'70's Newcomb AM-500 tube radio

[radiotvnut]

Here's an institutional grade Newcomb AM-500 5-tube AM radio that contains a power transformer and 6V6 output stage. I don't know how old this is; but, I'm seeing clues that indicate that it may be from the '70's. It uses the later style red/blue "N" logo, it has a 3-wire AC cord, the tubes have the newer block style "RCA" logo, and the electrical rating on the back cover is in "Hz", instead of cycles. The only thing that suggest it may be older is the presence of CD markings on the dial; which, were mostly gone by the mid '60's. I guess since this was a commercial radio, they decided to retain these markings. The radio plays; but, will need the usual control cleaning. As new as it is, it probably does not use any paper capacitors; so, I should be OK there. Of course, I'll know more once I pull the chassis. For those who don't know, Newcomb made record players and PA amplifiers for the institutional market and I think they were one of the last companies to use tubes. By the early '80's, they had gone out of business.

[1966C10]

Nice find!

[radiotvnut]

I found 1972 date codes on both the filter capacitor and speaker.

[maxhifi]

That's awesome... One of the last
BroadcAst band tube radios ever made in the USA?

[Sandy G]

Nice set.

[ggregg]

Very cool, looks 20 years older than it is. Probably sounds great with that big old oval speaker. I still remember growing up with Newcomb record players in school. Seems like every school had Newcomb record players and Setchell Carlson TV's back then.

[bob91343]

I believe it was 1972 when I interviewed with Newcomb himself. I was trying to promote an idea but he thought I hadn't taken it far enough for him to be interested.

He wasn't a young man then. I suspect his was essentially a one man operation and when he stopped, so did the company.

Their big products were public address amplifiers. They had a cute gimmick called 'the big red knob' which I think was some sort of tone control, used in juke boxes for example.

[radiotvnut]

I've mainly been exposed to their record players and most all of them seem to be top notch. I have one lower end maroon cased record player of theirs from the late '50's that contains a lower end 3-tube power-transformerless amp; but, it still sounds decent. One day, I'd like to own one of those big monster stereophonic transcription models with the big tube amp.

[KentTeffeteller]

Most Newcomb gear was well made and very conservatively designed. One reason why a lot of it lasted. Newcomb did have a few cheapie transformerless items, but not many. Didn't know there was a Stereophonic Newcomb transcription player, I'd love to have a Newcomb transcription player in mono with the GE VR II let alone a Stereo model.

[radiotvnut]

Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DMOVtOcGHs

[Celt]

My Jr. High school had a stereo Newcomb record player with two 6x9" whizzer cone speakers. Sucker sounded good too.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by maxhifi

That's awesome... One of the last
BroadcAst band tube radios ever made in the USA?

They went through all that trouble to build an AM receiver and not include a tuned RF stage, with a three gang tuner.
It's still a highly desirable set.

[Sandy G]

If you EVER get tired of it, I'm SURE it could find a LOVING home in NE Tennessee... (grin)

[toxcrusadr]

The whole radio looks to be 50s except for all the details you pointed out like date codes. Weird it would still have CD markings too. Ya just never know!