This gorgeous Art Deco skyscraper console radio is the 1936 Sparton 987. This radio has a premium grade nine tube, eight-watt output chassis, and great sounding 12-inch speaker.
History - This model was part of Sparton’s 1937 lineup and first appeared in the August of 1936. Sparton brand radios were produced by the Sparks-Withington Co. of Jackson Michigan. Circa 1937 was the heyday for large round dials, and Sparton followed suit by using colorful mirror dials with diameters up to 6 inches. The dial on a radio is arguably the focal point and the Sparton mirror dial is not just functional, but further beautifies an already great looking line of sets.
"Photochromatic" was the term Sparton used to refer to the mirror-dial feature in its 1937 radios. The dials were constructed from 3/32-inch mirror glass that had regions etched away (from the silvering) to allow light to pass through the reverse painted dial markings and Sparton logo. If the radio is off, the photochromatic dial fades away into the background due to the mirror. If it is turned on, many colors illuminate the dial in a dramatic effect. In addition to the Deco Sparton logo, the colors red, yellow, blue and white are for band, frequency, log scale, and station call letters respectively.
Today, this attractive radio is sought after by collectors but seldom found in this condition. We acquired this one in early 2019 from a collector. The cabinet was in almost perfect shape. The chassis was working but got a full restoration and upgrade.
Cabinet – The cabinet got a complete restoration. The original walnut veneer has stood the test of time but still show its age. The entire cabinet was stripped and then sealed with a flat matte lacquer. We kept the original grille cloth and retained the original control knobs. The result is this handsome looking radio that will last many, many years into the future.
Dial – The original 6-inch photochromatic dial was chipped, so at great expense we had a reproduction made. It is quite an impressive sight - especially in a dim or dark room! The dial exhibits the AM Broadcast and Police band scale at the top and shortwave band on the bottom. The cabinet dial outer shell is free & clear of any chips, breaks or cracks. The surrounding brass escutcheon has not been touched so it keeps is soft patina and antique look in the future.
Chassis –This is a top-of-the-line high grade nine-tube chassis and it is a fantastic player! 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. Then aligned and tuned the radio. 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 including the extremely sensitive Magic Eye green tube. A new power cord and fuse was installed for electrical safety and new silicone rubber chassis mounts were added for better vibration isolation. We also 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 12-inch speaker with its 15-inch baffle 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, 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.
Band Frequency Ranges:
AM Broadcast Band..........530 – 1700 kHz
Police Band……………….1.8 – 6.5 MHz
Shortwave Band……………….6 – 19 MHz
See demo video on YouTube here. If you cannot view, then copy and paste the link to browser: youtu.be/8naQHjbaRTI
Dimensions: 26”W x 42"H x 12"D
Weight: 65 pounds
History - This model was part of Sparton’s 1937 lineup and first appeared in the August of 1936. Sparton brand radios were produced by the Sparks-Withington Co. of Jackson Michigan. Circa 1937 was the heyday for large round dials, and Sparton followed suit by using colorful mirror dials with diameters up to 6 inches. The dial on a radio is arguably the focal point and the Sparton mirror dial is not just functional, but further beautifies an already great looking line of sets.
"Photochromatic" was the term Sparton used to refer to the mirror-dial feature in its 1937 radios. The dials were constructed from 3/32-inch mirror glass that had regions etched away (from the silvering) to allow light to pass through the reverse painted dial markings and Sparton logo. If the radio is off, the photochromatic dial fades away into the background due to the mirror. If it is turned on, many colors illuminate the dial in a dramatic effect. In addition to the Deco Sparton logo, the colors red, yellow, blue and white are for band, frequency, log scale, and station call letters respectively.
Today, this attractive radio is sought after by collectors but seldom found in this condition. We acquired this one in early 2019 from a collector. The cabinet was in almost perfect shape. The chassis was working but got a full restoration and upgrade.
Cabinet – The cabinet got a complete restoration. The original walnut veneer has stood the test of time but still show its age. The entire cabinet was stripped and then sealed with a flat matte lacquer. We kept the original grille cloth and retained the original control knobs. The result is this handsome looking radio that will last many, many years into the future.
Dial – The original 6-inch photochromatic dial was chipped, so at great expense we had a reproduction made. It is quite an impressive sight - especially in a dim or dark room! The dial exhibits the AM Broadcast and Police band scale at the top and shortwave band on the bottom. The cabinet dial outer shell is free & clear of any chips, breaks or cracks. The surrounding brass escutcheon has not been touched so it keeps is soft patina and antique look in the future.
Chassis –This is a top-of-the-line high grade nine-tube chassis and it is a fantastic player! 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. Then aligned and tuned the radio. 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 including the extremely sensitive Magic Eye green tube. A new power cord and fuse was installed for electrical safety and new silicone rubber chassis mounts were added for better vibration isolation. We also 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 12-inch speaker with its 15-inch baffle 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, 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.
Band Frequency Ranges:
AM Broadcast Band..........530 – 1700 kHz
Police Band……………….1.8 – 6.5 MHz
Shortwave Band……………….6 – 19 MHz
See demo video on YouTube here. If you cannot view, then copy and paste the link to browser: youtu.be/8naQHjbaRTI
Dimensions: 26”W x 42"H x 12"D
Weight: 65 pounds