Fisher Consoles 1945-1958
- Thread starter TheRed1
- Start date
carter, thanks. that is very cool! i have to do some dissection this weekend. it's actually the model 101-B in limed oak. note the difference between your ad (which seems to be right at the start of this model) and the catalog from duffinator...two speakers at the start, three by the time it's in the catalog. i'll have to see which i have; hoping for the latter.
one other cool thing. i found a site (http://www.tube-classics.de/indexen.htm) that has historical info on the valvo (hamburg) el84s that came with the amp. it looks like my two were from very early in the history of the el84, and in fact are of a combination of features (per this page: http://www.tube-classics.de/TC/Tubes/Valvo EL84/EL84.htm) that put it between the oldest and next oldest..."D6A" for the code, and a closed elliptical getter with only one slot in the plates. i'll be sending karsten pics of the tubes, and post them here, as well.
one other cool thing. i found a site (http://www.tube-classics.de/indexen.htm) that has historical info on the valvo (hamburg) el84s that came with the amp. it looks like my two were from very early in the history of the el84, and in fact are of a combination of features (per this page: http://www.tube-classics.de/TC/Tubes/Valvo EL84/EL84.htm) that put it between the oldest and next oldest..."D6A" for the code, and a closed elliptical getter with only one slot in the plates. i'll be sending karsten pics of the tubes, and post them here, as well.
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
This inconsistency might well be more of an illustration of the disconnect between Fisher's sales department and the engineering department. The Sept. '54 ad is most likely referring to the '55 model which would have been out by then. Did you note diamondsouled's thread on the 50-A reissue?
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=167091
Your 101 sounds like it definitely might be a worthy project.
You may find this ad to be of interest as well:
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
I'm halfway there in my quest of one day becoming this guy. Now I just need to find myself a "stereo companion".
Fisher console #4 for me: 1959 Series 510 with chassis #510. A basic little stereo phono preamp with a one channel EL84/6BQ5 amp. It was originally purchased with a Series 560 "Stereo Companion" but it didn't survive the intervening half century. The 560 had a nice little 30-A amp. I imagine the 510's amp section would be fairly similar to the 30-A's.
Fisher console #4 for me: 1959 Series 510 with chassis #510. A basic little stereo phono preamp with a one channel EL84/6BQ5 amp. It was originally purchased with a Series 560 "Stereo Companion" but it didn't survive the intervening half century. The 560 had a nice little 30-A amp. I imagine the 510's amp section would be fairly similar to the 30-A's.
Tom,
Thanks for doing a great job, and bringing together so much of this lovely old Fisher gear. If I may add some thoughts:
The Fisher brand, in my mind, occupied the most "mass market" spot among the upper end hifi tube equipment companies back in the late fifties and through the sixties. Companies like Fisher, Scott, Sherwood, and Macintosh to name a few jostled to gain a position as best of the best, but right from the beginning, Fisher wanted the most sales.
It's my belief that they achieved it, although there is an astonishing lack of sales data from this period, mainly because the best companies were all owned by men whose name was over the front door, and those men weren't interested in statistics, just the hifi market, as it impacted their own sales. But there does appear to be a large amount of the euipment still around.
As another poster mentioned, the prices Fisher charged would make grown men blush! This together with the lack of a clear plan in the evolution of the lines points to the fact as referenced in statements in some of the ads: the Custom market was a big part of this industry at that time period. It wasn't as "off-the-shelf simple" as it later came to be. Think of your mother trying to assemble and connect a turntable, for example.
The well-heeled clientèle demanded in-home personal service, and they got it. It was a very lucrative business at first.
Thanks for doing a great job, and bringing together so much of this lovely old Fisher gear. If I may add some thoughts:
The Fisher brand, in my mind, occupied the most "mass market" spot among the upper end hifi tube equipment companies back in the late fifties and through the sixties. Companies like Fisher, Scott, Sherwood, and Macintosh to name a few jostled to gain a position as best of the best, but right from the beginning, Fisher wanted the most sales.
It's my belief that they achieved it, although there is an astonishing lack of sales data from this period, mainly because the best companies were all owned by men whose name was over the front door, and those men weren't interested in statistics, just the hifi market, as it impacted their own sales. But there does appear to be a large amount of the euipment still around.
As another poster mentioned, the prices Fisher charged would make grown men blush! This together with the lack of a clear plan in the evolution of the lines points to the fact as referenced in statements in some of the ads: the Custom market was a big part of this industry at that time period. It wasn't as "off-the-shelf simple" as it later came to be. Think of your mother trying to assemble and connect a turntable, for example.
The well-heeled clientèle demanded in-home personal service, and they got it. It was a very lucrative business at first.
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
Very interesting observation, Aage. I've looked at a lot of advertising (concentrating on the 50s & 60s) and I would definitely agree that Fisher was, by far, the biggest mass marketer of high end consoles. Stromberg-Carlson probably comes in second in the sheer volume of ads, but it's a distant second. To me, the marketing history of consoles is at least as interesting as the consoles themselves.
I'm not sure if I understand exactly what you're saying here, though:
By the way, I'm not Tom,
Carter
I'm not sure if I understand exactly what you're saying here, though:
Are you referring the the model line-up or the styling? If it's the model line-up I couldn't agree more. As far as the styling of the cabinets goes it always seemed to me that the console manufacturers followed the furniture industry's lead for good or ill with a few notable exceptions.
By the way, I'm not Tom,
Carter
analog addict
Glory or Death!
Hehehe..."I'm not dead yet!"....
Sorry, Carter, somehow I picked up Tom as your name. My apology.
Yes, I meant the model line-up, the way they numbered different items, seems to have been just pulled out of thin air.
And yes again, they didn't want to fight with the major designers used by the furniture boys, those companies were of one mind with regards to style.
There were subtle marketing differentation in some things too, weren't there? Things like their name, not just "Fisher", but "The Fisher". Always align oneself with the "Hoi Polloi", whenever possible...
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
What chassis does your consolette have? Is it the 60-A/60-R/60-AP combo? I have conflicting information on the Series 60 but I believe you are correct that it is from around 1957. Here's an ad from March 1957:
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
Do you suppose there could have been another Fisher brand around in 1945 when Avery started up his eponymous enterprise that he was trying to differentiate from? Or was he anticipating that possibility in the future? The Scott brands duel didn't arise until the 50s so that obviously didn't influence his decision. (I wonder if he knew Ernest Humphrey or Herman Hosmer Scott personally?) I'm trying to think of another "The" brand for comparison but all I can come up with is the "Le Car" which has a reverse snob appeal if any at all.
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
That's a new chassis for me. In my Fisher console chassis database I have the Series 60 console listed as a 1952 model with the 3 separate chassis listed above. I have no idea if this earlier Series 60 looked anything like yours. Most of Fisher's consolettes have the same chassis number as model number with no letter suffix (an "all-in-one" chassis).
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
You may have noticed that the title of this Sticky has changed from "Fisher Consoles 1958-1965" to "Fisher Consoles 1945-1958". I thought that since this Sticky was more or less a duplication of the original - and since it contains Duffinators 1955 Fisher Console Brochures - that it might be more useful as a repository for information on Fisher's early mono consoles (as well as general information on the early history of the Fisher Radio Corp. and the people who made it happen).
So if you are among the lucky few who possess one of Fisher's amazing mono consoles from the days when they were among a mere handful of manufacturers that could stake claim to the term "high fidelity" - lets see what you got. Any information on the early days of the Fisher Radio Corp. that you'd like to share would also be of interest.
So if you are among the lucky few who possess one of Fisher's amazing mono consoles from the days when they were among a mere handful of manufacturers that could stake claim to the term "high fidelity" - lets see what you got. Any information on the early days of the Fisher Radio Corp. that you'd like to share would also be of interest.
I sure hope I run across one of these tall and imposing Fishers someday - I will make room!
PaulWC
Active Member
Opportunity in MD
May have to start making room. Fisher Electra mono console with extra console speaker for sale in Westminster MD. See this listing on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fisher-Electra-...ctronics_R2&hash=item3361b80f58#ht_500wt_1156
I would jump on it but I'm waiting for a early 60's President or Executive modern stereo console. I've already made the room.
May have to start making room. Fisher Electra mono console with extra console speaker for sale in Westminster MD. See this listing on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fisher-Electra-...ctronics_R2&hash=item3361b80f58#ht_500wt_1156
I would jump on it but I'm waiting for a early 60's President or Executive modern stereo console. I've already made the room.
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
1957 Fisher Consoles
1957 was a year for some pretty big changes at the Fisher Radio Corporation. They had to relocate their ‘Fisher Radio Salon’ at 43 East 47th St., in midtown Manhattan, which had been there in the Hotel Marguery since November 1945. (Some scenes from 1947 film noir classic Kiss of Death - with Richard Widmark as Tommy Udo pushing the old lady in the wheelchair down a flight of steps - were filmed there. And Nikola Tesla lived there in the ‘20s!) The whole block that contained the Hotel Marguery, bounded by Madison and Park between 47th and 48th Streets, was razed in late 1957 to make way for the Union Carbide Building. Sometime in late ‘56 or early ‘57 the ‘Salon’ moved to a temporary site at 117 East 47th just before that block was, in turn, cleared to make way for the Chemical Bank Building. Avery Fisher often seemed to be just a few steps ahead of the wrecking ball. Then in September 1957, coinciding with the launch of Fisher’s ‘58 models, they held the grand opening for their new ‘High Fidelity Showrooms’ in the Biltmore Hotel at 335 Madison Ave.
‘57 was also about the time that Avery Fisher’s ‘dutchmen’, the engineers that he lured away from West German electronic firms, were beginning to influence the direction of Fisher’s design team. Fred Mergner, stolen from Grundig the previous year, was promoted to VP of engineering in 1957. With the introduction of some of the first stereo consoles and the shift toward what was termed “lowboy” styling, Fisher was on the cutting edge of console design while still maintaining a complete line of the more traditional mono (“highboy”?) consoles.
All of these changes appear to have thrown Fisher’s model introduction timetable into some confusion. I would need to locate a 1956 Fisher console catalog and/or price list to be certain, but there appears to have been a de facto 1956-and-a-half model year with some ‘56 models carrying over into early 1957 like the Custom Electras and the Series 50 and 60 consolettes. Many of the ‘57 models didn’t appear in advertisements until well into 1957 instead of the usual Sept.-Oct. (1956) introductory ads followed by the Nov.-Dec. pre-Christmas ads. I’m not certain when the Sept.-Sept. model year the console manufacturers adopted from the automotive industry actually began. From the late 40s well into the 50s there isn’t always a clear delineation between model years, however; Fisher was advertising their 1952 models in late 1951 so it goes back at least that far. They weren’t always consistent, though.
It is unclear when this 1957 catalog came out. I have found advertisements for the Medalist II from Feb. 57; the Ambassador from Mar. ‘57; the ‘New’ Custom Electra II from Apr. ‘57 and the Series 51/61 consolettes from July ‘57. So probably sometime in the first half of ‘57 would be my guess. The 1958 model year does appear to have started on schedule in Sept. 57 so the ‘57 models had a very short run.
***This is not an actual price list for 1957.*** I created this facsimile based on Jonboy55’s ‘57 catalog, my chassis database and Fisher’s advertising from 1957. I used an actual 1958 price list as a template since many models carried over unchanged.
1957 President Model 2000-M, -W or -T (mahogany, walnut or teak). $2495. Chassis: AM-80, FM-80, 80-PRT & (2)80-AZ. The only differences between the ‘57 model 2000 and the ‘58 model 3000 appear to be the 5-position channel selector on the ‘57 vs. the 9-position on the ‘58 and the brilliance and presence controls for each speaker system on the ‘58 which were absent on the ‘57.
The first mention of the President I have been able to find is from July 1957 in Billboard magazine. The earliest advertising for the President, however, is from Sept. 1957 and it identifies it as a ‘58 model. It would appear that the ‘57 President was only available for a very short period before the ‘58s replaced it. Given its price and the novelty of the stereo concept in 1957, I doubt very many model 2000s were produced.
1957 Executive Model 1000-M, -W or -T (mahogany, walnut or teak). $1595. Chassis: 80-R AM-FM tuner; 2 chassis “1000” control amp/power amp. To convert an Executive I to an Executive II there was a conversion kit available (P-709) that added a stereo cartridge, two PR-6 pre-amps and an octupus-like switch with 8 cables to connect everything together. Despite its very stereo look, the ‘57 Executive came with a mono record changer.
I can find no mention of the Executive prior to the Sept. ‘57 introduction of the ‘58 models. This sleekest of the early Fisher “lowboys” is consequently somewhat of a mystery. There is a slight difference in the catalog descriptions between the ‘57 “I” and the ‘58 “II” that I’m not sure what to make of. The ‘57 Executive I is described as having “two separate audio power amplifiers” which, acting in parallel during mono operation, can “handle” 68 watt peaks. The ‘58 Executive II is described as having “two separate amplifier channels” capable of “handling” a somewhat reduced 64 watts combined.
Fisher’s service manual, which covers both the Executive I & II (models 1000 & ST-1000?) shows only one version, a two-chassis configuration composed of: (1) a two-channel pre-amp on one chassis and, (2) a two-channel PP EL-84 power amp (which includes the power supply for both chassis) on the other. To me, this doesn’t fit the catalog description of the ‘57 Executive which seems to be describing a dual mono power amp configuration. My guess is that when the catalog was written Fisher planned something more along the lines of the President with its two 80-AZs. I put more stock in Fisher’s service manuals than their sales literature. I wonder if this dual-channel on a single chassis design might be an early example of the West German influence on Fisher’s chassis configuration.
1957 Ambassador, Model 360 (The Hampshire in Mahogany). $1195. Chassis: unknown tuner (possibly a 360-R) and the 360A/P integrated amp with separate power supply. Fisher’s chrome plated mono masterpiece previously resided in their top-of-the-line Custom Sixty consoles. The Ambassador was, for all intents and purposes, just a new name for the old Custom Sixty - the last of Fisher’s great mono consoles.
1957 Custom Electra II, Models: CK-100 (The Chatham in Mahogany); EK-100 (The Ebony in Ebony); GK-100 (The Gotham in Walnut); and the NK-100 (The Normandy in Fruitwood). $595. Chassis: K-100. There was also a “Deluxe” Custom Electra II with a special 3-way speaker system housed in the same mahogany Hampshire cabinet as the Ambassador. Its model number was probably HK-100 but that is conjecture on my part. Its price was probably a little higher than the standard Custom Electra II but the exact figure is unknown.
There were also Custom Electras (with no roman numeral “II”) offered early in the 1957 calendar year. I believe these were (more or less) a carry-over from the ‘56 model year due to the late launch of the ‘57 models. The Custom Electra II debuted sometime around April 1957 and there was no subsequent mention of the plain old Custom Electras.
1957 Medalist II, Models: R-20S (The Stratford in Mahogany); R-20P (The Provence in Fruitwood); and the R-20W (The Wilton in Walnut). $479.50. Chassis: R-20. This was the replacement for the original Futura series. The Medalist II was situated just below the Custom Electra II and the only significant difference between them appears to have been their power: a claimed 32 watt peak for the EL-84 based R-20 vs. the 60 watts peak claimed for the EL-37 based K-100.
1957 Contemporary, Models: C-800M (Mahogany) and C-800W (Walnut). $399.50. Chassis: R-20. The Contemporary, introduced in early ‘57 (I have an ad from May), evidently sold well enough to justify a significant price increase to $429.50 by the introduction of the ‘58s in September. This doesn’t surprise me since, in my opinion, this is one of Fisher’s best designs. I wonder if this isn’t one of the very first uses of “tambour styling” in a console. Though, come to think of it, RCA had some from about this same time frame.
1957 Series 51 & 61 Consolettes, Models (Series 61): 61-M, -B, -P, -E and -W (mahogany, blonde, provincial, ebony and walnut). $359.50. Chassis: 61. (Series 51): 51-M, -B, -P, -E and -W (mahogany, blonde, provincial, ebony and walnut). $279.50. Chassis: 51. The one and only ad I have for a ‘57 consolette is from July ‘57.
1957 was a year for some pretty big changes at the Fisher Radio Corporation. They had to relocate their ‘Fisher Radio Salon’ at 43 East 47th St., in midtown Manhattan, which had been there in the Hotel Marguery since November 1945. (Some scenes from 1947 film noir classic Kiss of Death - with Richard Widmark as Tommy Udo pushing the old lady in the wheelchair down a flight of steps - were filmed there. And Nikola Tesla lived there in the ‘20s!) The whole block that contained the Hotel Marguery, bounded by Madison and Park between 47th and 48th Streets, was razed in late 1957 to make way for the Union Carbide Building. Sometime in late ‘56 or early ‘57 the ‘Salon’ moved to a temporary site at 117 East 47th just before that block was, in turn, cleared to make way for the Chemical Bank Building. Avery Fisher often seemed to be just a few steps ahead of the wrecking ball. Then in September 1957, coinciding with the launch of Fisher’s ‘58 models, they held the grand opening for their new ‘High Fidelity Showrooms’ in the Biltmore Hotel at 335 Madison Ave.
‘57 was also about the time that Avery Fisher’s ‘dutchmen’, the engineers that he lured away from West German electronic firms, were beginning to influence the direction of Fisher’s design team. Fred Mergner, stolen from Grundig the previous year, was promoted to VP of engineering in 1957. With the introduction of some of the first stereo consoles and the shift toward what was termed “lowboy” styling, Fisher was on the cutting edge of console design while still maintaining a complete line of the more traditional mono (“highboy”?) consoles.
All of these changes appear to have thrown Fisher’s model introduction timetable into some confusion. I would need to locate a 1956 Fisher console catalog and/or price list to be certain, but there appears to have been a de facto 1956-and-a-half model year with some ‘56 models carrying over into early 1957 like the Custom Electras and the Series 50 and 60 consolettes. Many of the ‘57 models didn’t appear in advertisements until well into 1957 instead of the usual Sept.-Oct. (1956) introductory ads followed by the Nov.-Dec. pre-Christmas ads. I’m not certain when the Sept.-Sept. model year the console manufacturers adopted from the automotive industry actually began. From the late 40s well into the 50s there isn’t always a clear delineation between model years, however; Fisher was advertising their 1952 models in late 1951 so it goes back at least that far. They weren’t always consistent, though.
It is unclear when this 1957 catalog came out. I have found advertisements for the Medalist II from Feb. 57; the Ambassador from Mar. ‘57; the ‘New’ Custom Electra II from Apr. ‘57 and the Series 51/61 consolettes from July ‘57. So probably sometime in the first half of ‘57 would be my guess. The 1958 model year does appear to have started on schedule in Sept. 57 so the ‘57 models had a very short run.
***This is not an actual price list for 1957.*** I created this facsimile based on Jonboy55’s ‘57 catalog, my chassis database and Fisher’s advertising from 1957. I used an actual 1958 price list as a template since many models carried over unchanged.
1957 President Model 2000-M, -W or -T (mahogany, walnut or teak). $2495. Chassis: AM-80, FM-80, 80-PRT & (2)80-AZ. The only differences between the ‘57 model 2000 and the ‘58 model 3000 appear to be the 5-position channel selector on the ‘57 vs. the 9-position on the ‘58 and the brilliance and presence controls for each speaker system on the ‘58 which were absent on the ‘57.
The first mention of the President I have been able to find is from July 1957 in Billboard magazine. The earliest advertising for the President, however, is from Sept. 1957 and it identifies it as a ‘58 model. It would appear that the ‘57 President was only available for a very short period before the ‘58s replaced it. Given its price and the novelty of the stereo concept in 1957, I doubt very many model 2000s were produced.
1957 Executive Model 1000-M, -W or -T (mahogany, walnut or teak). $1595. Chassis: 80-R AM-FM tuner; 2 chassis “1000” control amp/power amp. To convert an Executive I to an Executive II there was a conversion kit available (P-709) that added a stereo cartridge, two PR-6 pre-amps and an octupus-like switch with 8 cables to connect everything together. Despite its very stereo look, the ‘57 Executive came with a mono record changer.
I can find no mention of the Executive prior to the Sept. ‘57 introduction of the ‘58 models. This sleekest of the early Fisher “lowboys” is consequently somewhat of a mystery. There is a slight difference in the catalog descriptions between the ‘57 “I” and the ‘58 “II” that I’m not sure what to make of. The ‘57 Executive I is described as having “two separate audio power amplifiers” which, acting in parallel during mono operation, can “handle” 68 watt peaks. The ‘58 Executive II is described as having “two separate amplifier channels” capable of “handling” a somewhat reduced 64 watts combined.
Fisher’s service manual, which covers both the Executive I & II (models 1000 & ST-1000?) shows only one version, a two-chassis configuration composed of: (1) a two-channel pre-amp on one chassis and, (2) a two-channel PP EL-84 power amp (which includes the power supply for both chassis) on the other. To me, this doesn’t fit the catalog description of the ‘57 Executive which seems to be describing a dual mono power amp configuration. My guess is that when the catalog was written Fisher planned something more along the lines of the President with its two 80-AZs. I put more stock in Fisher’s service manuals than their sales literature. I wonder if this dual-channel on a single chassis design might be an early example of the West German influence on Fisher’s chassis configuration.
1957 Ambassador, Model 360 (The Hampshire in Mahogany). $1195. Chassis: unknown tuner (possibly a 360-R) and the 360A/P integrated amp with separate power supply. Fisher’s chrome plated mono masterpiece previously resided in their top-of-the-line Custom Sixty consoles. The Ambassador was, for all intents and purposes, just a new name for the old Custom Sixty - the last of Fisher’s great mono consoles.
1957 Custom Electra II, Models: CK-100 (The Chatham in Mahogany); EK-100 (The Ebony in Ebony); GK-100 (The Gotham in Walnut); and the NK-100 (The Normandy in Fruitwood). $595. Chassis: K-100. There was also a “Deluxe” Custom Electra II with a special 3-way speaker system housed in the same mahogany Hampshire cabinet as the Ambassador. Its model number was probably HK-100 but that is conjecture on my part. Its price was probably a little higher than the standard Custom Electra II but the exact figure is unknown.
There were also Custom Electras (with no roman numeral “II”) offered early in the 1957 calendar year. I believe these were (more or less) a carry-over from the ‘56 model year due to the late launch of the ‘57 models. The Custom Electra II debuted sometime around April 1957 and there was no subsequent mention of the plain old Custom Electras.
1957 Medalist II, Models: R-20S (The Stratford in Mahogany); R-20P (The Provence in Fruitwood); and the R-20W (The Wilton in Walnut). $479.50. Chassis: R-20. This was the replacement for the original Futura series. The Medalist II was situated just below the Custom Electra II and the only significant difference between them appears to have been their power: a claimed 32 watt peak for the EL-84 based R-20 vs. the 60 watts peak claimed for the EL-37 based K-100.
1957 Contemporary, Models: C-800M (Mahogany) and C-800W (Walnut). $399.50. Chassis: R-20. The Contemporary, introduced in early ‘57 (I have an ad from May), evidently sold well enough to justify a significant price increase to $429.50 by the introduction of the ‘58s in September. This doesn’t surprise me since, in my opinion, this is one of Fisher’s best designs. I wonder if this isn’t one of the very first uses of “tambour styling” in a console. Though, come to think of it, RCA had some from about this same time frame.
1957 Series 51 & 61 Consolettes, Models (Series 61): 61-M, -B, -P, -E and -W (mahogany, blonde, provincial, ebony and walnut). $359.50. Chassis: 61. (Series 51): 51-M, -B, -P, -E and -W (mahogany, blonde, provincial, ebony and walnut). $279.50. Chassis: 51. The one and only ad I have for a ‘57 consolette is from July ‘57.
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1957 Contemporary, Models: C-800M (Mahogany) and C-800W (Walnut). $399.50. Chassis: R-20. The Contemporary, introduced in early ‘57 (I have an ad from May), evidently sold well enough to justify a significant price increase to $429.50 by the introduction of the ‘58s in September. This doesn’t surprise me since, in my opinion, this is one of Fisher’s best designs. I wonder if this isn’t one of the very first uses of “tambour styling” in a console. Though, come to think of it, RCA had some from about this same time frame.
And then there is the C-800P, which we still haven't figured out. The finish doesn't look like Walnut, the only thing I can think of is that it might be a pecan finish.
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
Sam, I seem to recall you saying that your Contemporary came with all its documentation. Do you have a date of purchase or any indication of which model year it's from? The reason I ask is that I just noticed that each of the catalogs for three different model years the Contemporary was offered list slightly different cabinet dimensions:
1957: 36" wide, 18-3/4" deep, 30-3/4" high
1958: 36" wide, 17-1/8" deep, 33-1/8" high
1959: 36" wide, 18-1/8" deep, 33-1/8" high
How deep and high is your Contemporary and do its dimensions agree with the year (assuming you know the year)?
I think it's odd that Fisher changed the cabinet dimensions. I wonder if they had a reason for doing so.
Having just reviewed all of Fisher's cabinet codes 1958-1964, one thing that's clear is that Fisher was consistent, model year to model year: "P" always stood for Provincial (either Cherry or Fruitwood). Here is the complete list:
M = Mahogany
W = Walnut
T = Teak
P = Provincial (Cherry/Fruitwood)
B = Blonde
E = Ebony
C = Cherry (or Contemporary - they always occurred together.)
PM = Provincial Mahogany
EA = Early American (Maple)
TM = Traditional Mahogany
IP = Italian Provincial (Walnut - in '62 it was "Driftwood Gray Walnut")
IPM = Italian Provincial Mahogany
AI = Antique Ivory
After '64 it gets a little out of hand with codes like EAO = Early American "Oldtown" (Cherry) and the all-to-common MD = Mediterranean (Butternut & Oak) to list but a few. I think the most likely explanation for your "P" cabinet code is some sort of mistake.
1957: 36" wide, 18-3/4" deep, 30-3/4" high
1958: 36" wide, 17-1/8" deep, 33-1/8" high
1959: 36" wide, 18-1/8" deep, 33-1/8" high
How deep and high is your Contemporary and do its dimensions agree with the year (assuming you know the year)?
I think it's odd that Fisher changed the cabinet dimensions. I wonder if they had a reason for doing so.
Having just reviewed all of Fisher's cabinet codes 1958-1964, one thing that's clear is that Fisher was consistent, model year to model year: "P" always stood for Provincial (either Cherry or Fruitwood). Here is the complete list:
M = Mahogany
W = Walnut
T = Teak
P = Provincial (Cherry/Fruitwood)
B = Blonde
E = Ebony
C = Cherry (or Contemporary - they always occurred together.)
PM = Provincial Mahogany
EA = Early American (Maple)
TM = Traditional Mahogany
IP = Italian Provincial (Walnut - in '62 it was "Driftwood Gray Walnut")
IPM = Italian Provincial Mahogany
AI = Antique Ivory
After '64 it gets a little out of hand with codes like EAO = Early American "Oldtown" (Cherry) and the all-to-common MD = Mediterranean (Butternut & Oak) to list but a few. I think the most likely explanation for your "P" cabinet code is some sort of mistake.
