About This Radio
RCA Victor Model 128
An Admired Early
Depression-Era RCA Receiver
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The
RCA Model 128 is one of the most admired early Depression-era RCA receivers,
introduced for the 1934–1935 selling season. Although often referred to as a
“1935 RCA 128,” the chassis and cabinet were actually introduced in late 1934
and marketed through the 1935 model year. It represented RCA Victor’s move into
more advanced “all-wave” receivers with improved styling, shortwave capability,
and higher performance. (tuberadioland.com)
Manufacturing and Origin
The
Model 128 was manufactured by the RCA Victor division of the
RCA Corporation
in the United States, with primary production centered at RCA Victor’s massive
Camden, New Jersey facilities. Camden was RCA’s principal manufacturing and
engineering center during the golden age of radio.
This radio’s serial number —
492 — is extremely low, suggesting your
radio was produced very early in the production run, possibly among the first
several hundred units assembled. Early serial numbers are often especially
interesting to collectors because they can show transitional construction
details or early cabinet characteristics.
Original Selling Price
The
RCA 128 originally sold for $69.95 USD in the 1934–1935 season. (tuberadioland.com)
That was a substantial amount of money during the Great Depression. Adjusted for
inflation, it roughly equates to approximately $1,500–$1,700 CAD/USD today,
placing it firmly in the upper-middle range of home radios of the era.
RCA
marketed the set as a premium compact “Globe-Trotter” receiver for listeners who
wanted both domestic and international broadcasts.
Cabinet and Styling
The
Model 128 is famous for its dramatic “shouldered tombstone” cabinet design.
Collectors often debate whether it is technically a tombstone or a cathedral
because of its graceful rounded upper shoulders.
Notable styling features include:
-
Book-matched walnut
veneers
-
Vertical grille bars
-
Gothic-inspired side
pilasters
-
Large illuminated
airplane-style dial
-
Two-tone walnut
finish
-
Herringbone grille
cloth
Many collectors consider the RCA 128 one of the most beautiful six-tube
tombstone radios RCA ever produced. (tuberadioland.com)
Technical Features
The
Model 128 was advanced for a six-tube set and included several premium features:
o Six-tube
superheterodyne chassis
o Three-band coverage
o Standard AM
broadcast band
o Two shortwave bands
reaching up to roughly 18 MHz
o Automatic Volume
Control (AVC)
o Dynamic speaker
o Tone control
o Dual-ratio vernier
tuning
o Illuminated circular
dial
o RCA’s “Magic Brain”
front-end circuitry
The
“Magic Brain” was RCA’s heavily advertised high-performance RF stage intended to
improve sensitivity and selectivity. RCA promoted it as a revolutionary
innovation that could pull in distant stations “from around the globe.” (tuberadioland.com)
Performance Reputation
The
RCA 128 earned an excellent reputation for:
Strong shortwave
reception
Smooth tuning
Warm audio quality
Good sensitivity for
a six-tube chassis
Because of its tuned RF stage, it generally outperformed many competing
mid-priced tombstones of the same period.
Collector Interest Today
Today, the RCA 128 is highly desirable among collectors because it combines:
o
Elegant
Depression-era styling
o
RCA pedigree
o
Shortwave capability
o
Manageable size
o
Strong performance
o
Scarcity compared
with more common Philco or Zenith models
Examples needing restoration can sell in the
$250–$600 CAD/USD range
depending on cabinet condition.
A
professionally restored example with:
-
original finish
preservation,
-
excellent veneer,
-
rebuilt chassis,
-
proper grille cloth,
-
and strong
performance
can
often command $900–$1,800+ CAD/USD, with exceptional museum-quality
examples sometimes exceeding that.
Low
serial numbers like this one can add historical interest, especially if original
components or production markings survive.
Historical Importance
The
RCA 128 appeared during a transformative period in radio history:
>>
The Great Depression
was reshaping consumer electronics.
>>
International
shortwave listening was becoming fashionable.
>>
Art Deco and
Gothic-inspired cabinet design were reaching their peak.
>>
RCA was competing
aggressively with Philco, Zenith, and Atwater Kent for prestige in the
growing “all-wave” market.
The Model 128 represents RCA at the beginning of what many
collectors
consider the golden age of American radio design.