VINTAGE STROMBERG CARLSON 125H (1936)

This is a stunning Art Deco inspired set from Stromberg Carlson, Rodchester, NY – This model 125H is in great condition, with a superb original rosewood cabinet and has been partially restored with new filter caps. It comes complete with the Engineering Data sheets to assist in the restoration. As with most vintage electronic items certain components may require replacement to achieve optimum performance.This is a large tabletop with the trademark Stromberg Carlson octagonal dial has it's beautiful original wood knobs and grille cloth. It has five tubes with a clean chassis. Receives AM and two shortwave bands. Reception on AM is good with a long-wire antenna. Compact loop antennas (also known as a magnetic loop) had not been implemented until the late 40’s. Don’t miss out on this fabulous radio going elsewhere for up to $900. REDUCED PRICE

Originally founded in 1894 to manufacture telephones, the Stromberg-Carlson company also produced radio components, and began selling their own complete sets during the early 1920s. By that time, the radio craze had fully absorbed the American public, and radio pioneerRCA was cornering the market after scooping up over 2,000 broadcasting-related patents.

Stromberg-Carlson entered the field by making smaller parts for tube radios. Eventually, the company applied its telephone-audio expertise to develop a successful line of radio headsets. In 1923, the company was licensed to produce the “Neutodyne” radio circuit designed by Dr. L. A. Hazeltine. Stromberg-Carlson’s first set came out in early 1924, and the company steadily grew its radioproduction, eventually requiring RCA licenses for several products.

The 1930s represented boom years for Stromberg-Carlson’s radio development, as it introduced new modifications like automatic volume control, improved amplifying methods, and an early push-button tuning mechanism. Ads from the late '30s emphasize other innovations, like the unique Stromberg-Carlson “acoustical labyrinth,” a complex baffle design which improved sound quality by guiding audio waves through a series of interlocking chambers, and its “Te-Lek-Tor” series, which included remote-control capabilities. “Let your dealer arrange an audition,” was the brand’s cheeky slogan, emphasizing its reputation for superior sound quality.

Over the next 20 years, Stromberg-Carlson created an array of gorgeous Art Deco-inspired radios, from the sleek, ivory-colored 140-K console to the tabletop 125-H with its floral-patterned speaker grill and octagonal dial. After the company’s merger with General Dynamics in 1955, the business was restructured to focus production on telephone products, and its radios were discontinued.