oct 03, 2024 5:09 am Magnavox used a Masonite shelf between the speakers and the record changer.

Sometimes. Kinda like a curtain instead of a bathroom door....

Chris Campbell

The top is glued up... I went with a center open lid design like RCA/Motorola

Speaker grille... 3 more to go

Nice work so far. Lookin' good.

Chris Campbell

Louvers, that is cool, Elton, nice job.

Bill

Nice work! The louvers are impressive!