Classic Beolit 39 for sale

kirkus — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:01:15 GMT

This is a good example of the famous, iconic Beolit 39 radio offered for sale. This model needs no introduction, being the most identifiable of all the historic Bang & Olufsen products.

Cosmetic and structural condition is very good considering its age, and the overall appearance is definitely museum-quality. The Bakelite shell is very sound, and the chassis, loudspeaker, and back align perfectly within the unit. The only deviations from pristene are as follows:

- The top of the unit is ever so slightly lighter in color, and less glossy in texture, as compared to the very bottom edge. This is a smooth transition from top to bottom, and is simply consistent with its age.

- The nomenclature on the dial glass is somewhat faded on the left side

- There is a repaired crack in the lower-left corner (when viewed from the front). This is a result of damage when the unit was shipped to me, without the loudspeaker properly secured within the enclosure. It’s the sort of thing that can be seen easily on careful inspection, but not very noticeable when on display. There is no seepage of any glues used for the repair, and no paint or filler of any type used.

- A previous owner (many decades ago) added an extra mains-type socket to the back of the chassis (necessitating a cut in the back grille), and a replacement power switch was cut into the lower right side. Exactly why this was done I have no idea, but the results are still very unobtrusive, and likely noticeable only on critical inspection by one familiar with the Beolit 39.

Electrically, this unit is “clearly restorable”. After removal of the electrical modifications associated with the aforementioned additional rear-panel socket, the radio chassis powers up and shows all necessary signs of life: the demodulator and audio amp work, the local oscillator runs and tunes across all three bands correctly, and the radio will tune in a strong carrier injected directly from a laboratory signal generator. Very clean, clear audio plays when fed to the primary of the output transformer, verifying that the transformer and loudspeaker operate perfectly.

PLEASE NOTE that radios such as these have the chassis connected directly to one side of the mains current, and any attempt of repair or operation should ONLY be made by those familiar with the proper safety procedures.

Price is $6,250.00, plus shipping. I am located in the Midwestern USA, and am happy to ship this unit anywhere in the world. It includes an ATA-style storage and transport case, custom-fitted to the dimensions of the unit.

I have high-resolution photos of all angles and details of this piece, and would be happy to forward them to any interested party for inspection.

BeoWorld Private Sales

Classic Beolit 39 for sale