Information about the company Fidelity

[gloves86]

Hi everyone

I'm new here, so hoping someone will be willing to help me out!

I'm a student at Loughborough university studying Product Design and for one of my projects I have to redesign a Fidelity Westminster valve operated record player. Part of the brief is that I have to talk about Fidelity as a company and the product history of the record player (e.g. previous/later models of the player I have)

I've been searching for days for some information, but can't find anything useful. I was hoping that someone here might be able to help me out a little, or at least point me in the right direction!

I've included a picture of the player, so you have an idea of which one I'm talking about.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...s/DSC_0458.jpg

Any help is much appreciated

Thank you.

Rachael.

[Herald1360]

Not much help, but it looks like Fidelity may have used the same name on various models. There's a somewhat higher specced red one up for auction at the moment (first response to googling fidelity westminster).

Yours looks like a pretty little portable, but the turntable is definitely a "low end" model.

[Tom_I]

Hello Rachael

Does it actually say "Fidelity" anywhere on this machine? Is there a plate with a model number (Fidelity record players are usually HF with two digits)? The reason I ask is that there certainly was a 60s Fidelity model called the Westminster, but that isn't it. It's shown in photo 1 below.

There could of course have been different models with the same name, but "Westminster" was also an "own brand" trade name used by Currys, the electrical retailers, for equipment made by other manufacturers. The badge on your record player looks suspiciously like those used on Westminster-branded radios made by Perdio. So while it is perfectly possible that this record player was made by Fidelity, it may be inaccurate to call it a Fidelity Westminster.

As for history, there doesn't seem to be anything much around. The company was called Fidelity Radio Ltd, with head office in Blechynden Street, North Kensington, London. Their products were generally pitched at the cheaper end of the market.

The record player you have is typical of 60s portables, generally aimed at the younger user. Dansette made similar units, as did other manufacturers. The turntable is made by BSR. I don't know about earlier Fidelity units, but a couple of later ones were the HF31 and HF42, shown below in that order. The HF42 was also seen in an artificial woodgrain finish, and was quite popular in the early 70s. These things crop up regularly on eBay.

Not much help, I'm afraid, but others may have more to add.

Tom

(If any of this sounds disjointed, Herald1360 got in first while I was typing this.)

[AndiiT]

Originally Posted by Tom_I

........"Westminster" was also an "own brand" trade name used by Currys, the electrical retailers, for equipment made by other manufacturers. The badge on your record player looks suspiciously like those used on Westminster-branded radios made by Perdio......

I can confirm that the "Westminster" badge is indeed the one used by Currys, my parents owned a radiogram with an identical badge on it. The player does, however, look like a Fidelity unit that one of my former neighbours once owned and I have read elsewhere on these forums that Currys did "badge engineer" some Fidelity products.

With reference to Fidelity Radio Ltd., I can't add much more than has already been added, but I don't ever recall them ever naming any of their record players, most of the mono ones having a model number beginning HF and the stereo ones having model numbers beginning UA (for Unit Audio)

The only Fidelity equipment that I have seen named is their range of Tape Recorders (Argyll Major and Minor, Playmatic, Playmaster and Braemar)

It may be worth widening your search on the net to include Fidelitys tape recorders and see what comes up.

Regards
Andrew

[howard]

Hello Rachael,

Fidelity Radio Ltd. started building radios in 1947 and their first set was the model 2546 also known as the "caravan" set. They went out of business in the 1970s. You'll find a list of some of their radios (but only 1 record player and 1 tape recorder) here...

http://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_herst...ompany_id=6918

You will find a bit more information in the book 'Radio! Radio!' by Jonathan Hill.

Howard

[Welsh Anorak]

Hi
I agree with Tom - that looks like a Currys own-brand Dansette-buster! Trouble is it's difficult to know who actually made it, though Fidelity is a possibility.
As a bit of information, the Fidelity brand vanished in the seventies after making a number of cheap reel-to-reels, then appeared again with cheap portable TVs (British made!!) in the early eighties, with a range including some awful audio systems-cum-TVs (I kid you not).
The brand then came under Mr Sugar's Amstrad wing in the nineties, making televideos, some called Amstrad Fidelity.
It then became a badge for cheap imported TVs in the late nineties. They seem to be dormant now!
I'm intrigued by your project - tell us more!!
Glyn

[gloves86]

Wow! Thanks very much for all the information guys...it's all really useful stuff! I should have come here days ago instead of trawling google for hours. I searched every term on google...but presumed for a long time (knowing absolutely nothing about the player) that it was actually manufactured by the seemingly elusive 'Westminster'...oh well - you live and learn I suppose!

The module this is for is called Design for Assembly - it's basically evaluating an existing product and seeing how you can redesign it, whilst maintaining the same functionality and aesthetics, to be fewer parts and easier/faster to manufacture and assemble to bring production costs down.

As an example of how this particular product is very bad - there are nuts and bolts holding the handle on, crosshead screws attaching the front latches and flathead screws attaching the rear hinges...all this leads to extended assembly time due to having to change tools for each part. In the redesign (presuming you still went for bought in parts rather than living hinges etc) all the fastenings would be standardised - i.e. all flathead OR crosshead OR bolts...not three different types essentially doing the same job! The whole product is evaluated like that.

I bought this LP before I came to university, as I got my hands on some rare Smiths vinyl, and it's come in really handy for this particular project!

Again, thank you so much for all your help! It's always nice to know that there are people out there willing to lend a hand.

Oh just as a side point, the LP player is getting stripped (not completely into separate pieces, but the Tufnol has to come off so I can identify the wood underneath), so if anyone wants it for spares or a restoration project you're more than welcome to it. I need it until just after Christmas, but just drop me an email if you'd like it when I'm done.

[ben]

Originally Posted by gloves86

I bought this LP before I came to university, as I got my hands on some rare Smiths vinyl, and it's come in really handy for this particular project!

hate to be the bringer of bad news, but....that is a mono player, doubtless fitted with a mono pickup/stylus with high tracking weight. playing 80s stereo lps on it will ruin them! may morrissey forgive you...!

Ben

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by gloves86

Oh just as a side point, the LP player is getting stripped (not completely into separate pieces, but the Tufnol has to come off so I can identify the wood underneath), so if anyone wants it for spares or a restoration project you're more than welcome to it.

That's a shame. Although it's a cheap and cheerful machine, it's in excellent condition.

It's quite possible to take it apart... then put it back together again without damaging anything. People like us do this all the time, when restoring old equipment such as this. You'd get a few quid for it on eBay too.

By the way, it's not Tufnol, but Rexine (and probably Vynair on the panel on which the record deck is mounted). And you should be able to peel off a corner to glance underneath, then stick it back on again invisibly

Nick.

[peter_sol]

I am sure the wood would have been plywood, so maybe no need to peel off the covering.

[Station X]

The case probably isn't covered on the inside anyway, so a look inside should reveal the material used. It is almost certainly plywood.

[gloves86]

Originally Posted by ben

hate to be the bringer of bad news, but....that is a mono player, doubtless fitted with a mono pickup/stylus with high tracking weight. playing 80s stereo lps on it will ruin them! may morrissey forgive you...!

Ben

Oh dear! I think they've survived though luckily...only played them on there a few times then got given some decks by a friend. They sounded fine on there, so lucky escape me thinks!

Unfortunately the cover has been removed already...it was peeling in some places anyway, and I never really liked the colour to be honest! I might recover it, but can't see myself having time to be honest. It has just been stood gathering dust for 2 and a half years though to be fair. Nothing else is being taken apart to that degree...you were right though, mostly plywood, with some fibre board thrown in for good meaure. It defnitely wasn't electrically safe either, used to get a massive jolt everytime I used it (another reason I stopped using it!) I know this can be fixed, but I'm a product and processes engineer unfortunately, not an electrical one!

Thanks for correcting me on the material! I was having trouble identifying it, so took a stab at Tufnol, and had no idea what the deck material was.

[thermionic]

Hi !
I had one of these players as a child. It was second hand when I had it. I can confirm that it is a rexine covered plywood cabinet. Mine was red!
There was no obvious link to Fidelity in any way. It was a Currys 'own brand' so could have been made by many manufacturers.
I can remember the top section -beside the volume & tone controls, getting pretty hot after a short space of time. This was due to the 2 valves - (UY85 & UL84 - no surprises there!) Being mounted horizontally underneath, making the rexine go soft!
It served it's purpose well giving many hours of delight. I think one problem I had was that the speaker cone became distorted due to heat build up.

As for Fidelity - I think they continued as a independant until the mid to late eighties - then being absorbed by Amstrad. Their Managing director was called Jack Dickson - If memory serves well!
Good luck with your project!

Simon T.

[dazzlevision]

Hello,

Here's some information about the Fidelity Radio Ltd company:

Fidelity Radio Ltd, 11 Blechynden Street, London, W11 (in 1947 and 1964). The “Trader” 1964 yearbook also lists: Mersey Works, Mersey Street, London, W10 and Archdale Works, Belchynden Street, London, W11. In 1967 & 68, at Olaf Street, London, W11 (factory). Fidelity Radio Limited, Victoria Road, London NW10 6ND (final location).

Radio manufacturer, founded by Jack Dickman in 1946 (still the MD in 1967). Later also tape recorders, radiograms, stereo systems and TVs. For a time, in the late 1970s/early 1980s, they also made TV, radio & HiFI sets under the HMV brand name.

Taken over by Caparo Industries in the mid 1980’s and closed down in the late 1980’s. Alan Sugar’s Amstrad plc bought the rights to the Fidelity brand name.

Regards,

Dazzlevision

[plumbweiss]

I believe Caparo (mainly Steel Manufacturers) were hoping to take Fidelity's TV business more upmarket after Fidelity, by the early 80's had managed to successfully engineer some very cheap 14in colour portables under own-brand and 'Britannia' (for independent retailers) in the days when far-eastern competition was controlled by import duty. However Caparo later discovered that Fidelity's success on paper had been somewhat embellished by their accountants and lawsuits followed, resulting in Caparo winding up the factory and selling on the name.

The later 14in TVs eg ZX2000 etc came in some lovely cabinet styles with tinted glass screens reminiscent of some of the B&O stuff, some of their portable radios of the 70's were similar in appearance to certain Roberts models albeit made from hardboard, plastic and vinyl.

[gloves86]

Brilliant! More fantastic info. I can't thank you all enough...you've been a massive help!

[ianj]

Yeah, they were churning out tv sets at North Acton until 1988, when they folded un der the wing of Caparo--It seemed that EVERYONE had a Fidelity record player(that white stereo one) or a music centre from them in the 70s.....................................Amstrad, who own the name now, use it (along with Amstrad) in Italy, currently.......................ianj

[plumbweiss]

From memory they had the accolade of being the last British-owned TV manufacturer after Ferguson had been bought by Thomson..? Or was it the other way round..??

[Patrick Dixon]

I think it was probably the other way round. ISTR that Ferguson were part of the same group that owned Thames TV, becuase when I worked for them in the 80s we got a staff discount (and cheap ABC cinema tickets too). I'm sure Fidelity had gone by then.

I had an orange Fidelity record player at boarding school in the 70s, and I also did my first degree at Lufbra.

[ben]

way back when, everyone seemed to have a fidelity playmaster tape recorder with BSR deck as their first reel to reel, and a fidelity Unit Audio with BSR deck as their first stereo record player ;-)