Zenith Console Stereo Record changer

This Zenith is in good condition. I had to replace one open resistor in the amplifier to get it working, and lube the mechanism a bit. The capacitors are in good shape to be this old, there is very little hum with no record playing. I am guessing late 60's?? anyone know? It could use a new cartridge, as the element seems very stiff and tends to skip on rock and roll records. Maybe it just prefers country and western! It has a stereo aux input and sounds awesome with an iPod hooked into it.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• zenith
• record
• player
• console
• changer
• 60's
• stereo
• hifi
• hi
• fi
• hi-fi
• jukebox
• loretta
• lynn
• vintage
• old

[bakinbiznis]

Hi, I picked up this same system today, and evidently someone had been interested in it becaused they peeled off the front grill cloth. To my surprise there is a 12 inch woofer wth a tweeter mounted in front of it. Very unusual for a console. This has a 1 tube preamplifier, and a seperate el84 push pull power amplifier, with aux inputs already set up. It's a great unit, got mine for a song. I can't figure out the model number for ths unit. Do you have any idea? Thanks for any insight.

[jrcstudios]

@bakinbiznis Mine is a SF2510L.. on a piece of paper stapled to the bottom inside, opposite where the amp sits.

[cgillyard]

Is this Tube stereo or is solid state? 

[jrcstudios]

@cgillyard All tube, uses EL84's for output

[snellashley]

have you ever tried to remove the turntable and come to find out that the power wires where sautered? If so please let me know....

[jrcstudios]

@snellashley yea, lots of old consoles are soldered... cut the wires real short, but long enough you can still see what color wire goes where so you can re-solder them later.

[Ode2Pops]

Seeing this brought back a flood of memories. We owned this same model Zenith phonograph when I was a boy (my mother got it around 1960 or '61). It was identical to yours, except it had a darker, "walnut" finish. Being just a kid, I remember it being much bigger than it appears in your video. I remember one of the dials was essentially a switch that compensated for various equalization curves (RIAA, LP, 78, etc). I don't know what my mother ultimately did with it. Sure wish I had it now.

[gmmcnair]

That Zenith is a real beauty. I always loved the VM built Cobramatic record changers. I would almost guarantee your skipping problems would go away with a new cartridge. They're not the lightest tracking turntables by any stretch but these old VM changers will play almost any record without fault with a good needle and good cartridge....kinda like the Magnavox Micromatics. They just didn't get obsolete like the cheaper BSRs or the later VM stuff.

[VictrolaJazz]

It's from about 1959--for Christmas of '58, my mother bought a '59 Zenith in a walnut cabinet, a lower priced model than this one, but it has the same style nameplate down on the lower right corner of the speaker. To make it stereo, we would have had to get a separate speaker cabinet, which she did not do. It had the identical style VM changer with the Cobra tone arm and stainless steel embellishments. I've always loved Cobra's!

[cgillyard]

@jrcstudios Thanks, I figured it was all tubes. I'm watching your video from my stereo tube amp parted from an Zenith Console unit. I love tubes! Hold on to your console unit, it maybe worth something later.

[cgillyard]

Nice find man.

[JIMMYAD46]

I HAVE THE SAME STYLE COBRAMATIC TURNTABLE EXCEPT THE TONEARNM IS WHITE AND THE CABINET ITS HOUSED IN IS A DIFFERENT STYLE CONTROLS ARE INSIDE WHERE YOUR RECORD STORAGE IS NICE HIFI.