1937 EMERSON AL- 168 - FULLY RESTORED WITH BLUETOOTH - PLAYING WELL

Description

This five-tube tabletop radio from Emerson Radio & Phonograph Corporation’s 1937 model year is a superb example of late Art Deco design. As a five-tube radio with its original 5 1/2-inch speaker, it has plenty of volume and brilliant fidelity.
History: This model first appeared in the fall of 1937 and sold into the 1938 model year. This model has some nice showroom features like a brilliant gold front dial and a cabinet featuring rich walnut veneer with contrasting color piping.
Today, this attractive radio is sought after by collectors but almost never found restored to this near perfect condition. We acquired this radio in early 2020 from a collector who had not restored it. The cabinet was in good shape and had its original finish.  The chassis was working but needed a full restoration and upgrade.
Cabinet: We stripped the cabinet and totally restored it using the proper toners and lacquers. The result is a piano-like semi-gloss finish showing the original walnut grain. We added an exact match reproduction grille cloth and retained the original knobs.
Dial: The gold dial displaying all the station frequencies is quite impressive, especially in a dim or dark room. The dial displays the two bands – BC or AM Broadcast (540-1580 kHz) and TROP (1580-4200 kHz). All letters and numbers of the main faceplate are legible and show virtually no signs of wear.
Chassis: We checked all the chassis’ capacitors, replacing resistors and tubes where needed. We completely removed, thoroughly cleaned, and lubricated the main tuning capacitor. It now spins easy and has proper cushioning when you turn the dial knob. We aligned the radio (both IF and RF), and it plays well across the broadcast band. We left the TROP band as is (since there are no stations on it) and use it for Bluetooth input.  The band switch in back now switches between BC and Bluetooth.
Speaker: Even though it performed well, we had the all-original 5 1/2-inch speaker cleaned and fixed some exceedingly small holes. The result is clear audio across the entire audio frequency range.  This radio produces exceptional bass tones for its size and the great sound will fill the room. See link to demo on YouTube below.
Bluetooth: Additionally, we fitted this radio with our custom Bluetooth / MP3 adapter, which allows you to switch between the radio or your smartphone or music device. Access your streaming audio service or the playlist on your smart device to provide classic tunes and bring the warm, bright, analogue sound to any music or recording you choose. The quality of the sound is excellent. You will have the best of “digital” and “analog” combined.
See video demonstration on YouTube here:
youtu.be/cLua3Vka76s