Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Grundig Stereo Concert-Boy Transistor 4000 Radio

grundig stereo concert-boy transistor 4000 radio
Well, here it is. My latest toy. As if I didn't have more than enough radios around the house already! Yes, that's a genuine Grundig Stereo Concert-Boy Transistor 4000 radio. I'd guess it dates from the late 60s or early 70s, and if they'd had boomboxes back then— which they didn't— this would've been it.

First ran across this radio a few weeks ago, up in La Crosse on my day off, bumming around, when what should I run across but a downtown antique mall I'd never noticed before?! Spent a long time browsing around therein, sighted this radio— ah, a Grundig! Noted for their legendary audio quality, you know. But I couldn't bring myself to impulse-buy it, even though it was going for dirt cheap.

Drove back home. Thought on it. Fretted. Paced around.

Given that I'm a compleat radio fanatic, you know how this is going to end: this week, on my day off, I drifted back up to La Crosse, and bought the radio. Big! Heavy to tote, I'd guess purner 15 pounds. 19" wide by 9" high by 4½" deep. Stereo speakers. AM band, FM band, two shortwave bands, and even a longwave band. (I have quite a thing about longwave radio.) I got it home. And it works like a dream.

Legendary Grundig audio quality indeed! In that department, this radio blows away anything I've got, except perhaps for my stereo system. Amazing sound. And loud: big, booming, driving sound, fills the room, makes your bones shake. Audio on FM like you wouldn't believe. Even shortwave sounds great, audiowise, on this radio.

grundig stereo concert-boy transistor 4000 radio dial closeup
Late 60s or early 70s, I'd guess, this radio. One website says 1968. It has that look and feel of radios from the days, back in my youth, when I was first getting into listening to distant and curious voices over the ether. At the same time I find it somehow vaguely reminiscent of the Zenith Trans-Oceanic, on which I was first exposed to shortwave lo, back in that magical 1968. Look close up at those knobs, at that dial plate! Signal strength meter. Glowing red "stereo" light. Separate dial and tuning knob for FM— and (clever touch) that second dial serves for bandspread fine-tuning when you're using the second shortwave band.

If I wasn't in love with this radio already, consider this: at night the dial plate lights up in the dark!!! Like a fireplace, like a classic radio of yore.

grundig stereo concert-boy transistor 4000 radio top view
The Grundig Stereo Concert-Boy Transistor 4000. FM booming out of the speakers with beautiful audio quality! The BBC, on shortwave, booming out of the speakers with beautiful audio quality! The only other radio I have which plays shortwave with such audio quality is my Grundig Satellit 700 (by no coincidence, also a Grundig), which I bought new in 1995.

There are a few minor items I ought to take care of, as with many an older radio. The AM band tends to cut out, unless you manually keep the AM band selector button pressed down. The needles on the radio dials could stand some alignment, they're off a bit. But overall the radio's in good shape for its age. And cheap!

grundig stereo concert-boy transistor 4000 radio in the dark
They just don't make radios like this any more.

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8 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've never read anything before that suddenly left me with the unexplained urge to explore the possibility of becoming a ham-radio-operator. Just like on Jim-Bob on The Waltons. I'm not kidding.

Thursday, October 05, 2006 3:46:00 PM  
Blogger Paul Burgess said...

I find this radio really has revived my fascination with listening to curious voices from far away... radio dial glowing in the dark... and to top it off, I've discovered a new "oldies" station on AM, which plays all sorts of songs from the late 50s, 60s, and early 70s. Not just the hits, but the "also-rans" and B-side music, too. Many of which I remember from back then!!! Listening to them on this radio, radio dial glowing in the dark, is absolute magic!!!!!

Friday, October 06, 2006 2:48:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, that is really an outstanding radio Paul! I aasked you on DEAN's World what you were listening to befor I read this whole article.

Good for you. I would love to have one like that. I thought I would quit listening to talk radio and then went right back to it. I can only imagine what you can pick up!

Friday, October 06, 2006 8:21:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have one of these Grundig Concert-Boy Transistor 4000 and would love to locate a really knowledgeable repair techie in the USA, New England area. Ours is the real deal my brother bought on college graduation 1968 while serving in the Merchant Marines overseas.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 12:22:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have the exact radio and would like to sell it if any one is lookinng to buy one. It's in great shape.

Monday, January 23, 2012 2:33:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I also have one of these, that my dad bought in the 60s. Truly a beautiful sound and cabinet. Lived in a remote valley in British Columbia in the 70s and at night listened to station all over the world. This has to be the original "BOOM BOX", but with greay german craftmanship and sound quality. I still use it almost daily......

Saturday, June 20, 2015 2:08:00 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

We have one for sale if interested

Friday, July 01, 2016 3:04:00 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

What are they worth

Monday, March 06, 2017 10:38:00 PM  

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