Disappearing Radio Info - History

[steve parr]

Has anyone noticed search info on-line seems to be disappearing for stuff many of us have known for a long time? Things I could find 15 years ago I can no longer find in a basic Google search. Example: I did a quick lookup for the Scott Musical standalone preamp (I think I spelled that correctly) and could find nothing. Its a pretty rare piece but I know a Sams exists on it for some reason. There has been one on eBay for the last day or so and it hasn't been sold. Those things are pretty rare and the one I had maybe 20 years or so ago had pencil marks everywhere in side the chassis marking cutouts for sockets, tubes, and wiring which looked factory. I think Norm has it now. That listing years ago would have been a big deal. Sometimes a rare piece is rare but no one else on the planet cares any longer, so the info dies as well.

[George]

This is why I use Duck Duck Go along side Google.

[Norman S Braithwaite]

Ha!  Made me go look.  The Musicale in my possession does not have markings under the preamplifier chassis.  I'm pretty sure I procured the one I have from a fellow in Red Bluff who had saved the chassis and speaker from a cabinet with failing finish long before I obtained the set.  It's unfortunate that the cabinet was lost because I do not believe any examples are in collector captivity.

Norman

[Brad Winder]

I have noticed this too, and not just for radio information. I think there are several reasons that it is happening.

First, Google has gone all-in on sponsored ads and corporate first search results. I find using the smaller search engines gives better results for more obscure stuff.

Then there is the fact that our aging demographics plays a large roll. Most of this information was put online between approximately 1995 and 2015 by collectors via their own personal websites. As people pass on, their families don't continue paying to keep the sites up and active.

I also see younger people trying to use social media the same way as a forum is used and as we know, that DOES NOT work for preserving and passing on knowledge for longer than a few days

[Alex R. Whitaker]

A Scott Musicale?  That's something I've never heard of or seen.  I looked up a picture of one, and it appears to be from the 800B/late 1940s era.  Am I correct?  

[Norman S Braithwaite]

No.  More like a Scott Metropolitan 16 without a tuner

Norman

[Kent King]

As Norman said, I do not know of anyone that has a Musicale in a cabinet. It is a contemporary to the Metropolitan. Here is a picture of the unit I have (less the speaker, which is the same as the Metropolitan). Basically a nice preamp and final amp combo, with a quality phono if anyone had one in a cabinet.

Kent

[David C. Poland]

The Craftsman tuner (FM or AM/FM - has a chrome plated chassis) is a good pairing for the Scott Musicale. I think Kent has an example that says Scott instead of Craftsman. There is a Craftsman tuner listed on eBay.