1958 Fisher C800 Console

Red, the 1957 R20 I own has the older blue glued-on data plate on the back, rather than the screen-printed variety.

Quick and easy way to tell besides the data plate: earlier models had "TV" as the left-most option on the selector. Later models had "Stereo" printed there, in anticipation of using it twinned with the C-810. This one says "TV" but has the screen-printed data plate. I'd put it at late '57 or early '58.

I'd also recommend finding an open spot on the back of the R20 chassis, drilling a hole, and installing the fuse holder that Fisher inexplicably left out.

Sam Cogley said:

Red, the 1957 R20 I own has the older blue glued-on data plate on the back, rather than the screen-printed variety.

Click to expand...

That's an interesting point, Sam. We should mention that your R-20 is a donor unit from a Medalist II. I went back into the archives and dug up a photo of your R-20 and added Craterranch's for comparison. Do you have a definitive model year for the Medalist II? What did the production code on the speakers indicate? The Medalist II debuted in late 1955 for the 1956 model year and ran through 1959 - maintaining an entry-level "highboy" console option for Fisher's more conservative customers. In Fisher's catalogs the '58s and '59s were referred to as the Provence and Provence II, respectively, but still listed as Medalist II models on Fisher's price lists. 1956-58 utilized the R-20 chassis; 1959 switched to the R-30S along with the Contemporary II.



Along with the change from the blue metal ID plate to the later printed version, Fisher also appears to have instituted a different serial numbering system. Obviously the blue-plated R-20 is older but has it ever been determined what model year the change occurred? Or - as I would expect from Fisher - was it phased in over the course of a several model years with different timing for different chassis?

Sam Cogley said:

Quick and easy way to tell besides the data plate: earlier models had "TV" as the left-most option on the selector. Later models had "Stereo" printed there, in anticipation of using it twinned with the C-810. This one says "TV" but has the screen-printed data plate. I'd put it at late '57 or early '58.

Click to expand...

I've borrowed, skewed and resized the following photo cavalcade of Fisher Contemporary dials and controls to illustrate what Sam mentioned above. Jon's appears to be the youngest R-20, having the same knobs as my '59 Contemporary II.

Craterranch's R-20



Sam's R-20



Jonboy55's R-20



TheRed1's R-30S



Fisher's console catalogs don't provide very many clues as to the differences between the '57 and '58 Contemporary models. However, the '58 and '59 catalogs do have illustrations of the faceplates. Curiously, the knobs shown on the '59 appear to be the earlier style but seem to lack the concentric dual-controls in the 2nd and 4th positions. Perhaps it was a contemplated control configuration that never saw production or just an inaccurate illustration.

Red; my 510/610 has the same knobs as your R30S.

Larry

TheRed1 said:

That's an interesting point, Sam. We should mention that your R-20 is a donor unit from a Medalist II. I went back into the archives and dug up a photo of your R-20 and added Craterranch's for comparison. Do you have a definitive model year for the Medalist II? What did the production code on the speakers indicate? The Medalist II debuted in late 1955 for the 1956 model year and ran through 1959 - maintaining an entry-level "highboy" console option for Fisher's more conservative customers. In Fisher's catalogs the '58s and '59s were referred to as the Provence and Provence II, respectively, but still listed as Medalist II models on Fisher's price lists. 1956-58 utilized the R-20 chassis; 1959 switched to the R-30S along with the Contemporary II.

Click to expand...

The speakers were also swapped over from the Medalist II, the latest date code on them is "639." - so probably latish 1956 production.

I will throw this tidbit in - I didn't think the 70-AZ monoblock was introduced until '57, but the one I have still has the blue data plate. I could be wrong on the introduction date, though.

Fun thread - and awesome Fisher - very hip!