Who Built this Set?
 

Tom/ Electronic M gave me this Japanese hybrid set last weekend. It's branded Truetone, has solid state tuners, and 9 tube sockets from what I can see. The only number I can find on the chassis is CTS-1935. I wanted to tinker with the set, but I don't know what tubes the set uses. I looked in the Sams index and can't find any model or chassis numbers under Truetone that match. The cabinet is steel and uses a wooden hardboard cover on the underside. The back of the set is missing. Maybe someone knows who manufactured this set.
Ed

The last Truetone tabletop I saw was made by Admiral Oversees.

Maybe check the underside of the pc boards for a trademark? Can you find an EIA number on the crt label?

Bryan, the crt and lone tube is branded NEC. I'll have to open the bottom tomorrow and have look. I didn't see an EIA number on any of the boards so far. Nothing in the Sams for this set under Nippon Electric Corp.

A few more pictures. I saw a Motorola HEP transistor in the set so I checked Quasar numbers. Quasar uses the CTS letters for some sets, but the CTS 1935 was not listed.

Looks like an NEC but since they didnt sell under there own
name back then its hard to tell on this old stuff.

73 Zeno:smoke:
LFOD !

There was a Japanese firm, Yauo electric, that sold products badged "General", everywhere but here. They did build private label sets for sale here.
I had a Walgreen's Transistor B/W TV, branded "Tonemaster". It was identical to the collectable Philco set, that had the Ford "Mustang" logo, that was built by them.

The cabinet reminds me a lot of a late 70's Midland color set I had; real cheap, from Taiwan as I recall, but I don't remember who made it. I know Western Auto sold Midland as they first new TV I ever bought was a 12" Midland from there.

Wasn't Truetone Western Auto's house brand?

Yes it was. The trouble is I only have one number off the chassis. That number is not listed in the Sam's index. Western Auto like many other retailers had other companies manufacture sets for them. I've been going through the Sams folder I do own numbered above 1000 trying to find a set that matches. I haven't come across one yet. I did find that Zayre stores used a GE chassis in one of its portables.

Have you looked at Sanyo? They have been in North America since the 60's making house brand electronics, and they have owned Warwick for ages.

I checked Sanyo, no luck. This morning I continued looking through some more of my Sams folders. I've bee comparing rear view pictures of all the color portables made by Japanese manufacturers. To my surprise I found a picture match.:banana: The set was also sold by Midland. The Midland model is 15-228. It's in Sam's folder 1263-1, dated 8-72. The Midland matches the tube layout, same chassis, same steel cabinet, same solid state tuners and crt number. The only difference is the name plate from what I can see.

I believe it's a Sharp.

If Sharp did produce this set, I have no way to verify it. I only have a scattering of Sam's folders above 850. Maybe 100 or so between 1969 through 1989.

I had a early to mid 70s Sharp set and i remember the chassis looked just like that even down to the blue Scan coils yoke. Slightly different style cabinet front though