Grundig Konzertschrank 9068

A friend just gave me this cool console radio. Looks almost identical to the picture below. I have some experience with tubes, having built some Bottlehead amp kits. I'm in the process of testing the tubes. Also looking at the capacitors in the power supply. Any ideas of what else to look out for?

 

Is that an old Garrard Type A turntable? That was some serious hifi back in the day. I actually have one of those LP holder wire racks, but wire is so rusty that it needs to be dipped, stripped, and repainted.

 

I should have the schematics for that console if you need it. I have most every set of schematics for almost every West German radio made from '50s through the 'most of the '60s. I'll check and see...I have them all converted digitally.

 

No. It is a fully automatic Rex. Needs a new needle and belts. Know any good sources?

It came with the schematic. In German. Is yours in English?

 

The picture differs from mine in this regard. Mine has a mini bar. Cup holders on the left wall, and mirrors on the other surfaces in the compartment. The compartments are all lit up, too. Looks cool in the dark.

 

No, it will be in German if I have that set. But that's great it came with it, the German can prove to be a bit of a challenge.

 

Was worth asking... Fortunately I don't think I'll need it. And, if I do, schematics are international. Just not the words...

 

I am curious-why do you have all the schematics?

 

At one time I had a large West German radio collection. I have since sold most of them off. I still have a storehouse of tube selection for them though.

 

I'll keep that in mind if I need some tubes... Assuming you are willing to sell a few.

 

Oh sure, I can help you out. Let me know. All NOS.

 

I grew up with one of these. My parents purchased one in the late 1950s. My mom had a brother in the Army stationed in Germany and he told my parents he was buying one, and my parents begged for one too, and he was able to purchase one for them and ship it back to Ohio. My memory is that they had to scrape together $1000 to get it - they even asked me if I had anything in my piggybank! We got it from the shippers and uncrated it on the front lawn of our little house. It was a beautiful piece of art, and even had a bar inside it. We played HiFi music all afternoon out on the front lawn - looking back, I think my parents were trying to impress the neighbors. I inherited it back in the 80s and kept it as a piece of furniture. It had long since stopped working since all of us kids practically wore it out playing all the Beatles 45s over and over, and the radio hissed. Must have blown some tubes. But it was still beautiful. One time when I was out of town in the 90s, my wife had some stuff hauled off and the Grundig Konzertschrank 9068 was gone. Recently I started looking for one on eBay, but I guess these don't show up so often as I haven't seen one like this there in the past couple of months.

So if any of you all have one you'd like to sell, please give a reply. Thanks.

 

Thanks for the story Dudley69. $1k was a lot of money at the time! I think it was marketed domestically as The Majestic. You might try that.

 

My neighbor gave this to me today.
No ID of any kind on it.
Any one know what it is?

jerol

 

I found this.

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/grundig_konzertschrank_9068_1.html

jerol

 

Taking a look at the guts might reveal the maker. Whats the label in the bottom right of the picture?

 

It's a Grundig also.

 

Thanks. It's this one.
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/grundig_mandello_cst.html
I'm wondering if its's worth restoring.

jerol

 

No. Well, it is worth playing with for your own amusement and you may consider that and any resulting sonic pleasure as "worth it" in your opinion. They do have a grand sound as compared to most other audio antiquities but they also have all of the colorations inherent of low powered tube gear. I loved the one that I picked-up up many, many years ago when I was a kid. It was one of the things that got me interested in audio and electronics. Back then, I had an all-in-one record player amplifier that came with a pair of speakers all branded by the same company, Soundesign. So after my tube console revelation, I wanted something that had a real soundstage like that console could throw and something that tracked as well and had the clarity of the record player and amp of the all-in-one unit. So I eventually bought a Pioneer system with receiver, turntable, speakers, and tape deck. That was the life!
-Bill

 

Thanks for that.
I am completely ignorant when it comes to tube gear. So, I won't be tinkering with it.
FM and turntable don't work. AM and SW do. I just don't know enough to play with it.
regards,
jerol

 

Got the capacitors I need to restore the Konzertschrank. Let the fun begin!

 

ALmost done with the new capacitors in the Grundig 9068. Making a huge difference. The old ones were dried out.

 

All done with the main unit. 43 capacitors replaced.




Put it back together. It sounds very nice. Turntable still needs some work. Plays slow. I think a cleaning and oiling will bring it up to speed.

 

Enjoy your Konzertschrank.

 

Nice pieces and great restoring work ! I would not try to fix that record player. It has a ceramic cart and tracks very heavy, so unless you got some very old worn out records to play I would not use this player. Understand you want the item fixed. The real strength of these audio consoles imo is the nice reception of stations even on Long Wave etc. plus the big beefy soundstage some of those bigger consoles are able to deliver. Tube magic I guess. Together with those 5 individual chassis - 2 on the sides a big one in the middle and 2 smaller to the left + right they really sound impressive.
I am talking esp. bout those bigger Baupunkt and Grundig consoles the size of a cupboard.