my first table radio
 

Lost in the shuffle of Thursday's garage sale finds was this; a Zenith table radio. The lady said it didn't work (needed a tube), so for the price of a small latte (never touch the stuff...buy stereos instead :yes: ), I brought it home. I turned it on and after a couple of moments...sweet sound. I can't read the model # on the back, so does anybody know anything about it? How old etc. I mentioned to Mrs. Manning last night I love buying old radios. She said "Oh no! Don't tell me we're branching off now!" :thmbsp:

That one is prolly a K725 or K731...Zenith made 'em by the skillions, but they are VERY good sets...Not seen one of that particular variation, but again, there were umpteen dozen variations...Congrats on a great find...and it WILL get lonely, so you MUST get another...<grin>

Your Zenith is a model B835R, vintage 1956. Also came in a blonde wood finish as a model B835E.

Looks like an H845 - BIG radio - one of their best sounding ones. I think I have the schematic...

-edit- Mike's right - A835 or B835 - see http://radioatticarchives.com/archive_z6.htm

Seeing that is the year I was born I guess i WILL have to get its blonde companion.:yes:

It's an 8-tube to be sure. I'll go with Mike on this one; B835R (the letter on the end I'm sure describes finish color). I have that radio in my stack and it's very similar to the Y832; same face layout, slightly different cabinet. The Y832 also has the 'High Fidelity' script next to the volume, but both radios have the power indicator lamp above the same knob. Zenith stopped doing that on table radios until the MJ 1035.

Don't mess around; re-cap it and put a fuse in the line cord. Also, don't rub too hard on the dial-plate; that gold finish is very thin and rubs off easily. :nono:

Enjoy!

I just scored one of these exact radios on eBay. The model number on it is A835R. Yours looks GREAT! I love the old Zenith radios. Great styling :D

I can vouch for that. I have a C845 in my bedroom that sounds great with that 8" speaker and the 5" tweeter. Pulls in stations like crazy as well, even with the line cord antenna. As I always say about Zenith radios, they don't make them like that anymore! That's one reason I like them so well. Built to last, great sound, and the wood cabinet sets look great in any room in the house. :thmbsp: My K-731, also a great-sounding set from 1963, is in the Early American mahogany cabinet (no legs) that looks like a console TV. Needless to say, I'm keeping both sets. Again I say, when Zenith made these radios they broke the mold. Hold on to your old Zeniths, guys, because, as the Big Lots commercial says, when they're gone, they are gone.