Grundig-Majestic 4095USA - AM/FM/SW Radio (1957)

Grundig 4095USA Vintage Tube Radio — U.S./Export Model — Restored

This is a vintage Grundig 4095 tube radio from the mid-1950s. Grundig was considered a high-end manufacturer at the time, known for sophisticated radios and exceptional sound quality.

This is the U.S./export version of the Grundig 4095, rather than a German-market model that was later imported and modified for U.S. use. There are some differences between the export and German-market versions, so this distinction may be important to collectors and restorers.

The radio has been restored and is in working condition, although it is not a museum-quality restoration and should still be considered a vintage item with many decades of history.

Electronic Restoration

Many of the electronic components known to deteriorate and fail with age have been replaced, primarily the capacitors. Several of the original capacitors showed discoloration and/or signs of bulging or cracking.

The original aluminum-can dual capacitor in the main power supply was replaced with modern equivalent capacitors. The original selenium rectifier was also replaced with silicon rectifiers. Because silicon rectifiers have a lower voltage drop than the original selenium rectifier, additional circuitry was installed to compensate for the resulting increase in supply voltage and keep the radio operating within its specifications.

The volume-control potentiometer was frozen and was disassembled, cleaned, and rebuilt. The ferrite-rod antenna mechanism was also frozen and was disassembled and rebuilt.

The radio was largely intact when restoration began and appeared to have been stored in reasonably good condition, although it had obviously sat unused for many years. There was no major physical damage; most of the deterioration was limited to smaller plastic and rubber components.

Magic Eye Tuning Indicator

One particularly nice feature is that the original "Magic Eye" tuning indicator is still working. It may be somewhat dimmer than when new, as would be expected from a tube of this age, but it is functional and allows stations to be tuned accurately.

A small switch has been added to the rear of the radio to turn off the Magic Eye when it is not needed. This was done to help extend the remaining life of the tube. The switch is mounted using an existing hole, so no new hole was drilled.

Simply turn the Magic Eye on while tuning and turn it off afterward.

Radio Operation

The AM and FM bands are working.

Shortwave has not been fully verified because the radio was not tested with a proper external SW antenna. It does produce the expected hissing/static sounds while tuning across the band.

Other than the limitations noted above, all major functions appear to be working.

Auxiliary Audio Input

Since the 4095 is a mono radio rather than stereo, a stereo-to-mono mixer input has been installed. This allows you to connect a cellphone or other audio source using a standard 1/8" (3.5 mm) plug and play music through the radio's original tube amplifier and speaker.

A small Bluetooth receiver with a 1/8" output can also be connected, allowing wireless playback from a phone or other device.

This modification is intended to make the radio useful as an everyday listening piece while retaining its original radio functionality.

Cabinet and Finish

The cabinet was refinished in a high-gloss finish. The original finish was satin, so this is not intended to be a historically exact finish restoration. We preferred the appearance of the high-gloss finish.

The grille sections were left in their original finish and were not refinished. The contrast between the glossy cabinet and the original grilles looks surprisingly good.

There are visible repaired areas at the two lower front corners of the cabinet where there were previously superficial cracks in the veneer. These repairs are visible on close inspection.

Otherwise, there are no significant or readily noticeable cosmetic blemishes. Minor imperfections in the refinished surface may be visible when examined closely and from certain angles, as can be expected with a hand-refinished vintage cabinet.

A Small Detail

During restoration, we discovered that the original radio apparently had a red string running across the red equalization dots on the front panel, forming an equalization graph.

The original string had completely disintegrated, leaving nothing to reproduce exactly. A suitably sized elastic string was installed in its place. Since the original was gone, the replacement should not be considered an authentic reproduction.

Testing

The radio has been tested and played intermittently for a few hours total following restoration. It has not undergone a formal extended burn-in period.

The intention of the restoration was to bring this classic Grundig back into reliable working condition while preserving as much of its original character as possible. It is not being represented as a completely original or museum-grade example.

Overall, this is a very nice example of a classic mid-century Grundig high-fidelity tube radio, with its original tube amplifier, speaker, controls, Magic Eye tuning indicator, and distinctive cabinet design. It has been electrically restored, cosmetically refinished, and given a convenient modern audio-input capability while retaining its vintage radio functions.

*NOTES:

• LOCAL PICKUP ONLY. Will not ship.
• The pictures were taken at different points during restoration, thus the inconsistencies.
• The old components that were replaced are available. The aluminum can dual-cap can be rebuilt with modern caps. The selenium rectifier can be used to house the silicon rectifiers. (CAUTION: the content of the selenium rectifier may be toxic)