Phonoland

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4243838&l=bb2613d6da&id=539795797

Can anyone identify the model number of this Zenith High Fidelity stereo turntable from the mid-1960s? Here are the details as I best remember them.

• The control knobs, from L to R were: Treble, Bass, Balance/Loudness, Band, and Tuning. Balance was the dial like knob, while "loudness" (as opposed to volume?) was a separate control around the rim. Not visible in the picture were two concentric circles illustrating this.
• The settings on the Band knob were, top to bottom: Phono, Off, AM, FM, FM-AFC.
• The speakers were on hinges, allowing the system to be closed up for transport. The speakers were detachable with a wire connection, but somehow the wires were not needed when mounted on the hinges.
• The turntable could be stowed and locked in position (as shown) prior to closing the speaker doors. It had an "F-shaped" overarm, or "pressure arm" as the manual called it. Note that the turntable had a tiny white button, shown at the 8 o'clock position; was this used to tell the changer the record size?
• The tonearm was labeled "Micro Touch", and had that orange head with a white V. I think the stylus could be shifted to a 1.5 mil needle for 78s.
• The manual showed a needle brush present, but at that location, all that was at that spot was a raised black placeholder, as shown to the left of the stylus.
• A door on the left led to a small storage compartment. It was large enough to store 7" records.
• Above the Zenith logo is a small black dot. This was the "sound indicator light" which lit with a magenta-ish hue. I'm told it served as a pilot light to let you know when the band selector was on phono, since if no record was playing, the lights behind the radio dial were dark. But then why was it called a "sound" indicator light? Did it's brightness vary with the volume?

Have you looked for the model number in the back where the changer swings down, or inside?
I wouldnt use a 1.5 mil stylus on my 78s. 78s require a 3 mil. LPs require a 0.7-1.0mil. I believe the light is simply an indicator pilot.

We actually haven't owned that stereo in 30 years. I'm just trying to find out what I can.

The stylus, which I think was of the "Micro Touch" brand, had an orange circle on with a V "pointer". I think it could point to either LP or 78 for the different kinds of record. Not sure what the mil gauge of the needle was, but apparently it was all built into the cartridge.

One thing I never played on there were 45s. You had to place this IMHO unwieldy 45 changer adapter over the spindle, which I never figured how to do quite right.

The model info may either be posted inside where the turntable flips up, on the back, or even on the underside. If not, remobe the back panel (if there is one) and check inside the space where the tuner is. I'm guessing around 1965-66. It definitely looks older than my 1968 model. --BB


Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

The changer is certainly older than 1968. '65 -'67 perhaps Zenith used the T.M. Microtouch for years. It was picked up after they dropped the Cobra. Changer was made by VM. A very good changer in it's own right though I thought it exhibited too much rumble. It can track a warpped record like no other changer I know while being quite gentle to it at the same time.

A little backstory on this stereo.

In my earliest memory of using this record player, the overarm was AWOL. It turns out that someone (me, apparently ) did a bit of a number on the changer, rendering the "change" functions inoperative. But the turntable ran fine, so for a time we played records moving the tone arm by hand; we kept the on-off-rej knob in the ON position, while controlling the turntable solely via PHONO and OFF on the band selector. I still remember physically pushing the wedge in the spindle to "drop" the record. This was a resourceful setup in retrospect; did these units have manual switch somewhere that disengaged the changer functions? When the unit was taken in for repair some time later (the spring that held the needle in place appeared to have, well, literally sprung), the overarm had re-materialized and the changer operations were completely restored! Those VM changers must have been well built since it worked just fine for several years after. There were a few instances after that where the end-of-record detector didn't respond (unusually slow lead-out grooves on those sides?), and exactly once it dropped two records at a time.

The picture was dated 1966, and the stereo was new at the time, so it's probably no older than '65.