Hi to all,
I'm new to this site, I have acquired a "Gulbransen" radio - Model # 60. This is in need of restoration, does any one on this site know of anyone who would be able to do this for me? I live in Emu Plains, which is at the foot of the Blue Mountains, near Penrith, NSW. I would prefer the restorer to be as local as possible to where I live.
I could do the cabinet myself, that is not an issue, the actual radio is the issue, it does not work at all. I guess this would be electric, I don't know. There is no power cord attached to this. All the bakelite knobs are in tact as is the display panel for choosing your desired station.
This radio is gorgeous and I desperately would like to have it restored.
PLEASE.....if anyone can help me my email address is;
cherie09optusnet.com.au
Any leads to having this restored would be greatfully appreciated. Even some information on this radio would be much appreciated, as I do not know anything at all about this.
Kind regards,
Sheree.

According to radiomusem.org, the model 60 was made in the USA c1930.

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/gulbransen_60.html.

However, the Gulbransen brand was also used by Australian manufacturer EF Wilks of Sydney and later by Breville (source: JW Stokes), so yours is probably a locally made radio. Does the dial show Australian stations?

I have some information on Gulbransen model 60P of 1940, which is an AC/Battery portable containing these valves: 5Y3G, 1A7G, 1N5G, 1H5G, 1Q5GT. Does that valve line-up match yours?

As for restoration, you could try these guys:

MB Electronics
277 Victoria Rd
Marrickville
(02) 9568-3248

Antique Reproduction & Restoration
14 Claxton Cct,
Rouse Hill
(02) 9836 2997

Let us know how you go with those.

Also, some photos would be great. You can email them to Brad (see his profile for his address).

Hi GTC,

Thank you for your super-fast reply, and your information. I have rang the Rouse Hill #, & left a message for them to get back to me.

I have just checked the dial, it does not have stations as such on the dial, it has numbers from 10 - 100, e.g. 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, etc.

I checked the compliance plate on the back and it says there that this is made in Sydney, Australia.
This is in a timber cabinet standing approx. 3' 6" high & approx. 2' wide. It has a lot of frett work on the bottom half at the front which has deteriorated fabric behind the frett work.

It has 3 bakelite black knobs above that then a round dial (I think glass face), with the stations there. It has a very decorative surround around the galss, possibly brass?

OMG!! this is in a real mess this gorgeous radio, it certainly needs some extensive restoration work - never the less, I'm sure it will come up lovely. The cabinet isn't too bad actually, I've did french polishing, so I can do the cabinet up myself. I just hope that someone can restore the actual radio for me.

I will try to get some pics and upload them for you. I would certainly like some before & after shots.

I will keep you posted on my progress with this.

Thanks again.

Sheree.

Hi GTC,

The lead you gave me for Rouse Hill was positive. The man is on his way here now to pick this up, he seems to have good faith in restoring this. I'm so pleased.

I will certainly keep you updated on this.

Cheers,
Sheree.

Hi Sheree,
I'm glad you have some positive results regarding your radio.
Just a bit of further info. The description of your radio dates it to around the mid 1930's - round dial glass, brass escutcheon, and numbers instead of station call signs.
I may be wrong, but I thought Gulbransen radios were from New Zealand. Some New Zealand brands were sold here in the 1930's.

Hi Monochrome,

I have had a look at the compliance plate inside the cabinet and it says it is made in Sydney Australia. The actual dial plate/glass is 1/2 moon shape, not round as I had previously said it was, sorry my mistake. The cabinet is solid timber, not veneer, although the front of this is veneer.

I'd say you are right about the age of this, as that's what the restorer said as well. He said that these particular radios are now very, very rare.

I'm so happy that he can restore the radio for me.

Thanks for your info on this.

Cheers,
Sheree.

monochrome625: I may be wrong, but I thought Gulbransen radios were from New Zealand.

Sheree says: "I checked the compliance plate on the back and it says there that this is made in Sydney, Australia."

I quoted NZ expert the late John Stokes in my earlier post when he says Gulbransen-branded sets were made in Sydney by EF Wilks and later by Breville.

As for NZ, he says: "H W Clarke has been established in 1928 as importers of Gulbransen player pianos ... the Gulbransen Co went into the radio business and in 1929 Clarke's commenced to import Gulbransen radios ... the drying up of imported sets [due to import restrictions introduced in 1936] resulted in the name Gulbransen eventually being used on locally made receivers."

So, the brand was used on locally-made sets in both NZ and Oz. In Sheree's case, I think the sticker makes it a local unit.

Crescent dial glasses were generally just before round ones, putting the age of the receiver at around 1932-33. Before this were the keystone dials of 1927-31.

If there is no patent licence label and no rivet holes can be seen where one may have been then it is fairly safe to assume that the receiver was made before March, 1934.

^ Stokes has EF Wilks entering the local market with Gulbransen branded sets in 1935.

"... the Gulbransen radios seen in Australia were not of American origin.... Import restrictions which by then had been in force for over five years, had seen all American radios disappear from the local market, even though the names sometimes remained."

Also: "It is known that from 1938, if not earlier, to 1940 Gulbransen radios were made by Breville."

"The name Gulbransen, largely as a result of its comparatively late introduction, never became well known in Australia and after the war marketing was nor resumed."

Source: More Golden Age of Radio (1990)

Hi GTC,

I have emailed some pics to Brad as you suggested. The man that is restoring the radio emailed me these pics today (the ones that I forwarded on to Brad).

They are only on the radio itself, none at this stage of the cabinet. I will also forward some of those to Brad, as soon as I manage to take some of the cabinet. The restorer has all the hardware from the cabinet though, so I cannot take pics of this at the moment.
Once the entire project is complete & all put back together, I will also send Brad some final pics.

Can I post pics on this site? How can I do this if it can be done?

Thanks to everyone for all your info. on this radio, your responses are greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Sheree.

Sheree, I think it's fantastic that you are getting this radio restored. As you can see it's a comparatively rare brand these days and so having one in working order is wonderful.

As a matter of interest, how did you come by it?

Can I post pics on this site? How can I do this if it can be done?

To do it yourself you need to create an account on a free photo file server -- such as Photobucket -- then upload the pictures to that and then post links to those images on here.

A friend of my daughter had it in her front yard beside the wheelie bin ready to be discarded as rubbish.
My daughter knowing I love antiques, asked her friend could she give it to me, she said it's only rubbish, but if your mum wants it she can have it. I picked it up instantly , and had it in the hands of a restorer in a matter of hours, thanks to your response to my post on this site. It's costing me $750- to have it restored, I haven't a clue what this will be worth when finished, but I feel it is really worth it, it will be so lovely when it's all finished.

By the sounds of it, I guess I'm very fortunate to have had this given to me, and very lucky that it can be restored. I'm really excited.

Cheers,

Sheree.

Pictures received and will be posted tonight.

Just to keep you updated on my radio, I'm hoping to begin restoring the cabinet this week.

When finished I will email some pics to Brad. The gentleman restoring the actual radio from the cabinet, says he will need approx. 3 months to fully restore the radio.

Just a quick question-What section of this site do I find pics of other radios? Is there a special section to view pics?

Cheers,

Sheree.

G'day Sheree,

I apologise for not puting up the pictures you sent last week but will hopefully get a moment to do it tonight.

Currently there is no universal photo album here however introducing one is probably a good idea. I am working on a couple of things at the moment that would allow such a function to be introduced so hopefully I will have some good news on that soon.