Clocks & Music
1936 RCA Victor 6T Tombstone Tube Radio Restored with Bluetooth
1936 RCA Victor 6T Tombstone Tube Radio Restored with Bluetooth
This 1936 RCA Victor Model 6T is a compact tombstone-style tabletop set, its dark walnut cabinet built around a bold, cross-hatched speaker grille framed by curved black-trimmed panels and flanked by fluted, black-ringed pilasters. Below the grille, a small airplane-style dial reads "Standard Broadcast" and "Short Wave" across red and yellow scale bands marked A, B, and C, tuned by a single centered knob with two smaller controls set into the lower panel and "RCA Victor" lettered in gold script beneath.
The 6T is a six-tube AC superheterodyne set with a 460 kHz IF, built around a 6A8, 6K7, 6H6, 6F5, 6F6, and 5Z4 rectifier, covering the standard broadcast band and shortwave through an 8-inch electromagnetic dynamic speaker rated at 2 watts output. It shared its chassis with RCA's console model 6K, and was offered new at $40.00 with three different power supply ratings to accommodate the varying line voltages and cycle rates still common across different regions in the mid-1930s, a detail reflected in the dial's A, B, and C markings.
RCA Victor's tombstone models of this period favored a more compact, upright footprint than some of the era's larger console radios, making them a popular choice for smaller rooms and apartments without sacrificing the dramatic Art Deco cabinet styling collectors still seek out today. The 6T's cross-hatched grille and curved black banding give it a distinctive presence despite its relatively modest size.
This example has been restored and equipped with Bluetooth through a 1/8 inch adapter, allowing a smartphone, tablet, computer, or record player to connect and play through the radio's original tube driven sound. The result pairs modern convenience with the warm tone of a vintage RCA Victor set, housed in one of the more handsome compact tombstone cabinets of the mid-1930s.
