Monkey Wards Floor-standing radio

[ozmoid]

Well, Spring Cleaning is a little late this year but I uncovered this big guy under stacks of old Tax records (that may very well date back to when this thing worked!). I haven't had a chance to even knock the dust off, and probably won't for a while. It will go back where I found it for the time being, just thought I'd share some photos and see if anyone had experience with this unit.

[Sandy G]

I see 10, 11 tubes, counting the eye tube...Could be a Wells-Gardner...Betcha it would be a good performer...I'd date it from late '30s to mid '40s...

[Brian]

Looks complete. With a little work and a good cleanup of the cabinet, the unit will probably still get the Lone Ranger.

[ozmoid]

Originally Posted by Brian

Looks complete. With a little work and a good cleanup of the cabinet, the unit will probably still get the Lone Ranger.

The only obvious things missing are the knobs. Obviously someone meant to start a restoration, and then stopped before they did more than lose the knobs and rough up a few places in the finish.

I am VERY intrigued by that "two-stage" speaker mount might have to pull that out and have a lookie-loo before I slip it back into it's cubby. I have so many things already occupying space in the house right now awaiting attention, I just can't tackle this big guy for a while.

And oddly, this is the third piece of mono gear to find me in the last little bit. Must be the hat. Yeah, that's it, definitely the hat.

[CarlV]

Hey Sandy, should we tell him we have an Antique Radio forum here?


Carl

Nice radio ozmoid, so much class in the old floorstanders.

[ozmoid]

Originally Posted by CarlV

Hey Sandy, should we tell him we have an Antique Radio forum here?

Carl

Nice radio ozmoid, so much class in the old floorstanders.

Thanks, Carl, don't give Sandy any reason to give me grief! I mean, it is TECHNICALLY a tuner, right?

I guess I knew the radio forum was there, I'm just so used to hanging out in that "solid state" area at the "top O' the page"™ I grabbed the first forum that fit!

Maybe a considerate mod will come along and move it for me?

And yes, this is a really classy unit. That amp/tuner section is HUGE, too. I also noticed there is a mono input on the back of the amp frame, and a switch for "TV" or "RADIO". Hey, it's an "Entertainment center"! Or maybe the world's oldest "multimedia" amp...

[blue_lateral]

Ooooh.... I like that!

John

[fotno]

Moved to correct forum at the request of its slightly addled original poster!

[Chad Hauris]

This set looks like it has a triode push pull output stage, typically 6AC5 power triodes were used. Since these are low gain compared to pentodes or tetrodes like 6F6 or 6V6, there are extra triode driver tubes such as 6J5's used ahead of each 6AC5. These are likely the 4 tubes at the right end, 2 drivers and 2 output triodes. Also there will be another triode phase splitter tube.

We are working on a 1941 Crosley right now which uses the triode outputs and I have a silvertone at home which uses them. I can't say the sound sounds any better than tetrodes/pentodes so am not sure why they chose the triodes but it is an interesting variation...maybe to boost up the "tube count".

[glen65]

What model number is it?

[bgadow]

I've got a couple similiar Airline/Wells-Gardner consoles, plus a down and dirty Truetone/Wells-Gardner. These are solid performers. One of the Airlines I have (a movie-dial) has that same speaker setup. Wooden knobs were typically installed. Some generic ones should be good enough.

[ozmoid]

Here's the label- and yes Sandy, it is a Wells-Gardner.

[David Roper]

All fat-pin tubes and a TV sound input, that's wild. The "standard" glass types were all still readily available in 1939-42 (and cheaper than octals), but it's very unusual to see them used exclusively in any set later than 1936 model year.

[Tom Bavis]

Schematic and alignment: http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByM...5/M0023385.pdf

[ozmoid]

Awesome Tom, Thanks! You rule