Butterscotch Orange Catalin Emerson Model FC-400 "The Aristocrat” Vacuum Tube AM Radio Sounds Great!
DESCRIPTION: Catalin tabletop vacuum tube AM vacuum tube radio manufactured by Emerson in 1940 in excellent working and physical condition.
SOUND QUALITY: Picks up AM stations clearly and loudly around the dial without need of external antenna attachment.
CABINET CONDITION: Cabinet is original factory molded yellow orange Catalin cabinet. No cracks, chips or major scratches or missing pieces. Not repainted, no touch up not over sprayed. Has yellowed unevenly over the years. Looks orange on the inside and bottom. Red molded plastic front decorative grill is in excellent condition, no cracks, no chips, and securely attached. Original grill cloth is in excellent condition with no rips, no loose edges, no water stains.
HANDLE: Original white molded factory handle is in poor to fair condition. Has one post broken off at the base which has been re-screwed and reattached not just reglued. The handle is somewhat functional if used very gently. But it is essentially an unreliable handle for decorative purposes.
KNOBS: Original matching factory white plastic tuning and volume knobs are securely attached no missing internal tension springs. Tuning dial works fine no slipping no sticky spots.
LOGO: No missing logos. Emerson decal is in very good condition.
DIAL LIGHT: Dial light works and lights up brightly.
INTERNAL ELECTRONICS: All paper and wax capacitors have been replaced with modern equivalents so this radio has another 50+ years or more of playing time! The tubes are working fine. All out-of-spec resistors have been replaced with modern correct value and voltage equivalents. There is no loud or pervasive hum. There is no loud or pervasive static between stations. The set has been aligned according to factory specifications. All wiring has been thoroughly checked for possible bridging and weak solder connection. The radio has been thoroughly cleaned and inspected.
POWER CORD: The brand new replacement power cord and safety polarized plug are in excellent condition with no cracks, or splits. No exposed wiring.
BACKING BOARD: Previous owner home made replacement backing board is flimsy condition with fatigued attach tabs. All 4 original attachment pins are present.
FACTORY LABELS AND STICKERS: No missing factory labels.
PROVENANCE: Was gently used, lovingly displayed, or stored in a dry cool environment for a long period of time. No evidence of prolonged exposure to moisture, smoking, cooking grease, pets or thick carpet. Was acquired recently from a long time avid collector from Seattle.
DIMENSIONS: Approximately 11" x 5.5" x 7" (l x w x h)
WEIGHT: 6 lbs 9 oz
COLOR: Orange Catalin, maybe it was yellow originally, but has turned into an orangey color.
YouTube video here
ADD BLUETOOTH See info here
ADD SMART SPEAKER: See info here
ADD DIAL LIGHT: See info here
Product: antique radio, vintage radio, retro radio, vacuum tube radio, AM radio, art deco, mid-century product.
Category: radio
Cabinet construction: Catalin
Period: 1940s
Country of manufacture: USA
Electronics: Mounted circuit board or chassis. Vacuum tube circuit.
Vacuum tubes: tested good