[Doug Houston]

This is gettin' to look interesting. Firstly, my postwar Magnavox book doesn't appear to have the chassis models that go as far a CR 198. I may have another postwar Maggie book that could have it; I just need to go and dig it out.

Anyway, the other day, there came a postwar Regency-Symphony for sale nearby, in very, very nice shape. It turned out to be a late model, and if I recall right, the manufacture date stamp was 1948, but around October. The thing is grossly overpriced, but the sellers might sober up and take my offer. They don't understand that side-by-side phono combinations usually are curb decorations. This one is far better than that, but nonetheless side-by-sides just don't draw a stampede.

So, I noted the CR model number on the chassis. I seem to recall that it was CR 198F. It looks just like yours, but IT HAS THE FM BAND IN THE TUNER! The panel is polished brass. Unlike Ron's, the cabinet has no floor in it, where the amplifier would have gone, as the whole set is on one chassis. The set I looked at has two metal 6L6's in it, and a 5T4, in place of the 5U4. It's a JAN replacement. By that time, the original 6L6's were probably still the big glass ones.

Back, when I was still in Detroit, I had one just like this Regency. It was in Walnut, which you just about never see. It was the first Magnavox I'd ever had, and it had this same chassis in it, with the FM band on the main chassis. I had re-capped he set, but had to let it go, just because there was no room for it, anywhere. I've always regretted having to let it go, but those are little tragedies we have to bear in life.

This one I looked at is so doggoned nice, I'd buy it for that reason alone. The set is feeble. It barely gets WJR and CKLW, at full volume. I told the guy that it should be cracking the plaster at that setting. It has a 256 changer,as it would, that late in 1948. Naturally, the pickup is dead. They generally ended up with Sonatones, as this one will, if I get it. Ron Ramirez feels that I might end up with it. It looks like Magnavox updated their AM-only chassis to have FM in a later version of it. I have a Sonatone in my Windsor, and it sounds good.

Funny thing, and Ron lit the fuse. There is (was?) a Magnavox message board, and there was one smart a!! on it, who boiled my blood. All of this banter here about Magnavox has been more rewarding than any other place.

By the way, Bill, I have a sort of nice Maggie Georgian (Postwar), that I would like to move out. I have very little in it. If you think you'd like it, you could have Huggy Bear tote it down there......? e-Mail me, if you want to.