Vintage Curtis Mathes Stereo Console

[215alessio]

I want something like this in my dining room

[Turkeydoodlers]

Geesh I thought my 1965 fisher ambassador was long lol.. Very nice unit

[sealforvr]

does it have multiple record eq curves? LP/RIAA, London, 78?

[pab9901]

Hoping you can respond to this as I have this exact unit that I am just now attempting to get it back into shape. Saw this clip on Curtis Mathes site and was very excited to see it. My control panel has most of the writing worn off and you video is not clear enough to make out. I have never posted on You Tube but would love to get a clear JPG somehow from you. Mine is partially working at this time and need all the help I could get.

[podiumman2]

I just love these old warhorses...I wish I had room in my place to collect the best of them! I love the old "tuning eye" tube in the receiver....man...that takes me back! Thanks for showing it to us!

[NEUDude]

Believe it or not, they had one at this summer camp I went to back in the 90s. It was in the lodge where people stayed overnight. I remember one time a counselor tried to turn it on and it didn't work, but I HAD heard music coming from inside the lodge before, and I think it was the only piece of audio equipment around. So I'm not sure if it didn't work, or if you had to do something special. Why do you think it didn't work?

[oooowwwwdddd]

I think it didn't work because the counselor didn't have lunch yet. In the 50's they were very traditional and they made the Victrola that would only play if you had already had food to eat. It wouldn't work when you had candy only if you had a sandwich with fluffernutter. So when you go to summer camp make sure u eat a sandwich in front of the Victrola so it will C U eating then it will work. That's what the man at Gimbels says.

[NEUDude]

Wow, that's interesting, I've never heard of a stereo system or victrola that knows what kind of food you had to eat. Are you sure this was the issue? How do you know for sure? And what's Gimbels?

[oooowwwwdddd]

Well it was either the fact that you were operating on an empty stomach or the unit needed new capacitors or transformers. Google Gimbels dept. store and you'll find out. I bought my console there and it was a good one the man said because it had a big needle.

[ShitFromShinolla]

That is the longest console I have ever seen! 10' or 12' feet long? How in the world did you get it through the door? It is gorgeous though. Have you opened up the speaker cabinets? I wonder what kind of drivers are in there. Does the turntable use a crystal, ceramic, or magnetic phono cartridge? By the looks of the magic tuning eye, the dual AM/FM tuner without FM multiplex, and the style of the turntable I would say it must be from 1958 or 59. What a gem!

[southjk]

It does have nice big drivers...can't remember for sure but 14' or 16" nice horn tweeters. The turntable is a Calero and it uses a ceremic cartridge...thanks for commenting

[Trance88]

Wow. I've never seen a console that large! Very nice.

[barriobajaj]

My eyes are welling up with tears. My mom had the CM 6ft walnut console with front sliding shutter doors that hid the b&w tv on the left and the stereo receiver and slide out turntable on the right.

During a party in the '60's. My drunk uncle forced the selector knob the wrong way and broke it. It never quite worked the same after that but I still have those fond memories when it did. The sound was amazing. It had at least for tubes in the stereo receiver and the green tuner "eye".

[appaulledwilly]

Brother I gutted it and use the cabinet for a few more years! and stuck my JC Penny am/fm Amp in it! good memories! thanks for the post southjk

[ShitFromShinolla]

@barriobajaj awe that's a shame about your uncle breaking the selector knob. If you still have the unit you can have it restored - I'm sure the knob could be repaired or replaced. Even if you can't find a re-pro knob one can be modified to work or keep checking ebay for a parts unit. If my drunk uncle ever did that to my moms stereo I would have dragged him by the ear to an AA meeting. ha ha

[peugeotrider2012]

How much did this classic cost?that's really a cool onsole

[southjk]

gave $75 in non working condition

[ToyKingWonder]

I love this. My parents still have their early 60s CM console unit at their house. It is like new.  It is not as long as yours, I would say it is 7 feet, no TV. It has a slide out drawer for the Voice of Music changer---the only one I have ever seen that has a flip -up brush to dust off the needle before it plays. It has the glowing eye as well, and a tambour door setup closing in the record changer and radio. The wood, of course, is simply outstanding.

[southjk]

sorry man..I only know about the old stuff

[wiser12356]

i have a 1970 zenith console it was only 25 bucks, its in great shape IT EVEN HAS A 8 TRACK PLAYER

[southjk]

hope you enjoy the Zenith...they are of good quality

[traxonwax]

The stations idents and the classic country station was a nice match for the stereo! Great video.

[acfinney]

Needs Sinatra or Count Basie as well as a cocktail bar.

[VintageAudioVideo]

Curtis mathes was the last all American electronics company before they sold out to Enhanced Electronics in 1988.

[southjk]

thanks for that information

[johncmathes]

Do you have any interest in selling this unit? Thanks,

[pirincho48]

Awesome vintage stereo you have. Congrats!

[southjk]

thanks for comment

[chads84z]

10ft wow!! I thought my Magnavox was big @ 6ft.. Sounds great, looks great!!

[kimbalxyz]

I am in my 40's, so I remember this brand very well. This is the only TV my dad would buy. As soon as the warranty was up he would trade it in on a new one. Just like you would a car ! We also had one of these large console. I gave it away after they passed, it was 30+ years old and still worked. Yes they don't make them like they use to !

Curtis Mathes had their own stores, that's all they sold.

[southjk]

thanks for comment

[gli7utubeo]

The SUV of stereos.

[southjk]

thanks for comment

[skilski2003]

Curtis was my mentor and dear friend. I would have never believed that anything like this would have been on YT. I miss him so much, but thank you for this video. I'm sitting here remembering a man who loved life and it was cut short because he let other people out of the plane before him and he didn't make it. Bless him dear God.

[thebleedingjeans]

I have my grandparent's old Curtis Mathis console. I have the original service manuals for it and therecord changer. The TV still comes on but won't pick anything up. The other stuff works fine. I still remember how creepy that green light on the tuner was to me as a kid.

[sealforvr]

I remember the Curtis Mathes tv ads of the late 60's and early 70's. Yhey were very expensive compared to the other mass merchandise brands because they stuck with handwiring when everyone else had switched to printed boards. Great quality but a nightmare to service.

[southjk]

thanks for comments...I actually prefer working on the hand wired sets.

[raymondleeleggs]

My 70's marantz superscope receiver has lots of hand wiring along with printed circuit boards no crappy Ribbon cables in that baby, ribbon cables break too easy

[jefferyb304]

This sure is a beaut, Texas sized. lol. You don't have to explain that last record to me that was Flatt & Scruggs performing Hard Travelin'.

[chads84z]

WOW! I thought my '77 Magnavox console was long. It's only 6ft. Great unit. Sounds and looks great.

[chads84z]

WOW! that's huge. I thought my '77 Magnavox was long. It's only 6ft. Great unit, sounds and looks great.

[damusician]

awesome console and wow a collaro changer. magnavox uses a collaro changer too, but without the collaro logo on it just magnavox micromatic. i have 3 magnavox players and the changers make the same exact sounds just like yours.