This is a beautiful Mid Century Modern (MCM), fully functional Telefunken Gavotte 8U manufactured in West Germany in 1957-58 and featured on my homepage banner. This Gavotte comes with it's original service schematic in the original pouch on the inside of the back cover (see the last 2 pictures). It is an export model so the FM coverage range is from 88-108 MHz.
This Gavotte features 3 speakers, 6 AM circuits and 9 FM circuits. It measures 18.1 x 11.8 x 7.9 inchs.
The original wood case was hand polished until it shined. Minor cracks are still visible but they now look smooth and the radio has a fabulous 65 year old patina on top of the original sunburst finish! All other parts have been thoroughly cleaned and polished. Everything about this radio is original except for a few electronic components. A true antique!
I removed the chassis from the cabinet and cleaned and dusted everything. I tested the tubes, capacitors and resistors. Anything that was not in acceptable ranges were replaced. Any brittle wiring was replaced. The pushbutton assembly was cleaned and treated with DeoxIT D5 and works smoothly. The plastic trim was cleaned and hand polished. I did replace the magic eye tuning tube with a fully working equivalent so it shines bright and responds well to station changes. The speaker grill cloth is original and has been removed, cleaned and reinstalled. The pressboard back is in great shape with no damage.
BEAUTIFUL 1958 TELEFUNKEN Gavotte Model 8U German Tube Radio
The word "Gavotte" means an old medium-paced French dance, popular in the 18th century. It is also a medium line of Telefunken tabletop radios manufactured between the mid 1950's to almost 1980.
The late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s marked the golden era of Telefunken stereo radios, which were known for quality and innovative features. Telefunken products were not only popular in Germany but were also exported extensively, particularly to the United States. Known for their superior sound quality, precision engineering, and stylish designs, Telefunken’s radios quickly gained popularity.
Nothing has been done to this radio that is not described here. THIS IS NOT A FULLY RESTORED RADIO but rather an original antique radio that has been inspected and repaired as necessary to make it function as it was originally intended. As with all of my radios, I have played this radio for hours several days a week before I put it up for sale. I do my best to describe every item in detail. Please look over the photos and contact me with any questions.
Vintage radios were manufactured decades ago in a time of relaxed electrical safety and with primitive technology as compared with today's standards. Many early radios were made with the metal chassis electrically connected to one side of the power cord. This can give you a strong shock if you happen to touch the radio chassis and anything else that is grounded at the same time. In addition, tubes can get very hot and cause serious burns if touched accidentally after the radio has been running for a while. These dangers are minimal if the complete cabinet, back, and knobs are all in place and no metal parts are exposed. Vintage Radio Electronics, whether restored or un-restored, are by nature hazardous due to their voltage, design, heat output and age. They should not be operated unattended, without adult supervision or for great lengths at a time. Any operation, adjustments or repairs are done at your own risk. None of the radios sold at this shop have been modified or upgraded to modern standards.