The first Truetone I got way back in 2002. I repaired the radio, but never bothered with fixing the cabinet. The cabinet was in bad condition with the veneer peeling off. And the top had been cut in two, and then nailed back together. I liked the radio enough to keep it for a long time, but the cabinet was far gone enough that I never really wanted to mess with it. The second one I got recently. My plan is to just combine the two, putting the chassis I already repaired into the better cabinet.
The knobs and the back on each radio are different. I don't know which knobs are original. The first one has cardboard covered antenna which mounts to the chassis, which sticks out beyond the back of the cabinet, and no holes in the cabinet for mounting a more traditional back. The second one has an antenna mounted to the chassis which doesn't stick out, and holes in the cabinet for mounting the back. Both the back of the antenna on the first radio, and the back of the 2nd radio, say "Truetone Stratosope eliminates aerial and ground." Both versions look original to me.
I found two sets of pictures of these radios online:
http://www.radioatticarchives.com/radio.htm?radio=7444
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1940...4AAOSwSclXLkoA
The first set of pictures has front knobs different from both of mine, and a side knob like my 1st radio. It has neither the larger antenna nor the back, but there are no holes for mounting the back like my on 1st radio.
The second set of pictures has front knobs that are neither like either of mine, nor like the one in the other picture. The side knob is like my second radio. It also has neither the large antenna nor the back, but it has holes for mounting a back like my 2nd radio does.
When I combine the radios, I think I'm going to go with the large antenna that sticks out from my 1st one, just because that back on my 2nd one is falling apart. But I'm not sure about the knobs. I kind of like the combination of the front knobs from the 2nd radio, with the side knob from the 1st. Anyone have another one of these to compare?