THE MYSTERY OF THE ALL-WAVE 27 EXPLAINED – MAYBE!

[David Wilson]

I use my holidays to catchup on my hobbies and my research, I’ve done a couple of resent posts here, one on AW 27 ownership showing some of the cabinets and phono options they came with and I also posted an early 1937 Scott AW 23 price list. This early 1937 price list was produced as Scott was changing over their AW 23 production to the production of their all-new Philharmonic. The Philharmonic was a major production change over for Scott as you know because they were switching from the turret system they had been using going back to the original AW 12. A production change over like this require much more tooling, which takes more time. The AW 27 (Baby Quaranta) was produced in this early 1937 production change over period. The final AW 23 price list I posted here earlier may holds some clues to why Scott produce the AW 27 and why so few exist today.

 

What makes the early 1937 AW 23 price list interesting is a few things. First, the cabinet lineup changes from the old standard cabinets that Scott offered with their AW 23 starting in 1935. Cabinets like Imperial Grande, the Nelson, Valencia, Lido and others were dropped from the price list. In 1936, Scott offered a staggering 32 cabinets including some cabinets with size variations to accommodate certain record players. The cabinet lineup in this early 1937 price list show here was cut to only 8 cabinets. The next Scott price list, which came out around April or May of 1937,  would introduce the Philharmonic with the same 8 cabinets that were in the last AW 23 price list plus two more, the all-new Secretaire and they brough back the popular Tasman rounding their cabinet lineup to 10. Scott started to trim the number of cabinets the offered their customers toward the end in 1936.   In the Scott March of 1936 news letter Scott would introduce  their Volume Range Expander used with their AW23.  The company promoted heavy in their 1936 price lists from March on this AW 23  Volume Range Expander. What’s even more interesting is in this early 1937 price list the Volume Range Expander is no longer offered as an option when ordering an AW 23. You can see this transition to the Philharmonic line start at Scott in this short window from the beginning of 1937 to April of 1937 starting with the same cabinet being introduce in the two price lists. Keep in mind, Scott had to start bringing the Philharmonic production online and at the same time continue to the production of their popular AW 23 model. Change overs like this were a challenge for the manufacture and normal production procedures were often modified to accommodate the change-over in models.

One thought that could explain why the Volume Range Expander not offered in the early 1937 AW price list could be that Scott had produced several extra tuners chassis for their top of the line 40 tube Quaranta models. These were produced for a very limited market with their $2,500 price tags. If Scott had several of these Quaranta tuners in their inventories as the Philharmonic came online, they may have been looking for creative ways to use these left over Quaranta chassis. One way the could have moved slow selling or extra inventory like this was  if an AW 23 customer wanted the Volume Range Expander, which was not currently offered in the most current 1937 price list, Scott would switched these customer to the  Quaranta chassis designed to accommodate the Volume Range Expander. Thus the AW 27 (Baby Quaranta) could have been invented out of a process invented to eliminate excess inventory during Scott’s major production switch over to the Philharmonic. It would have been a no brainer to do, especially if you were looking for way not to have produce more AW 23 chassis at the time.

 

I could be totally wrong on this theory but with only one surviving, complete Quaranta found to date a couple of less compete examples out there and only 20 of the AW 27s found to date this would help explain the scarcity of the AW 27s. It would also help explain why these AW 27s are not listed in any of Scott promotional materials. There were a limited number of Quaranta chassis left over and Scott put them to good use up selling their AW 23 customers, telling them for a little more money they could get the same tuner used in their $2,500 Quarantas.

[David Wilson]

Kent ..... it looks like my AW 27 has the finer wire windings on both the left and right coils and the trimmer cap you highlight is not set up like your AW 27 but is set up like your AW 23. Interesting differences. (See attached photo)

Kent King said:

Slight change on this same topic: You all got me to pull out my AW27 chassis. It hasn't been playing exactly right for a year or so, and all this talk made me decide to get it working right. I had worked on it a LONG time ago (more than 20 years) so my skills have improved a lot. When I restored it last, I did restuff all the original caps and all, I'm going to retest them but it <looked> good and played with great sound on AM. I never used it on SW much.

Anyway, ahead to today: when I opened it up, I immediately noticed the coil wheel was different. 

The coil on the left is from a normal 23/late. The one on the right is out of my 27. Note the wave coils for the band above AM. There is nothing on the left coil and the right coil is clearly wound very differently, finer wire, many more turns. I haven't had a chance to test what frequency range it runs - if it works at all. 

Anyone have any ideas on the mods (different trimmer caps too). I may try operating the 27 with the other coil wheel (with an alignment)....this is going to take some time to test.

Kent

[David Wilson]

Another interesting thing found on my AW27 was the Garrard RC-1 automatic record changer had a June of 1938 date stamped on the Astatic phono in the changer. The window for AW 27 production was early 1936 trough the first quartet of 1937. So it's kind of odd that the photo cartridge would have a 1938 date on it. I guess the RC-1 could have had the original cartridge replace on it, if so that would be unusual. (See photo attached)

[David C. Poland]

First thought was 1938 was a bit late for an RC-1 Garrard. So reviewed my Scott literature.

The Garrard RC-1 seems to have been a Scott option from late 1937 until early 1940.

Previously,  Scott offered the General Industries "Flinger" model 1936 into mid 1937.

Several Scott News issues  from 1937 to 1940 show the Garrard RC-1 and photos. A couple include a long list of Garrard  RC-1 features. See Scott News Vol 11, No 4, page 10-11 for RC-1 features. Scott sometimes refers to it as the Scott Automatic. With the magnetic pick up you might consider it a Garrard RM-1. For remote control equipped receivers, Scott could option the the changer for keyboard control.

I have a late 1940 Scott price list for the FM Philharmonic & FM Phantom which is my earliest which lists as options the Garrard RM-10 or RM-30. The difference being the RM-30 handles mixed 10 and 12 inch records. The RC- series had crystal pickups, which Scott also offered.

An internet search of vintage Garrard changer dates is poor indeed, but suggests US shipment began sometime 1937 and the newer models in 1940. So Scott was up to date seeking leading edge phonographs.

*

John F Riders book Automatic Record Changers and Recorders (1941) covers RC- 1, RC-10, RC-30 and more.

*

I have two unrestored Garrard RC-30's on the shelf, one with crystal pick up and another with a magnetic pick up having a Scott tag on the motor.

[David Wilson]

David .... Thanks for the info. on Garrard record changers!! I have the the original service manual for my RC-1. On the front of the cover of this RC-1 manual it say it was granted three patent numbers in 1932. It is my understanding that this Garrard changer was the first automatic record changers for the company. I will scan this manual when I find time and send it to Kent so it can be posted and shared with members her in the "Info Archives." (Cover attached below)

David C. Poland said:

First thought was 1938 was a bit late for an RC-1 Garrard. So reviewed my Scott literature.

The Garrard RC-1 seems to have been a Scott option from late 1937 until early 1940.

Previously,  Scott offered the General Industries "Flinger" model 1936 into mid 1937.

Several Scott News issues  from 1937 to 1940 show the Garrard RC-1 and photos. A couple include a long list of Garrard  RC-1 features. See Scott News Vol 11, No 4, page 10-11 for RC-1 features. Scott sometimes refers to it as the Scott Automatic. With the magnetic pick up you might consider it a Garrard RM-1. For remote control equipped receivers, Scott could option the the changer for keyboard control.

I have a late 1940 Scott price list for the FM Philharmonic & FM Phantom which is my earliest which lists as options the Garrard RM-10 or RM-30. The difference being the RM-30 handles mixed 10 and 12 inch records. The RC- series had crystal pickups, which Scott also offered.

An internet search of vintage Garrard changer dates is poor indeed, but suggests US shipment began sometime 1937 and the newer models in 1940. So Scott was up to date seeking leading edge phonographs.

*

John F Riders book Automatic Record Changers and Recorders (1941) covers RC- 1, RC-10, RC-30 and more.

*

I have two unrestored Garrard RC-30's on the shelf, one with crystal pick up and another with a magnetic pick up having a Scott tag on the motor.

[David Wilson]

David … I did some looking at the Scott price lists and at the accessories brochure in the “Info Archives” here. The 1933, 1934 &  1935 price list offers a 10-record auto record changer with several cabinets starting in these  price lists. The 1936 price lists just say automatic record changers. Unfortunately, Scott does not say which 10 record auto changer they are offering but the RC-1 photograph is shown in a 1935 Accessories brochure but no mention it’s a Garrard RC-1. The changer is listed for $75. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RSs9TSToGXg-gGQPuBFsh_Hxdih...

David C. Poland said:

First thought was 1938 was a bit late for an RC-1 Garrard. So reviewed my Scott literature.

The Garrard RC-1 seems to have been a Scott option from late 1937 until early 1940.

Previously,  Scott offered the General Industries "Flinger" model 1936 into mid 1937.

Several Scott News issues  from 1937 to 1940 show the Garrard RC-1 and photos. A couple include a long list of Garrard  RC-1 features. See Scott News Vol 11, No 4, page 10-11 for RC-1 features. Scott sometimes refers to it as the Scott Automatic. With the magnetic pick up you might consider it a Garrard RM-1. For remote control equipped receivers, Scott could option the the changer for keyboard control.

I have a late 1940 Scott price list for the FM Philharmonic & FM Phantom which is my earliest which lists as options the Garrard RM-10 or RM-30. The difference being the RM-30 handles mixed 10 and 12 inch records. The RC- series had crystal pickups, which Scott also offered.

An internet search of vintage Garrard changer dates is poor indeed, but suggests US shipment began sometime 1937 and the newer models in 1940. So Scott was up to date seeking leading edge phonographs.

*

John F Riders book Automatic Record Changers and Recorders (1941) covers RC- 1, RC-10, RC-30 and more.

*

I have two unrestored Garrard RC-30's on the shelf, one with crystal pick up and another with a magnetic pick up having a Scott tag on the motor.

[David C. Poland]

David - From about 1931 well into 1935, the Scott changer was a Capehart model 10-12 and a suffix like C.

Scott price list name is the Automatic 10 Record Changer. Riders has 7 pages of this Capehart detailed info: Radiotron page 525 (which I have) or Riders vol 2 per the big Riders index.

- I have a Scott Automatic 10 with my Scott FIFTEEN - in the WELLINGTON console (90) offered from 1931 to 1936. A photo of mine is shown in the 2nd edition Scott Guide on page 112. My Capehart changer is complete but unrestored- 10 or 12 inch records- Magnetic pick up - 78 or 33 RPM (for the RCA or Columbia talking books of the early 1930's).

- Next to the above photo is photo of my single speed ERLA branded phono from my ORLEANS highboy with a 1931 2-DIAL Scott. Scott offered this phono from 1929 at least to 1932. The motor says it is a Green Racer. Has a magnetic pick up that works, but the rubber needle suspension needs replacement. Automatic shutoff is crude,

Has a radio/phono switch is on the phono platform near a separate phono volume control.

*

Guess Scott preferred to say silent about the correct name for changers he supplied.

*Kinda strayed from main AW-27 topic.

[Carlos Insa]

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/capehart_pa_with_10_12_changer.html

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/capehart_10.html

http://www.theradiofox.com/phono/gm291/index.html