Show us your vintage color sets!

[Steve D.]

Hi Steve,
I think the majority of Sears' color sets were made by RCA. Although that nice looking Silvertone owned by CaptainMoody, has that pull out control panel simlar to Admiral sets of the day. I wonder, seeing so many rectangular color sets on the site suggests that were running out of the roundies

[captainmoody]

Mine was made by Wells-Gardner.

[Steve D.]

Thanks captainmoody,
I have heard of Wells-Gardner, but never saw sets by that name sold here in Cal. Did they manufacturer sets for private label only or did they also market sets under their own name? What tipped you off that the Sears console was made by Wells-Gardner?

[captainmoody]

I was told by Chuck Day, Retired tv man. (worked for him 77-80).
He said they made them for sears, Were private label manuf.

[kc8adu]

Originally posted by captainmoody
Here's a pic of my 67 mag, With the new flyback it is working great, Next task is to take a heat gun to the safety glass and remove that nasty pva in between! In an earlier thread, Someone assumed that the "ugly" antique finish on the cabinet was not original, Sorry to say it is! Yes, It actually came from the factory that way! Ugly but rare.

i was the one that thought the finish was not original because it seems the top is a normal woodgrain.
btw i am rebuilding a maggie tv/stereo combo .
the 25zp22 made by ge is especially bad for cateracts.

[captainmoody]

The darker color on the top is a towel, Space is limited in my shop and I have to stack things! That is all that keeps the top from getting all scratched up from my test jig!

I was told by someone who worked at Wells-Gardner around 1980 or so that they also made sets for Monkey Wards and Admiral. I don't know if the tube-type Admirals were made by W-G, but the Sears sets and Admirals always seemed a bit similar to me. Maybe it was just me, but I could never get a good picture out of a Sears Silvertone. But then, all I knew how to do was change tubes and adjust the service controls.

[captainmoody]

Yes, I know what you are saying about the pix quality on those sets! This one is somehow an exception, Maybe due to the low hours. We threw out these sets by the bunches in the late seventies, Customers never wanted them fixed and never picked them up! They never were as nice as the rca and zenith sets we serviced. I personally feel that Zenith made one of the best sets in the world! At least up until the last chromacolor II sets in 1978.
Someone recently dropped off a 1975 chromacolor II (I own an electronics recycling business) It is Still working great, With original crt, Seems like most of them that come in are that way. However, Anything after 1978 from zenith was so-so and almost always has a bad crt.
Dwight.

[Kamakiri]

Here's one of my cool recent scores....a 21" Silvertone color set.

[Charlie]

Clean lookin Silvertone! Have you plugged it in yet?

[Kamakiri]

Yup, perfect sound but no show. Rob was over a while ago when I first got it, and we determined there's no HV, some under chassis problem.....most likely beyond my scope.

Dunno whether I'm going to keep it or sell it at this point.

[Steve D.]

Good to see a round tube on the forum again. Nice clean Silvertone there I always liked the upright styled consoles.

[Rob]

Tim,

Is that CRT starting to delaminate on the right side there or is that dirt on the outside of the glass?

I've got room for that baby when you don't want to store it any longer.

Rob

[Kamakiri]

Took a closer look....appears to be a spot of dirt on the glass.

[Rob]

Tim,

Phew....That's a relief!...I was really concerned.

Rob