This very rare La Salle brand Art Deco radio has a big sound for such a small package (see video demo). This 1936 radio was made by Clinton Manufacturing in Chicago for Champion Radio Labs of Lakewood, Ohio. It has a premium grade six-tube, 3-band, 2-Watt output chassis, and it is a fantastic performer!
Includes: Radio, Bluetooth Adapter, Bluetooth Receiver, Small Wire Antenna, and Instructions.
History - This model is so rare it’s hard to find all the details about it. What we do know is the chassis is from the year 1936 and the cabinet sports the distinctive La Salle brand with fine wood veneer and inlays. In some ways it is like the larger 1935 LaSalle model ‘R’ - which is only a five-tube radio.
Chicago's Clinton Manufacturing Company made many brand-name radios between 1933 and 1938. Clinton brands included the Bostonian, Buckingham, Clinton, Corona, Crusader, Federal, Harmony, Kent, Marshall, Nightingale, Universal, and Westminster. In addition, Clinton made most of the radios sold by the Silver Manufacturing Company and Universal Battery Company, both Chicago concerns. In many instances, Clinton used the same model numbers on their own and specialized brands.
La Salle was a radio brand that was manufactured by Champion Radio Labs., Lakewood, Ohio. They also made radios under Champion, Monarch, and Victory brands.
Today, this radio is sought after by collectors but rarely found in this condition – if found at all! We acquired this one in early 2022 from a collector who had not restored it. The cabinet was in fair shape and the chassis was not working. Everything got a full restoration and upgrade.
Cabinet – The cabinet a complete restoration. The original walnut burl veneer on the front was in tact. The rest of the wood has mostly stood the test of time and has very few chips. The front horizontal and vertical inlay piping was preserved. We added the ebony strips on the top edges and lightly toned the top and sides. The entire cabinet was sealed with a flat statin lacquer. We added period correct grille cloth and retained the original Bakelite control knobs. The knobs are (left) on/off/volume, (center) tuning, and (right) band switch. The result is this handsome looking radio that will last many, many years into the future.
Dial – The very stylish backlite Art Deco globe and aircraft dial is quite an impressive sight - especially in a dim or dark room. The dial exhibits the AM broadcast scale at the top and the ‘Police, Amateur, Aircraft’ band below it and the ‘Foreign’ shortwave band on the bottom. As you select a band colored indicator lights up the band you tune – white is broadcast, green is Police, and red is foreign. The letters and numbers are very legible despite the age. The surrounding brass escutcheon is original and has been cleaned only enough to keep its patina and antique look well into the future.
Chassis – Clinton 638 (SN B25079). For its age there was no damage and only minimal, small spots of rust. 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. All tubes were checked and replaced where needed with NOS (new old stock) tubes. We disassembled and cleaned the main tuning capacitor and concentric tuning mechanism for smooth tuning operation. A new period correct power cord with a Bakelite plug was installed for electrical safety. We added an auxiliary input and switch to the back and aligned the radio.
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.
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
Band Frequency Ranges:
AM Broadcast.......................550 – 1720 kHz
Police, Amateur, Aircraft…….1.7 – 4.0 MHz
Foreign……………….……………….6 – 17 MHz
Dimensions: 11"W x 14"H x 8"D
Weight: 12 pounds
See HD demo video here: https://youtu.be/duVLZf8PImA
Includes: Radio, Bluetooth Adapter, Bluetooth Receiver, Small Wire Antenna, and Instructions.
History - This model is so rare it’s hard to find all the details about it. What we do know is the chassis is from the year 1936 and the cabinet sports the distinctive La Salle brand with fine wood veneer and inlays. In some ways it is like the larger 1935 LaSalle model ‘R’ - which is only a five-tube radio.
Chicago's Clinton Manufacturing Company made many brand-name radios between 1933 and 1938. Clinton brands included the Bostonian, Buckingham, Clinton, Corona, Crusader, Federal, Harmony, Kent, Marshall, Nightingale, Universal, and Westminster. In addition, Clinton made most of the radios sold by the Silver Manufacturing Company and Universal Battery Company, both Chicago concerns. In many instances, Clinton used the same model numbers on their own and specialized brands.
La Salle was a radio brand that was manufactured by Champion Radio Labs., Lakewood, Ohio. They also made radios under Champion, Monarch, and Victory brands.
Today, this radio is sought after by collectors but rarely found in this condition – if found at all! We acquired this one in early 2022 from a collector who had not restored it. The cabinet was in fair shape and the chassis was not working. Everything got a full restoration and upgrade.
Cabinet – The cabinet a complete restoration. The original walnut burl veneer on the front was in tact. The rest of the wood has mostly stood the test of time and has very few chips. The front horizontal and vertical inlay piping was preserved. We added the ebony strips on the top edges and lightly toned the top and sides. The entire cabinet was sealed with a flat statin lacquer. We added period correct grille cloth and retained the original Bakelite control knobs. The knobs are (left) on/off/volume, (center) tuning, and (right) band switch. The result is this handsome looking radio that will last many, many years into the future.
Dial – The very stylish backlite Art Deco globe and aircraft dial is quite an impressive sight - especially in a dim or dark room. The dial exhibits the AM broadcast scale at the top and the ‘Police, Amateur, Aircraft’ band below it and the ‘Foreign’ shortwave band on the bottom. As you select a band colored indicator lights up the band you tune – white is broadcast, green is Police, and red is foreign. The letters and numbers are very legible despite the age. The surrounding brass escutcheon is original and has been cleaned only enough to keep its patina and antique look well into the future.
Chassis – Clinton 638 (SN B25079). For its age there was no damage and only minimal, small spots of rust. 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. All tubes were checked and replaced where needed with NOS (new old stock) tubes. We disassembled and cleaned the main tuning capacitor and concentric tuning mechanism for smooth tuning operation. A new period correct power cord with a Bakelite plug was installed for electrical safety. We added an auxiliary input and switch to the back and aligned the radio.
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.
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
Band Frequency Ranges:
AM Broadcast.......................550 – 1720 kHz
Police, Amateur, Aircraft…….1.7 – 4.0 MHz
Foreign……………….……………….6 – 17 MHz
Dimensions: 11"W x 14"H x 8"D
Weight: 12 pounds
See HD demo video here: https://youtu.be/duVLZf8PImA