Oh WOW!!! Paul Charosh has just sent me three pictures of the set,
model M-129, and I am IN LOVE!! The cabinet is GORGEOUS! The radio is
a multi-band, with bass, treble, sensitivity, and range controls. And
the tone arm is that wonderful winged arm from the late 20s. And there
IS a second arm, but it is NOT for recording!!!!! See that felt-lined
bin on the left, Paul? That's clue number one. This thing is a
CHANGER!!!!!!!! It worked by putting a stack of records on the
turntable and this arm would lift and slide the top record into the bin
when it was finished, and then the next one down on the stack would be
played. There is a metal tag on the back of the turntable which says
"Use a flat, unwarped record at bottom of stack on turntable. Start
with record pocket empty." That also should have been clue number two
that this was a changer. But I don't blame you for not figuring it out
because I have never seen one like it. I probably have the repair
manual in the Rider's Recorder and Changer book, and I'll try to move
some piles of books and dig that one out tomorrow.

This thing is very, very much worth getting restored, and your friend
found a nifty item. Judging from the radio dial I have a feeling it is
around 1934, but we can look it up. I can't see the numbers on that
part of the dial, but if the standard broadcast band stops at 1500 it is
34 or earlier. If it goes to 1600 it is 34 or later. However it might
continue up to the police band which was right above broadcast so that
would confuse things unless police is on a separate band on the dial.

Mike Biel [log in to unmask]