Fisher 24B Anniversary Model

Well, Carter's been bugging me to get this started, so here goes...

This was on the Idaho Falls CL, and Carter tipped me off. My in-laws live in Lewiston, and I'd been itching for a reason for a road trip, so this was as good as any. The original pics in the CL ad were extremely poor quality, but I got it for a good price, so I took the gamble. When I got there it was very late in the evening, almost dark, and it was outside under a tarp. When the seller pulled the tarp off I thought the trip was a total waste. In the dusk it looked like the veneer had completely split and peeled off. When I ran my hands over the surface, it was completely smooth, and I realized that it was only a severe discoloration of the finish, and the veneer was intact. I got it to my in-laws' place and took a few cellphone pics.

Here's one from the original CL ad:



And a few more after I got it:





Original grill cloth doesn't even have a snag:



The finish on the inside of the door in front of the tuner is perfect, so it will give me a great way to match the color when I refinish it.



Turntable is a Garrard RC-98L.



Max attachments for one post, making a second...

The speaker is a Stevens-Trusonic P52A. One recently sold on ebay for $1,275.


A total of 32 tubes on five individual chassis!



The cabinet obviously needs a total strip and refinish, but as I mentioned the veneer is in excellent shape, so it should turn out wonderful. The brass pulls are there, and the tuner is only missing one knob. Several tubes are missing from the power supply, but I pulled the bottom plate off and it's untouched inside.

I won't even be able to start this until we get moved later this year, but I sure have a fun project for the winter of 2013-14!

Oh, even better, it's from the original family! The guy I bought it from told me that it had belonged to his wife's grandparents. He was a dentist, and bought this brand new around 1947. It's been in the same family ever since. The seller was really excited that it didn't end up in a landfill, and that it was going to someone who would restore it. I promised to send him some pictures when it's all done.

That is a great find. I can't wait to see that in its original glory.

Great find! Keep us updated on the restoration when the time comes.

Can't wait to see it done!

The condition of the finish on the cabinet is a little frightening but, holy cow, that is an absolute top-of-the-line Fisher radio-phonograph!

• In the late 40s a "basic" 24B Anniversary Series in the Georgian cabinet would run you $1,265.
  
• Add $59.50 for the Expander.
  
• $94.50 for the Dynamic Noise Suppressor (Licensed from H. H. Scott).
  
• And another $115 for the deluxe multicellular Stephens speaker.
  
• That's almost $1,600 late 1940s dollars!

I don't think that Garrard changer is original, though. So add a few more dollars to the total for bringing that up to date when LPs came out.

The weathered look actually makes it look kind of cool. I bet it will look incredible once you get it refinished, though. Guess that Stephens makes the long drive worth it, doesn't it? You definitely have the earliest complete Fisher console of any AK member . . . for now . . . Incidentally, is there a production code on the Stevens that might give a ballpark estimate of the console's date?

The reason I have been pestering you to finally get around to starting a thread on your Anniversary Series Fisher is this OTHER one that cropped up. Just last week I was contacted by a guy in Arizona who was seeking information on THIS lovely, blond Fisher. The guy runs an antique audio restoration business and was inquiring on behalf of a friend of his who owns this one. They are contemplating restoring it.

Until just yesterday we didn't know the model number. I'd been referring to it as the Arizona Mystery Fisher. I didn't think it was a 24B because the arrangement of the coils on the tuner chassis is a little different than the photo of the Anniversary Series chassis in Fisher's 40s catalogs. The owner finally located the ID plate which contradicted my reasoning. (Perhaps the photo Fisher used in their catalogs was a 24 or 24A chassis.) Now begins the search for a service manual for the 24B.

While I was trying to figure out just what model this Arizona Mystery Fisher was, I realized I had a copy of the service manual for the even earlier Fisher S-9 chassis (Buglegirl has one - which is where the service manual comes from.) The tube layout diagrams show the S-9 and the 24B to be almost identical but with a significantly different tube compliment. Here's a comparison with the S-9 on the left and the 24B on the right:

V1....6SK7...7A7....AM RF AMP
V2....7J7......7S7....AM OSC
V3....6AG5...6AG5...FM RF AMP
V4....6J6......6J6....FM MIXER
V5....6C4.....6C4....FM OSC
V6....6SK7...7A7....AM-FM 1ST IF AMP
V7....6SK7...7A7....AM-FM 2ND IF AMP
V8....6SJ7....7C7....AM DET/LIM
V9....6H6.. ..7A6....AM EYE RECT
V10...6E5.....6E5....EYE
V11...6SG7...6BA6...FM 3RD IF AMP
V12...6AL5....6AL5...FM DET
V13...6SF7....7E7....FM EYE RECT
V14...OC3.....OA2....VOLTAGE REG
V15...6J5......7A4....2ND AF AMP
V16...6J5......7A4....1ST AF AMP
V17...5Y3......5Y3....RECT
V18...6J5......7A4....AF DRIVER
V19...6L6GA..6L6G...OUTPUT
V20....5Y3.....5Y3....RECT
V21...6SK7....7A7....MUTING RELAY TUBE
V22....6JS.....7A4....PHASE INV
V23...6L6GA..6L6G...OUTPUT

Note the increased use of LOCTAL tubes on the 24B.

The 24B (...and peripherals - from the back of the Arizona Allegro.)







I'm thinking that this Webster changer - which appears to be a multi-speed model - must be from after LPs had been introduced. That would date the Arizona Allegro to late 1948 or 1949. I'm not sure of the actual introduction date of the multi-speed Websters. Also the GE VR cartridge would appear to have been a later addition perhaps from the early 50s.

Idaho Falls? You're mining MY territory now!

That's an amazing console. Can't wait to see the restoration progress.

Kyle, wait til I get moved. You'll be restricted to south of SLC!

Carter, I'm also sure that the turntable isn't original. While it's definitely "period", the base/plinth has a curious double layer. The top layer is a first quality veneer on ply, but it does appear to have been added, so I assume the original plinth is still underneath. Shouldn't be too difficult to find an original table. Although, nothing wrong with leaving that one in. It was done so well I wouldn't be surprised if it had been "dealer installed".

Thanks for the tube lineups, and the better pic of the chart! :thmbsp:

Here are some scans from a Fisher catalog (copyright 1948) which references the Anniversary models: S-12, 1201, S-11A & 1101A. Also mentioned are the slightly less expensive Medalist models: K-2, K-12, 501 & 601. The cabinet style was denoted with a letter prefix:

• C = Chadwick ($1134.50 Anniversary) Not pictured.
• A = Allegro ($1184.50 Anniversary/$925 Medalist)
• R = Regency ($1259.50 Anniversary) Not pictured.
• G = Georgian ($1274.50 Anniversary/$1015 Medalist)
• V = Covington ($1459 Anniversary) Not pictured.

The Anniversary chassis alone cost $1034.50; the Medalist $775.

Also available were two models (model numbers unknown) without a radio which were probably based on the Medalist chassis (the K-2 chassis, I believe) which cost $785 in an Allegro cabinet and $875 in the Georgian. The "Wide-Range Amplifier-Suppressor Unit" (probably the SA-1 chassis) was available for only $275.

Earlier 1946-47 models probably used the S-9 chassis. There were the S-1 ($885) and S-2 ($1000) models mentioned in the Oct. 1946 Fortune magazine article as well as the 101 and 201 models about which not much is known beyond the mere fact of their existence. Perhaps they were the forerunners of the Medalist series. They may have even used the pre-war Philharmonic K-1 chassis or a transition version that came between the K-1 and the K-2 but that is pure speculation.

Note the placement of the coils on the tuner in this photo do not quite match that of the two known 24B models.













Note the illustrations of the original (single speed, I believe) Garrard and Webster changers. These would have, no doubt, been upgraded to the newer multi-speed models once the LP hit the shelves. Can anyone ID the specific models in these illustrations?

Red; Webster started making changers in 1948. Believe the earliest model was #100. The one in my Coronet is a 128 IIRC. 3 spd and has the GE VR cart.

Larry

Holy crap, that thing is awesome. The Allegro cabinet would fit my personal style preferences better, but any surviving Fisher that old wins major cool points.

Fisherdude said:

Kyle, wait til I get moved. You'll be restricted to south of SLC!

Click to expand...

I'd bet you would have driven south of SLC for that Custom Sixty that Joel found.

That will be INCREDIBLE once the cabinet is refurbished! What a great find!

I'm definitely excited! And, what an amazing reference this thread will turn out to be.

The Garrard MIGHT be an rc 60 New to fourm will post pictures of my 24 tomorrow.

Welcome aboard!!

Do you mean the original turntable was a 60? The one in mine is definitely a 98 variant, but as I said, I don't think it's original.

fm freq.

Note in the scanned broschure that the FM dial is done in channels instead of 88-108 making me think the 24 is newer even though it has loctal tubes in it. be back tomorrow with pictures if i can figure out how to attach them.

rc60

before the 98 was the 88 than the 80 all multible speed models prior to them was a 60 78 rpm only model I THINK this is in Sam's photofact folders. NOT shure hope this helps Thanks for the welcome.

pictures of 24

Here are a few pictures of my 24.

more pictures

and some more