Built the year after WWII ended, this super clean and shiny Bakelite radio looks like new. Unusual in design, it has a bottom mount chassis, allowing for a grill on the back as part of the cabinet. That grill uses the same original grill cloth as the speaker grill and is very appealing. The handle is unique too, with a Bakelite insert into a metal frame that has the original ivory paint. The cabinet is in excellent condition, certainly belying its age. It sounds great too. With excellent selectivity, sensitivity and reception. With six tubes, a five inch speaker and tone control for your listening preference, the rich and mellow tube sound is superb. As with all of the radios I restore, it has been gone over with the utmost attention to detail. The cabinet is a pleasing marbled dark brown with light brown swirls. It was completely disassembled and thoroughly cleaned. It was then polished and buffed to a gleaming mirror-like finish. It has no damage at almost 74 years old, which is remarkable. The dial face graphics are very crisp and clear and display nicely with the illumination from the pilot light. The original dial cover was polished to a crystal clear condition. The original knobs were polished. Felt pads were added to the bottom to protect your furniture. As a note of interest, there are fingerprints on the metal bottom; most likely left there by whomever affixed the label, having adhesive or ink on their fingers back in 1946. I elected to leave it as is! Electronically, the chassis was restored, cleaned and serviced, with all paper/wax and electrolytic capacitors replaced with new ones. Tubes and resistors were tested and replaced as needed. All controls and contacts were detail cleaned and lubricated. Wiring and other components were replaced as needed. The radio was aligned, peaked and tuned for optimal reception and quality of sound using the internal loop antenna. This completely restored radio is now ready to be reliably enjoyed for many more years if well cared for. As you can tell from the photos, it displays very well, and has an interesting look from the back side as well as the front and sides. It will be an asset for the the collector or those with discerning taste. Dimensions: 12.5×7.5×7. Note: Tube radios consist of a variety of vacuum tubes, capacitors, resistors and other electronic components. This radio has been disassembled, cleaned, and components tested. All non-functioning or suspect components were replaced. Vacuum tubes are similar to light bulbs in that an interior filament heats up inside the vacuum tube. When the filament burns out, the tube will need to be replaced. The tubes in this radio are in good. The longevity of the tube and its filaments is related to the length of time the radio is operated and the frequency of turning the radio power on and off. The item “Vintage Arvin 664 Bakelite Tube Radio (1946) COMPLETELY RESTORED” is in sale since Saturday, December 14, 2019. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Radio, Phonograph, TV, Phone\Radios\Tube Radios\1930-49″. The seller is “holman9099″ and is located in Homestead, Pennsylvania. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, Bahamas, Uruguay.
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Brand: Arvin
- Featured Refinements: Bakelite Cabinet Tube Radio