Here's another very rare radio – a six-tube, three-band, ‘Imperial’ brand radio manufactured by the Case Electric Corporation of Marion, Indiana. This gorgeous tombstone-style radio with its 6-inch ROLA speaker has a large multicolored, side lit glass dial and epitomizes late Art Deco style.
History: Case Electric Corp. was originally known as the Indiana Manufacturing & Electric Corp., known for the "Indiana Hyperdyne" and "Case" brand of radios manufactured from 1923 to 1928. In 1928 the Indiana Manufacturing & Electric Mfg. Corp. changed their name to Case. From 1929 to 1934 Case did not make any radios. Then in 1935 production started up for the Case line of radios for the 1936 season. Unfortunately, soon after Case went back into production, the state of Indiana held hearings on the future status of the company and on April 2, 1936, the state officially dissolved the company.
The Case 601 had three bands and used a mixture of large pin and octal glass tubes. The later version of the 601, the 610, had four bands and used all octal metal tubes. This radio was also sold under the brand names of Silvertone (Sears) and Radio Vogue and is sometimes listed as 6U-107.
Today this attractive radio is sought after by collectors but almost never found this condition. We acquired this radio in early 2018 from a collector who had not restored it. The cabinet was not in great shape. The chassis was working but needed a full restoration and upgrade.
Cabinet: The cabinet got a complete restoration. The veneer on the sides was too far gone and was replaced with more elegant walnut. We stripped the original shellac and toned the top and bottom footer with an ebony lacquer. All other wood got a simple (almost clear) maple stain. All of it was conditioned with grain filler and sander sealer. We then finished the entire cabinet with a flat matte lacquer. This makes the original and new veneers pop. The grille cloth is original, as are the control knobs. The result is this handsome looking radio that will last many, many years into the future.
Dial: The large multi-colored round dial displaying all the station frequencies and that seems almost oversized for such a medium sized cabinet. This too was broken so at great expense we had a new reproduction made. Now all letters and numbers of the main faceplate are clearly legible. The dial glass is free & clear of any chips, breaks or cracks. The surrounding brass escutcheon has been cleaned and will keep its antique (but not worn) look well into the future
Chassis: We replaced all the chassis’ capacitors, replaced resistors and tubes where needed. We aligned the radio (both IF and RF), and it plays well across all the broadcast and shortwave bands.
Speaker: Even though it performed well, we had the all-original 6-inch ROLA 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.
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.
Frequency Ranges:
Broadcast Band (Red)...550 kHz to 1700 kHz
Police Band (Green)...1.9 MHz to 6.0 MHz
Shortwave Band (Yellow)...6.0 MHz to 18.0 MHz
Dimensions: 15-3/4"W x 19"H x 10-1/4"D
Weight: 20 Pounds
See demo on YouTube here: youtu.be/i_eoQ8fp76U
History: Case Electric Corp. was originally known as the Indiana Manufacturing & Electric Corp., known for the "Indiana Hyperdyne" and "Case" brand of radios manufactured from 1923 to 1928. In 1928 the Indiana Manufacturing & Electric Mfg. Corp. changed their name to Case. From 1929 to 1934 Case did not make any radios. Then in 1935 production started up for the Case line of radios for the 1936 season. Unfortunately, soon after Case went back into production, the state of Indiana held hearings on the future status of the company and on April 2, 1936, the state officially dissolved the company.
The Case 601 had three bands and used a mixture of large pin and octal glass tubes. The later version of the 601, the 610, had four bands and used all octal metal tubes. This radio was also sold under the brand names of Silvertone (Sears) and Radio Vogue and is sometimes listed as 6U-107.
Today this attractive radio is sought after by collectors but almost never found this condition. We acquired this radio in early 2018 from a collector who had not restored it. The cabinet was not in great shape. The chassis was working but needed a full restoration and upgrade.
Cabinet: The cabinet got a complete restoration. The veneer on the sides was too far gone and was replaced with more elegant walnut. We stripped the original shellac and toned the top and bottom footer with an ebony lacquer. All other wood got a simple (almost clear) maple stain. All of it was conditioned with grain filler and sander sealer. We then finished the entire cabinet with a flat matte lacquer. This makes the original and new veneers pop. The grille cloth is original, as are the control knobs. The result is this handsome looking radio that will last many, many years into the future.
Dial: The large multi-colored round dial displaying all the station frequencies and that seems almost oversized for such a medium sized cabinet. This too was broken so at great expense we had a new reproduction made. Now all letters and numbers of the main faceplate are clearly legible. The dial glass is free & clear of any chips, breaks or cracks. The surrounding brass escutcheon has been cleaned and will keep its antique (but not worn) look well into the future
Chassis: We replaced all the chassis’ capacitors, replaced resistors and tubes where needed. We aligned the radio (both IF and RF), and it plays well across all the broadcast and shortwave bands.
Speaker: Even though it performed well, we had the all-original 6-inch ROLA 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.
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.
Frequency Ranges:
Broadcast Band (Red)...550 kHz to 1700 kHz
Police Band (Green)...1.9 MHz to 6.0 MHz
Shortwave Band (Yellow)...6.0 MHz to 18.0 MHz
Dimensions: 15-3/4"W x 19"H x 10-1/4"D
Weight: 20 Pounds
See demo on YouTube here: youtu.be/i_eoQ8fp76U