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Vintage Radio (domestic) Domestic vintage radio (wireless) receivers only. |
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4th Nov 2018, 5:53 pm | #1 |
Dekatron
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Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK.
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Songster radio (yes, the gramophone needle makers).
Does anyone happen to recognise the chassis of this little mains transportable? It's branded as Songster, the trademark of J. Stead of Sheffield who were among the largest UK producers of gramophone needles, but I'm expecting it to have been made for them rather than by them as it's the only Songster radio I've ever heard of or seen.
Paul |
12th Nov 2018, 12:46 am | #2 |
Dekatron
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Location: Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK.
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Re: Songster radio (yes, the gramophone needle makers).
What an attractive set! It must be pretty rare. Does the valve line-up provide any clues?
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12th Nov 2018, 1:11 am | #3 |
Dekatron
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Re: Songster radio (yes, the gramophone needle makers).
Not to me. Rectifier (Cossor) and two metallised valves are unreadable. Output is a Cossor 402P, beside it is a Mazda VP1322.
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12th Nov 2018, 7:43 am | #4 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Mar 2011
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Re: Songster radio (yes, the gramophone needle makers).
Hi Paul
What a lovely looking set, I do hope it can be preserved. Mike |
12th Nov 2018, 9:52 am | #5 |
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Re: Songster radio (yes, the gramophone needle makers).
Hi Mike,
It should survive the move to Norfolk with us, and I'll hope to set about its sympathetic restoration sooner or later. The handle - I expect it's original - appears to be of the same type fitted to many a portable gramophone, the leather has long since gone. Considerable heat from the cabinet won't have helped it. Gilbert, remembered for its gramophones, was another Sheffield firm which went briefly into radio. I've only occasionally heard of their sets, but of Songster ones there seems barely a trace beyond this little survivor. The company turned to producing hand tools, particularly it seems screwdrivers, before folding in the 1980s: https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/J._Stead_and_Co Paul |
12th Nov 2018, 10:30 am | #6 |
Dekatron
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Re: Songster radio (yes, the gramophone needle makers).
Thanks for that link to Grace’s Guide, Paul. An interesting but ultimately sad tale of a company that flourished for 7 decades by specialising in supplying other successful industries. Demand for its principal product, gramophone needles, must in particular have seemed like it would continue forever. Clearly they were essentially a mechanical engineering supplier rather than a radio manufacturer.
It might be worth creating a brief model page on RM.org as this might bring other sets out of the woodwork. On the other hand, it must be exciting to speculate that you might own the sole surviving example.
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Phil Optimist [n]: One who is not in possession of the full facts |
12th Nov 2018, 11:16 am | #7 |
Rest in Peace
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Basildon, Essex, UK.
Posts: 4,100
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Re: Songster radio (yes, the gramophone needle makers).
I wholeheartedly agree with Phil, this could be a very rare radio and it would be nice to see it represented in the Radio Museum. The Manufacturer Stead & Co was added to RM in 2017. https://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_hers...mpany_id=12985
If you would care to email the photos to me and give as much information as possible, dimensions, valves, voltages etc then I would be happy to add it for you. Mike |
15th Nov 2018, 11:22 am | #8 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Re: Songster radio (yes, the gramophone needle makers).
Thanks for the offer, Mike. I know I've said before that I should start contributing directly to RM, but I think this time I really will. Moving house is a good opportunity for me to check the status there of the more obscure sets I have and to note those that either aren't yet included at all or aren't represented by photos, I'm sure there are a few of each.
I'd certainly welcome hearing of another Songster or two. Paul |