This gorgeous Art Deco radio is the 1937 Philco 37-630T. It has a premium grade six tube, 3-Watt output chassis, and it is an incredible performer. The radio picks up stations with the simplest antenna and the wood cabinet gives everything you play a deep, rich sound. This the second one of these we have restored. We just love their great value.
History - This model first appeared in the fall of 1936 and sold for USD $63.00. Philco’s 1937 630 series had two distinct models with different cabinet styles – this one and a console floor model. The chassis is also similar in design to that used in the previous model 630 series (1935-36). This model 630T is the tabletop version with a speaker opening with several horizontal bars in the upper half, somewhat resembling a small Greek 'sigma.' There were only 13,689 of these units made.
Today, this attractive radio is sought after by collectors but seldom found in this condition. We acquired this one in early 2020 from a collector who had partially restored it. The cabinet was in good shape but had several chips and cracks. The chassis was not working and needed a full restoration and upgrade.
Cabinet – The cabinet got a complete restoration. We stripped the original shellac and, toned the top piping pin stripes and footer and the entire cabinet sealed with a flat matte lacquer. We made the original multi-colored veneers pop. We fixed a small abrasion in the upper right corner that is now barely noticeable. We added an exact match Philco reproduction grille cloth and retained the original control knobs. The knobs, from left to right, are on/off/three-point tone control, band switch (center), fine/coarse tuning (upper middle) and volume (right). The result is this handsome looking radio that will last many, many years into the future.
Dial – The very stylish Art Deco Globe dial is quite an impressive sight - especially in a dim or dark room. The dial exhibits the broadcast scale at the bottom and two consecutive shortwave bands on top. As you select a band the ‘Glow Beam Indicator’ lights up the band and the frequency you tune. The letters and number are very legible because the faceplate is a brand-new reproduction of the original. The Glow Beam Indicator light shields are original. This model includes the Shadow Meter which narrows to indicates the center of a station’s frequency. The cabinet dial glass and free & clear of any chips, breaks or cracks. The surrounding brass escutcheon has been stripped and refinished to keep its like-new look well into the future.
Chassis – We took extra steps and worked with the top expert at the California Historical Radio Society to ensure this radio produces no hum. For its age there was no damage and only minimal, small spots of rust on the chassis. We cleaned the steel chassis exterior and added rust inhibitor or paint to stop future corrosion. We went through the entire underside of the chassis replacing all the capacitors, checking, and replacing resistors and wires where needed. It now plays very well across the dial and all bands even with the simplest of antennas. All tubes were checked and replaced where needed with NOS (new old stock) tubes. We disassembled and lubricated the main tuning capacitor gears and concentric tuning mechanism for smooth tuning operation. A new power cord was installed for electrical safety and new silicone rubber chassis mounts were added for better vibration isolation. We added an Auxiliary input and switch on the back and aligned the radio for the Bluetooth adapter.
Speaker – Even though it performed well, we had the all-original 5 ¼ -inch speaker cleaned and reinforced. 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, this radio has been fitted 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 “analogue” combined.
Year of Manufacture: 1936/1937
Band Frequency Ranges:
AM Broadcast Band..............530 – 1720 kHz
Shortwave Band 1……………….2.3 – 7.4 MHz
Shortwave Band 2……………….7.35 – 22 MHz
See demo video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFOR-Q-Rd0U
Includes: Radio, Bluetooth Receiver, External Bluetooth adapter, Instructions
Dimensions: 20-1/4"W x 11-1/4"H x 9"D
Weight: 25 pounds
History - This model first appeared in the fall of 1936 and sold for USD $63.00. Philco’s 1937 630 series had two distinct models with different cabinet styles – this one and a console floor model. The chassis is also similar in design to that used in the previous model 630 series (1935-36). This model 630T is the tabletop version with a speaker opening with several horizontal bars in the upper half, somewhat resembling a small Greek 'sigma.' There were only 13,689 of these units made.
Today, this attractive radio is sought after by collectors but seldom found in this condition. We acquired this one in early 2020 from a collector who had partially restored it. The cabinet was in good shape but had several chips and cracks. The chassis was not working and needed a full restoration and upgrade.
Cabinet – The cabinet got a complete restoration. We stripped the original shellac and, toned the top piping pin stripes and footer and the entire cabinet sealed with a flat matte lacquer. We made the original multi-colored veneers pop. We fixed a small abrasion in the upper right corner that is now barely noticeable. We added an exact match Philco reproduction grille cloth and retained the original control knobs. The knobs, from left to right, are on/off/three-point tone control, band switch (center), fine/coarse tuning (upper middle) and volume (right). The result is this handsome looking radio that will last many, many years into the future.
Dial – The very stylish Art Deco Globe dial is quite an impressive sight - especially in a dim or dark room. The dial exhibits the broadcast scale at the bottom and two consecutive shortwave bands on top. As you select a band the ‘Glow Beam Indicator’ lights up the band and the frequency you tune. The letters and number are very legible because the faceplate is a brand-new reproduction of the original. The Glow Beam Indicator light shields are original. This model includes the Shadow Meter which narrows to indicates the center of a station’s frequency. The cabinet dial glass and free & clear of any chips, breaks or cracks. The surrounding brass escutcheon has been stripped and refinished to keep its like-new look well into the future.
Chassis – We took extra steps and worked with the top expert at the California Historical Radio Society to ensure this radio produces no hum. For its age there was no damage and only minimal, small spots of rust on the chassis. We cleaned the steel chassis exterior and added rust inhibitor or paint to stop future corrosion. We went through the entire underside of the chassis replacing all the capacitors, checking, and replacing resistors and wires where needed. It now plays very well across the dial and all bands even with the simplest of antennas. All tubes were checked and replaced where needed with NOS (new old stock) tubes. We disassembled and lubricated the main tuning capacitor gears and concentric tuning mechanism for smooth tuning operation. A new power cord was installed for electrical safety and new silicone rubber chassis mounts were added for better vibration isolation. We added an Auxiliary input and switch on the back and aligned the radio for the Bluetooth adapter.
Speaker – Even though it performed well, we had the all-original 5 ¼ -inch speaker cleaned and reinforced. 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, this radio has been fitted 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 “analogue” combined.
Year of Manufacture: 1936/1937
Band Frequency Ranges:
AM Broadcast Band..............530 – 1720 kHz
Shortwave Band 1……………….2.3 – 7.4 MHz
Shortwave Band 2……………….7.35 – 22 MHz
See demo video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFOR-Q-Rd0U
Includes: Radio, Bluetooth Receiver, External Bluetooth adapter, Instructions
Dimensions: 20-1/4"W x 11-1/4"H x 9"D
Weight: 25 pounds