A change of pace from the Bose equalizers and hi-fi I’ve been working on a lot of lately, I had the pleasure of working on a 1936 GE Model A-52 antique radio.

This is a nicely designed and straightforward table radio with 5 tubes, AM and one Shortwave band. Back in the ’30s, RCA and GE shared chassis and designs quite closely and it’s no surprise this one uses all RCA metal tubes, 6A8 6K7 6Q7 6F6 5Z4.

This radio had been serviced in the past but was due for another go-around. Most of the capacitors had been replaced in the ’70s or ’80s, although there were a few that still needed to be replaced. I swapped the 4 capacitors which were definitely in need of replacement, but the other units tested fine and are recent enough I’m not too worried about them.

The radio power switch, though, had been bypassed. The radio’s owner reported the switch was sparking in the back. I tracked one down after several weeks and was able to get it installed and it functioned perfectly after that.

The radio’s alignment was already spot-on so no adjustments needed there. I re-assembled the radio and let it play for several hours of burn-in testing before sending it back to it’s home where it will continue to play beautifully for years to come.

If you’re in Eastern Washington near the Seattle Metro Area, I can help bring your antique or vintage radio back to life. Please inquire, or visit the portfolio of my other work.