Any thoughts on Howard radios?

[Tubejunke]

I have two Howard radios that I would say are from the 1930s. Both work and seem to be very well made. Neither has a bit of restoration. I know people think that caps are essential, and electronically that is good advice, but I have seen so many TVs and radios that work perfectly with original caps and if I can I like to keep them that way.

Anyway, this isn't about caps. I just wonder how many people have these or know much about them. Some opinions would be cool. Last night I had to remove a bad 6V6G from one that tested bad. It was an original Howard, same as most of the rest. I sort of hate to see the originals go. I think it would be smart to save this tube for proper appearance if or when it ever matters. 70ish year old caps and tubes are a bit hard to believe, but it does happen.

Supposedly the Great Depression took this company out. Too bad, could have been another DuMont, but then again it didn't take a depression to take DuMont out! Their quality went from superb to marginal at best in about a decade.

[radiotvnut]

I have a Howard radio/phono combo from just after WWII. It's a 5-tube AC/DC chassis that uses a Webster 78 rpm record changer. It seems to be as good of quality as anything else from the same period.

[Tubejunke]

Interesting, I thought that the company went under during or now perhaps right after the depression. I guess just after WW2 would be sort of right after that. I think that what I have seen is a bit superior in quality to others of that time, but that's just an opinion.

[Sandy G]

Seems like I've read a LITTLE about Howard in some of my SWL stuff, & they were SUPPOSED to be pretty good stuff-At least in the Thirties.

[truetone36]

I have a late 40's Howard chairside radio/phono. It's a good quality radio.BTW, Howard Radio was bought by Earl Muntz in the early 50's, IIRC.

[Tubejunke]

Originally Posted by truetone36

I have a late 40's Howard chairside radio/phono. It's a good quality radio.BTW, Howard Radio was bought by Earl Muntz in the early 50's, IIRC.

That's interesting because once I was looking up a bit of the history and the idea was that Howard was very well made equipment and too well made to survive the Great Depression. Maybe that didn't mean that they went under just then, same as DuMont's name was still on sets into the 90s at least.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

Seems like I've read a LITTLE about Howard in some of my SWL stuff, & they were SUPPOSED to be pretty good stuff-At least in the Thirties.

It seems they were one of the plant "A" type firms in Chicago. The products they built were very basic, to high quality multi tube sets.
They built the McMurdo-Silver Masterpiece series.
They built the first Hallicrafters receivers, up to 1938.
They also built their own high quality communications receivers with their name and one for Sears and Montgomery Ward.
An interesting company, to be sure.

[teevee]

A model 400, just back from cabinet restoration.
From the Bunis book: 400 , console, 1937, wood, upper front dial, lower cloth grill with horizontal bars, 4 knobs, BC, SW, 12 tubes, AC.