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Cabinets came in 5
configurations:
- Capehart 100: a waist-high top loader 800 - 1000$
- Capehart 200: a waist high front loader, only produced for
a short time.
- Capehart 300: An upright combination with the radio above
the changer, only produced for 2 years.
- Capehart 400: The deluxe model: A chest-high front loader
with elaborate electronics, separate amplifiers for bass
and treble, and two big 12" and 14" dynamic
loudspeakers. 1500$ +
- Capehart 500: The model of conspicuous consumption for the
ultra-rich: A chest high cabinet, but even longer than the
400. Three separate amps for low, mid, treble, 12", 14", 18"
dynamic speakers. Prices $2500 and up, remote installations
$5000 and more. Easily the most expensive standard
production phonograph. A monster. Only 6 examples are known
to survive.
Also, the stand-alone changer mechanism (for use in PA
systems or in a custom-built SCOTT radio) was available for
a steep $495.
More cabinets shown at Bob Baumbach's site:
http://mulhollandpress.com/gallery.htm
How to read Capehart
Model Numbers
This Capehart is Model 112M FM2
100 - Type of Capehart (see above)
12 - Cabinet Style (in this case George II)
M - Model Year (1941/42)
(first year: when it came out, second year: model year)
Dating a Capehart by
Model Letters
The Capehart (no letter) - 1931/32
A - 1932/33
....
M - 1941/42
(no production)
N - 1945/46-47
P - 1948/48-50
FM2 - Type of Radio and Amplifier - FM Radio and No. 2 Amp
Another Example: Capehart 114N2 = 1946 100 Model, 14 Early
Georgian Cabinet, No. 4 Amp.
Demonstration of the Capehart Turn-Over Record Changer
-The turn-over changer, developed in 1929 by Ralph Erbe for
Columbia, left nothing to be desired: Continuous playing of
20 (later reduced to 16) records, 12" and 10" intermixed.
Once the stack is through, it starts again.
First record slides out of the bottom of the stack
(click on
the first photo to see a video of the Capehart in full
change cycle)
(If your browser does not play the full video file, right-mouse click the photo and "Save target as" on your computer. The 10 MB video file can then be played from your own computer.)
Side A playing
Record playing, note the True Tangent zero tracking error tone arm:
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Turnover arm swings around, lift ring brings the record in vertical position (arm is not swung over in this photo, sorry)
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Record slides down guided by turn-over arm: record is turned over to side B
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Record playing side B
Record is returned to
the magazine, new record drops from the bottom of the stack
and cycle begins again:
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The changer, even though
unchanged in its original design, was continuously improved:
33 rpm Transcription speed added in 1932 for 3 years.
True Tangent zero error tone arm added.
Feather Weight pickup (at the then astounding light weight
of 1 1/2 ounces) added in 1941.
This 1942 changer is the most sophisticated example of the
pre-war changers.
Play Control added: Pre-set a certain number of sides to
play after which the whole machine shuts off (great when you
fall asleep on the sofa)
- Electronics were always of the finest: Multiple powerful
dynamic speakers, well done amplifiers, and up-to-date
radios (FM radio available 1941) guaranteed excellent
fidelity and plenty of volume.
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Some Details about the
Capehart 112M FM
MAKER: Capehart Farnsworth
MODEL: Capehart 112M 2 FM in rare blonde bleached Mahogany
George II cabinet
SERIAL #:18383
YEARS: Capehart: 1931 - 1951, this is the 1941/42 model year
ORIGINAL COST: $800
CASE / CABINET SIZE: 37" x 38" x 22"
TURNTABLE / MANDREL SIZE: 16 E turn over record changer, 16
records/ 32 sides continuous play, with play control (number
of sides can be pre-set, turns off after last record).
REPRODUCER / SOUND BOX: Feather-Weight Astatic B2 cartridge
1 1/2 Ounces weight.
MOTOR: Geared Synchronous
HORN DIMENSIONS: two 10" dynamic speakers
REPRO PARTS: Electronics have been expertly restored,
otherwise machine is all original.
CURRENT VALUE MINT: $2000 for restored machine
(Not necessarily this machine)
INTERESTING FACTS:
This machine is the last model before Capehart closed
production for the war. Advanced features of this machine
are the True Tangent tone arm, the Feather Weight Astatic B2
Pick-up and the pre-set play control. Also, FM radio (old
band) is available, in addition to AM and Shortwave.)
FAVORITE CHARACTERISTIC:
It is a Capehart !! put in your selection of records, switch
the machine on, and just enjoy the music. What I really like
about Capeharts is that you start the machine, and then
forget about it. It plays reliably records on both sides,
does not fail, and switches itself off after the pre-set
number of plays.
It works on any record with a run off groove, oscillating or
spiral. Once in a while I will even play a batch of Gennetts
or acoustic Brunswicks on there, works fine.
MACHINE INFORMATION
| Maker | Capehart Corporation |
| Model | 112M FM2 |
| Year | 1941/42 |
| Owner (at time of publication) | Carsten Fischer |
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Repaired/Serviced by (Mechanical) |
Roger
Morrison, Carsten Fischer |
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Repaired/Serviced by (Electronics) |
Donald Cochran |
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Repaired/Serviced by (Crystal Pick-Up) |
Sylvain Vanier |
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The postwar
CAPEHARTS and the LP quandary
Click on
the image below to see Capehart turning over LPs:
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(If your browser does not play the full video file, right-mouse click the photo and "Save target as" on your computer. The 10 MB video file can then be played from your own computer.) |
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After having closed the
factory in 1942 because of the war, the Capehart dazzled the
public again in 1946 with a completely redesigned changer
(41-E) and updated electronics. These post-war Capeharts are
by many connoisseurs considered to be the finest that
Capehart produced:
Complete redesign in 1946: Lightweight pick-up allows
playing at 8 - 12 grams.
1949: Two speed changer for LPs and 78 rpm introduced.
Production of the Capehart ceased in 1950.
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The 1946 had an
embarrassing false start: Capehart used a Pfanstiehl (I
think) True-Timbre strain-gauge cartridge, which works like
a carbon mike: A carbon coated piece of nylon changes its
resistance as it bends.
This cartridge provided great fidelity at low weight, and
avoided any hum problems.
However, the stylus was only factory-replaceable, and nylon
piece in the cartridges malfunctioned quickly and were
factory upgraded to the modern HiFi GE VR (Variable
reluctance) cartridge.
The original strain gage cartridge can be recognized by its
clear Lucite/edgy head shell. These machines do not have a
pre-amp. If you want to upgrade such a machine, you will
need the later silver head shell, a GE VR cartridge and
someone has to build a pre-amp (contact me for details.)
Also, the early two-pole induction motor induces some hum on
the GE VR cartridge.
Lastly, the changer had
to be retrofitted with two struts stabilizing the magazine
holder (again contact me).
Capehart-upgraded and later machines have a silver-Lucite
head shell with a large, chromed GE VR cartridge, and a
separate preamp chassis in the changer.
(Note to the
cartridges: The original large, double cased GE VR cartridge
was only factory repairable: A new stylus has to be soldered
in.
Your best bet is to replace it with a GE RPX cartridge with
the L shaped stylus. Your capehart will sound even better,
if you use a two-speed double ender GE RPX and replace the T
bar with one that can accept clip-in styli. These have a
much better compliance and high-end than the L shape styli.
You just saw off the first 1/2" of the T bar post, and make
the T bar stick with a piece of clear tape around the post.
Do not use the GE VRII cartridge, since it has only 50% of
the RPX output)
Otherwise the machine
was simply fabulous: Advanced electronics using improved
military circuits and components (unfortunately, the carbon
resistors have drifted over time), a coaxial 15"/ 5" Jensen
dynamic speaker on the 100 model, and a great Western
Electric 12" edge-wound dynamic speaker on the 400 model.
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Radio is modern FM band,
AM and shortwave, and of astounding sound quality. The radio
dial is a beautiful back-lit dial (there is a problem with
the brown paint flaking - I have an easy solution).
In 1948, a beautifully improved changer - (41-MP, with
double separator knife, standard GE VR cartridge in a double
suspension case, three mercury switches, a quiet four pole
motor, and a new improved one chassis radio/amp, and a push
box with 4 buttons for phono noise reduction came out.
MACHINE INFORMATION
| Maker | Capehart-Farnsworth |
| Model | 114N2 |
| Year | 1946 |
| Owner | Carsten Fischer |
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Repaired/Serviced by (Mechanical) |
Roger Morrison |
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Repaired/Serviced by (Electronics) |
Donald Cochran |
| Custom Conversion to 78/ 33 rpm speed by | Carsten Fischer |
Adapting the Capehart
for the new Long-Playing Microgroove record
1948 also marked the
introduction of the LP and the eventual demise of the
Capehart:
If you had paid $800 for a superb Capehart, you were all of
a sudden burdened with a machine that could not play 33 rpm
vinyl LPs.
Capehart, unfazed, developed a beautiful new, astonishing
changer: 41-E-2
To accommodate LPs, the changer had two tone arms that
clipped in at the base. Clipping in the right tone arm
change the speed to 78 rpm or 33 rpm automatically, and the
separate tone arms always insured that you played your LPs
at 6 grams, whereas 78 rpms play at ~12 grams. A ball
bearing at the trip mechanism ensured that the tone arm
would track and trip reliably with playing weights as low as
four grams.
These rare 2-speed changers were the last stand of Capehart
against the LP - but it seems that people did not see the
necessity to have a changer for 20 minutes a side LP
records.
Capehart closed the production of the turn-over changer in
1950, after a basically unchanged changer production of over
22,000 changers since 1930.
This should be the end of the Capehart Story, but not quite:
Too many people had these gorgeous and highly engineered,
reliable and great sounding Capeharts sitting around, that
could not play LPs.
What to do?
Two answers:
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On the West Coast,
Sherman-Clay, purveyor of phonograph and fine musical
instruments, would take the old Capehart, drill a hole into
the head shell to accommodate a double ender, two speed GE
RPX cartridge, and would replace the motor with a Voice of
Music Three Speed assembly.
And voila, all of a sudden you were able to play 78 rpm and
33 rpm records in changer cycle, and 45 7" records in single
play mode.
(The changer you see here has an original Sherman-Clay
drilled head shell, but it is my own conversion: In the
place of the Capehart motor, I fitted in a Garrard RC88
motor with a two speed (78/33rpm) selection. Nothing was
harmed, the speed switch is discreetly hiding at the side,
and the machine could be reconverted to original status in
less than 1 hr.
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And anywhere else (not
in Sherman-Clay territory):
The good people at Lincoln Engineering, which in 1949
started to produce their own pneumatic turn-over changer
(see my
Lincoln Series 50 write up), provided a Capehart
conversion model, which was 2" shorter than a regular
Lincoln. You removed the old changer, plugged in the
Lincoln, and you were done.
But alas, because of the Lincoln configuration, this was
only possible on the front loader 400 models, but not on the
top loader 100 Capeharts.
More Special Capeharts
 |
The Capehart 500 Ultimate Luxury Changer |
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Capeharts with Custom Cabinets and Art Finishes |
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The Steinway Capehart |