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Capehart Restoration & Preservation
United States
Приєднався 17 лют 2018
Capehart
"The finest in music plus radio entertainment"
This channel is devoted to pre-WWII Capehart radio/record player machines. Join us as we showcase different styles and models of Capehart machines offered to the consumer between 1931-1942. A good number of the machines documented within this channel were electrically and mechanically restored by myself. I specialize in Capehart products, their restoration, history, and preservation.
Join us as we explore a bygone era.
Regarding questions or inquiries, I can be reached via email.
Thanks for stopping by!
"The finest in music plus radio entertainment"
This channel is devoted to pre-WWII Capehart radio/record player machines. Join us as we showcase different styles and models of Capehart machines offered to the consumer between 1931-1942. A good number of the machines documented within this channel were electrically and mechanically restored by myself. I specialize in Capehart products, their restoration, history, and preservation.
Join us as we explore a bygone era.
Regarding questions or inquiries, I can be reached via email.
Thanks for stopping by!
Відео
1942 Capehart 500M Restoration Part 3
Переглядів 1,9 тис.2 роки тому
1942 Capehart 500M Restoration Part 3
1942 Capehart 500M Restoration Part 2
Переглядів 2,2 тис.3 роки тому
1942 Capehart 500M Restoration Part 2
1942 Capehart 500M Restoration Part 1
Переглядів 2,2 тис.3 роки тому
1942 Capehart 500M Restoration Part 1
1942 Capehart 410M Completed Restoration Part 1
Переглядів 9203 роки тому
1942 Capehart 410M Completed Restoration Part 1
One crazy bit of mechanics, I never knew these existed. What's the go with that crazy big pickup?
Its interesting to see how they achieved the countdown using the cam and a switch. Simple as well as robust and long lasting. Thanks for sharing that.
This remains endlessly fascinating watching all of the mechanism work. A tribute both to the original engineers and your skill keeping it working as designed!
Thank you Patrick
I am always amazed at just how many intricate individual bits go to make up any capehart. With the 500 and the extra Amp it's even more complex! Out of interest what do these relays control? It will be interesting to see the play control as I've not seen one of those close up and how precisely they work.
I owned a Capehart 400K. Loved the smell of the components. I replaced all the relays as a few were making intermittent contact, especially the power on relay. I found it strange that all the 220k Ohm resistors were open. Other resistor were fine. My Capehart was originally a 400A, then the guts were updated to the 400K, then phono replaced in early 50s to a Lincoln changer so it could play all speed records. Originally, my Capehart was owned by Marlena Dietrick. I have a pic from her home showing the Capehart. Then when she moved to Europe, her director got it from her. My mom got it from the director who told her its history. He loved her, and kept her memory alive thru this machine with all the mods he had done to it. I have since sold it to Don Jones who lives in Canada. I had one other Capehart, a 400M, which was owned by founder of Ralphs Markets.
That’s a great story. I know the Capehart 400K chassis very well.
There can't be many people who know how to set these up correctly. From watching your videos I admire the quality of your work on these incredible machines. Thank you!
I love the record changer it's incredible I'm old timer when I was a kid in the sixties my sister's boyfriend had a Admiral turntable and it was for LPS only and it would flip the record but I can't find anything on the internet about it is 1966 have you ever heard of a Admiral record flipper changer for LPS it was Rosewood cabinet it had two mono tube amplifiers and a tube preamp also I never seen another one he was the engineer at General Motors have a great day thanks for the great video of that record changer is awesome
The operation of these these changers makes them almost a work of art to watch. Another superb restoration by the way. It looks magnificent. Just saw the end of the video and saw that interesting mod to the pick up. That looks like an interesting work around for a failed crystal.
Very nice job there! Good to see ya still at it, Good Job! <:)
Thank you
No casing, just a phonograph on a stand ? This is quite unique for 1941. Can't even imagine the orig price for this. TOTALLY COOL !!!!!!!!
Check out part 1 and 2 of the restoration
Sweet! I need to check on the buyer of my 500g and see how the restoration is going. 😊
Kevin, this is your old cabinet. Jon
Taking a chance on love - Georgie Auld
Thank you for commenting Jon
Where are you finding that radio station that plays old 40's music ?
Good day, I am using a part 15 AM transmitter no longer made for the consumer market.
Work of art, for sure
Thank you
Wonder if those Amp chassis are as powerful as they look judging by the transformer size?
As for quality, in the late 50's and early 60's, Magnavox made some extreme quality components for their time as did others like Voice of music, Fisher etc... check em out,think you will be surprised, and impressed. Start with the Magnavox concert grand.
Thank you for your reply. Yes, I know all about those later hi-fi units. They are all great units. Capehart was the best for its time 1930-1949.
This is fantastic! Thanks for showing the mechanism during the cycles: fascinating engineering.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love your old RCA test equipment.
Thank you!
To my knowledge, PP audio amplifiers prewar typically used interstage transformers for phase inversion. Was it unusual to use a tube as a phase inverter prior to the war, or was that commonly done? It does not entirely make sense why some Capehart amplifier chassis used quads of 6V6, where 2 6L6 would do at least equally good a job. The only explanation I can think of is there were 6L6 shortages during the war, with 6V6's being easier to source. But not many of these chassis were made to begin with.
I may not have an exact answer for you, although I can state this: Some manufacturers used tubes in place of interstage transformers to cut cost. Capehart completely redesigned their amplifier chassis in 1941 with the takeover of Farnsworth Television Corporation. The 6V6 was a newly designed tube at the time of this machine's release. Capehart also made different model amplifiers, which came with a quad push pull set up or dual push pull audio output set up depending on model number. The higher end models support quad push pull output and were far superior. The finest years are 1936-1942. Each of those years, the chassis were refined and improved until WWII.
Where are you currently with the restoration of this 500M unit?
Currently on hold, working to finish a customers Capehart Panamuse. Will be back on the tuner come November 2024. Stay tuned, and thank you for checking in.
incredible i never seen this before its like a jukebox i love it
I'm glad you enjoyed the demonstration
wowww beautifulllll
Thank you for your comment
That clockwork tuning dial, tho!🤩
Thank you for tuning into the channel
Fabulous machine! What a piece of work! I cannot imagine restoring that record changer.
Thank you
bravo!!!
Thank you for your comment.
A jewel
Thank you. The owner has played over 1,000 records since restoration completion!
waw, fantàstic!!! ...
Jordi, check your email. I sent over service notes for you. Thank you for your comments!
espectacular!!!! bravo!!
Thank you
What a privilege to drive such a beauty. 🤗👍
One of the finest top echelon pre-war luxury cars of the 1930's. One of the finest to drive! Thank you for your comment.
I'd certainly think twice before taking that one on - however you know these inside out and I don't. What would you normally do to replace pot metal parts? I suppose alternative metals could be machined to replace them...
Good day, and thank you for your reply. New parts could be machined from aluminum or brass. I have spare good metal parts on hand. The 1942 model year gets a bad reputation due to the metal fatigue. Once fixed, though, they are some of the best sounding units Capehart offered before WWII. The peak of radio and phonograph technology leading right up to WWII.
That is going to be tough to restore particularly with those pot metal issues. Not for the faint hearted thats for sure!
I would agree, Richard. Indeed a very daunting task and quite advanced compared to the basic AM circuitry of the era.
That one looks both inside and out like it just came out of a dealers showroom!
Indeed Richard. This unit has been very well taken care of over the years.
That underside is intimidating
I will definitely say it was Capeharts most challenging tuner to work on Pre-WWII.
That's a tidy unit. This immediate pre-war era of Capehart production was presumably their peak in terms of quality?
Yes indeed, the peak of Capehart for pre-WWII production.
Those Miller 500 labels on the bottom of the chassis, they look they say November 20 something 2023. Am I misreading that? If they're new, I'm guessing they will let a future person trusted with the care of the Capehart know it was fully serviced in 2023? If so, that's a very thoughtful touch kind of like when clockmakers repair an old clock and their initials and the year is engraved somewhere in the works for a future repair person to find. It will be a very sweet moment when the Capehart shows off her abilities again.
Hi Patrick, you are correct. Those are the dates I completed the chassis. It is a record I keep with all of my personal sets and those whom I restore for as well. I too am really looking forward to hearing the Capehart 500 play soon!
Must be quite a treat to get one to work on that is so clean already!
Yes indeed, Patrick, it is very rare to find these machines so clean and original. Thanks for tuning in!
Has anybody ever built a little FM transmitter for the early FM so you could use it ?
Hello, and thanks for tuning in. To answer your question, yes. Aftermarket post-war FM converters were available for pre-war FM machines. The FM converter would hook up to the radio, and you would tune from the converter directly.
That is interesting but a little transmitter using the old FM frequency would be more fun !! @@Ketrons_Radio_Service
I would agree. I misread your previous comment. My previous answer was for receiving on an original tuner and how that would be interpreted with todays post-war FM reception. As far as a transmitter goes, I would imagine one could be custom built. It would only receive the broadcast transmitted, nothing more. I personally have a custom converter that allows for tuning modern FM on the actual pre-war dial for my 1942 Capehart 500M. This was custom made for my application, that is.
Yeah,, it would be fun using the old FM and probably sound better than the AM transmitter... @@Ketrons_Radio_Service
The fidelity of FM is far superior to AM and sounds great. All one has to do is convert the old FM to present-day FM for these old pre-WWII radio tuners. It can definitely be done today.
Woooooww. Nice I’m looking for one
Thank you for your interest. The finest road car, in my opinion, made before WWII. There is no production car made, in my opinion, during the 1930s that could compete with the Packard V12. Fast forward 1936 to the year 1939, which would be the last year for the Packard V12 and the end of the era for massive fancy prestigious cars with huge engines.
Adjusted to inflation it would be worth a little over $28K ($28,000) in 2023 money! This was a rich person's toy indeed 🎉😮 Lovely machine by the way.I like the way it gently changes each record with finesse 😀 👌
Thank you for commenting. Yes indeed, a rich man's toy back in the day. They were the premier radio/record player combination machine to have for entertainment back then.
Amazingly fascinating 👍🏻😃
Thank you!
Stunning machine, great to see it so beautifully restored.
Many thanks!
I have throughly enjoyed binging on all your previous videos of your recently discovered channel and am mightily impressed , it is clear that you are a fastideous expert on restoring these marvels of top quality audio engineering from the past and the perfect custodian equally interested in researching the fascinating provenance that comes with them.Here in the UK in 1938 - 39 , there was a short lived Anglo-American collaboration with the British Dynatron company , formed by the Hacker family in 1927 under the name ' Keates-Hacker ' , with multiple chassis instruments of the highest technical specification in bespoke Traditional as well as stunning Art-Deco styled cabinets .
Good day, glad you enjoyed the restoration series. More to come. Thanks for sharing a high end equivalent once produced in the UK long ago. The larger and more complex the more fascinating and fun to watch, operate, and enjoy.
It does my heart good to see this piece of history so lovingly taken care of.
I'm glad you enjoyed the demonstration. Thank you for your comments and interest.
How does the record changer respond to early records that don't have the run off groove? Would those records not be recommended for play on the Capehart?
Hi Patrick, records without a run-off groove can be played manually. Only records with a run-off will automatically trip once they play thru.
@@Ketrons_Radio_Service Thanks, that's good to know that the early records don't get left behind on the more modern player.
A masterpiece of electro-mechanical technology. The preset selector system alone is just incredible in how something so complex works so smoothly. I had to laugh when you mentioned pot metal, as it's the bane of any lover of mid to late 1920's wind up phonographs. Would a careful application of JB Weld keep those cracks from spreading?
Hi Patrick, glad you are enjoying the videos and channel! Capehart's were the premier automatic record changer to be had before WWII. They included the finest electronics, remote systems, and multi channel sound during the time period of the 1930's thru 1942. I specialize in restoring these machines. I appreciate your comments. JB Weld or dipping the pot metal in shellac would help prevent or slow the expansion of the pot metal. The key is to seal the metal from air and moisture. The most ideal solution, although difficult, would be to machine a new part from a stable metal. Jon
Magnificent! How many machines sound that good and change record sides for you!
Hi Patrick, Capehart had a patent on it's record changer. No one could replicate it. Capehart sold some of the finest electronics to boot for the time period with their machines as well. The company catered to the rich, they could only afford them for the most part. A machine like this one cost over $1,200.00 in 1936. That was far more than a brand new car back then. You could call Capehart the Duesenberg of record players and radio for the time period they were created in. This one sported a 14 inch Jensen bass speaker as well as two Q4 sealed treble tweeters. Bi-amplified, allowing for separate bass and treble amplifiers and controls for the user. Unseen and unheard of in the 1930's. I once owned this machine and sold it a number of years ago. It was a fabulous player.
Nate Miller seemed like a cool guy who knew what he liked! I wonder what his musical taste was. Did you get any of his records with his set? JWK, I wish I had your knowledge and talent for being able to restore these great units.
Good day, Nate Miller was indeed a very interesting individual who enjoyed classical music. Prior to my purchase of the 500M, the family had 3,000 classical albums stored with the machine that Nate Miller originally purchased back in the 1930s and 1940s. It was a whole library of music. The family gave me several albums of Nate's. I look forward to playing them on his machine down the road. I appreciate your comments and enjoyment with the restoration series. Jon
@@Ketrons_Radio_Service Incredible! I'm looking forward to hearing them.
Beautiful! Great work!
Thank you very much!
That changer is absolutely fascination. Our first ever tv was a Capehart. Think it was 15?" Then I think a Philco or Dumont tv.
Hello, and thank you for sharing. I appreciate your comments and interest in this video.