Midwest 17-39 Console Radio

[jonboy55]

I picked up this Midwest 17-39 console today.

It was on Craigs List here in New York.

Made in 1939 and has 17 tubes with electronic tuning.

It has major cabinet problems including a large crack on the top. It will need a new line cord, etc. before I can try it.

Paid $75.00.

[Durski]

She's a beaut. I'm surprised at 17 tubes. Hope you can make her sing.

[Sandy G]

IIRC, Midwest was sort of a "poor man's" version of the mighty E.H. Scott-They kinda aped Scott in features & high tube count. Scott people claimed, of course, that Midwest were mere pretenders to the throne. Another thing was that there was a big kerfuffle around this time when it was revealed that in more than a few high-tube count radios, sometimes the tubes were there more or less just for show, and actually added little, if anything, to the performance of the set. However, this is NOT to say that yr set isn't VERY desirable-On the contrary, it is VERY much so, & should be an EXCELLENT performer ! I think, even w/the cabinet "bloop", you got a STEAL !

[jonboy55]

I've heard many stories about the high tube counts in these radios. People more knowledgable then me are absolutely certain that a number of the tubes were for show only. It's the old story of "the more you got, the better you must be".

I already have another Midwest in my collection that I picked up many years ago. I remember when I finished repairing it I was very happy with the sound. A few minutes later I noticed I forgot to replace one of the tubes in the chassis!!

Need I say more?

PS - The Midwest model number system usually was the number of tubes and then the year - mine is model number 17-39.

[sanford12]

Midwest radios had the coolest dials but the King of high tube counts are the
E H Scotts. I had a Scott 33 tube Philharmonic, beautiful but what a nightmare to work on. I'll look for the pictures and post them if I find them.

[cooljjay]

That looks like polyurethane on the cabinet, what I have heard it is near impossible to remove. People pass up on some really nice radios because of it.

[Sandy G]

E.H. had a model-actually THREE models- that made the 33-tube Plilo look cheap 'n' nasty- the Quaranta series, which checked in w/40, 48, or even 60 little glowing firebottles. They were sold to thirties luminaires like W.C. Fields, & I think bandleader Paul Whiteman had one. A few of the 40 & 48 tube sets have survived-at nearly $10K a pop, when a Ford cost $650-700, & a lot of people considered themselves lucky to have bread 'n' butter on the table-Not too many Quarantas were sold in the 1st place. I don't know if any of the 60 tube wonders have survived-Imagine running up on one at an estate sale somewhere, or in the back of a moldy Aunty-Kue shop....

[skodajag]

Good Afternoon from England

Yours looks a very interesting set. Only a few weeks ago I bought a Midwest Royale 24 tube console radio here in England. Given its year - 1935 - it performs very well indeed. In fact, feeding a modern signal through the pickup socket gives a remarkable quality of sound. I still can't find out whether this set was actually exported to the UK or whether this one found its way here with one of its owners. On the one hand the mains transformer is wound for our UK voltage (240), but the chassis plate indicates that it needs 110V. Either the transformer was rewound at some stage, or they just didn't bother to change the plate. I'd be interested to hear from anyone else with experience of this set.

Lastly, Is that some kind of automatic tuning on the back of the tuning condensor on your set?

regards, Jonathan

[alexkerhead]

Looks awesome!

[toxcrusadr]

The schematic is here:

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByM...9/M0010729.pdf

The output section alone has 1st AF, 2 drivers, inverter, 2 outputs for a total of 6 tubes just for the audio section. Gives you an idea. Nice radio though, I'd collect it in a heartbeat! Make friends with the poly unless you want to strip it. I doubt sanding is a good idea because the doof who poly'd it probably sanded it and the veneer is running thin.