Magnavox Astro-Sonic Console Info Needed

Greetings,
My name is David, I live in Houston, TX and I inherited this Magnavox Astro-Sonic console from my grandmother many years ago. My grandparents bought it new, from what I gather, sometime in the early to mid 1960's.

It's in near perfect condition, and I have all the manuals, the shipping tags, and info from Foley's Department Store in Houston where it was purchased. But there are no dates to be found on anything! I haven't seen another exactly like it when searching online, and would like to know more about what model it is, the year it was made, etc. So perhaps someone here can shed some light on that.

By the way if you are wondering, it still works flawlessly. Got one of my grandmother's Percy Faith albums on there as we speak.


thanks in advance for the info!

-- David

Photos to follow:

Hey David...

I got the EXACT model sitting in my 4th bedroom. It was called the Barcelona Astro-Sonic 40 -- model 3-RP656 in old-world Mediterranean fine furniture and featured in a 1966 Magnavox brochure and sold for $398.50. I did have a second unit just like it that included a reel-to-reel tape deck, but parted it out. Anyhoo, your unit is solid-state and boasts 40-watts of undistorted music power, 15" high-efficiency woofers and 1,000 cycle exponential treble horns (which are really mid-range). If you happen to remove the back and take a look-see at the receiver/amp, you may find some little date stickers on there i.e., "9/66" (September 1966).

For these units, every component has its own service manual. For your radio/amp chassis, Sams PhotoFact Set 841/Folder 6 covers 18 different radio chassis, R204-13-10 thru R204-21-20, dated October, 1966. Your turntable is a W621. The W620 series can have short or tall speed selector switches and different size/style platters, all interchangeable. I was lucky to have a few pages from a Magnavox service manual 5276-6.

I would reverse the lids so that you wouldn't have a lamp (or whatever) being constantly moved when you open the unit. Oh, and check out the MagnavoxFriends newsgroup. They have a picture gallery where everyone displays their consoles and tend to cater to the older tube units (Regency, Imperial, Concert Grand, etc.). Enjoy your Maggie!!! --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Thank you for the info!! It is very helpful. Would you by chance know which part number a replacement needle for it is? I don't need one yet, but figured I would buy before this one goes bad.

Your needle depends on what cartridge you have. Remove the screw that holds the cartridge in place and get the number stenciled on top of it. It could say something like Magnavox 560355, Electro-Voice 275, Astatic 165D. The needles for these would be very similar with the exception that one (can't remember which) has a slightly longer "stem" that snaps into the cartridge and the cartridge is modified to accomodate that.

Anyhoo, you can get needles at Radio Shack, Garage-a-records, and several others that have been mentioned here. Go to the Electronic Gramophones and Phonographs section on here and near the top is the FAQ about where to buy needles.--BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Thanks again!

After reading that thread, I used the "Stereo Needles Lady" on Ebay that someone recommended. I got the replacement needle for $8 so I can't complain.

Also on Ebay I found this advertisement which has my exact model of Astro-Sonic (perhaps with a different finish? hard to tell), from the fall of 1965. I had to buy it.

Freelantz...

I picked mine up for $25bucks one day at an antique store. My truck was down the street getting new brakes, so I decided to take a stroll past all these little shops along the way. Walking past one store that sat way back, I saw this Maggie probably 100 feet away, sitting near the entrance with the radio playing.

I asked the owner if it was for sale and he said no, he likes to roll it outside to the front and play music for the traffic that gets backed up infront of his store. I told him I collect them and restore them and he gave in. My truck was finished alittle after 5:00, and the store was already closed, but they left the stereo out front for me to pick up. Other than replacing the needle, the thing is pretty much intact.

Here's mine...Gotta love 'em. --BB



Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

$25... that is amazing... and it looks to be in very good shape too!

Don't forget to reverse those lids...you see how they're all displayed in the advertisements? Oh, these pics were from my cell phone. My computer doesn't recognize the software to download them directly, so I had to send them to my email. Sorry for the grain and distortion. --BB

I did reverse the lids! I think they were backward ever since I moved into my current house. I had not been using the Magnavox since April 2007, I actually thought it was broken for a while, but it turned out to be a bad electrical outlet in my house (which is some twenty years younger than the Magnavox) that was the culprit! Well ever since I figured that out, I have been using it regularly again (in fact it's on right now, blasting Rush Limbaugh through the house lol).

Bless Yo' Bones, David:

I'm glad you figured out the bad outlet. House wiring scares me, and that's nothing to play around with. I'd be paranoid enough to check out the rest of the outlets throughout the house.

It's great that you're enjoying your Maggie...there's just something about them. I have other consoles, but I always gravitate to these beasts. I keep a smaller 1968 36" Astro-Sonic in my office at work. The folks are amazed, especially our new attorneys under 30 years old, and some of the older folks, too. The older ones say, "I need to break out all those albums packed in the garage...Where can I get one of those or a turntable?"

Enjoy!!!

Cheers,
--BB


Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

The changer was made in the years 1962, 1963, and 1964. But some of them are in 1965 models.

First I want to complement you on having such a nice set! My Magnavox dates 1-2-62 and is a tube set.
It is really nice. A year or so later they came out with the Astro-Sonics. I remember doing a search on
ebay of Magnavox Consoles. I came across a bunch of ads, and saw a set that looks just like the one
you have pictured. I remembered thinking to myself, I think this is the "best looking" set Magnavox
ever made. Something about the style I really liked. I remember reading that this set was from
1966 or 1967! Let me tell you, your grandmother had good taste when it came time to pick out a
stereo!! If I had lived in that time, it would be exactly what I would pick!

Thanks! I agree, she had great taste.