Want: Clairtone G

By / Life / July 30th, 2013 / 6

Project G Stereo

Tune to an all-60s radio station or streaming site. Trust me, this is important. Are you listening to the sweet sound of what was probably one of music’s best eras? Good. Now imagine the whirring of the record player; the faint click of the needle as it passes over the vinyl; the slightly grainy sound emanating from the speakers.

Music sounds better on a record player.

While the Rolling Stones and Marvin Gaye were on the radio, Clairtone Sound Corporation reinvented the record player. They called it the Project G Stereo and its space age styling epitomized the “Swinging Sixties.”

The modern cabinet, built Scandinavian style, and unique exterior 18” anodized aluminum speakers – called “sound globes” – set this unit apart. Transistors instead of tubes allowed for a smooth, rosewood finish on every side. Beautiful and big, it rolls around on castors so that you can move it from room to room with you and admire it all the time.

The design industry thought the G revolutionary; it received a Silver Medal at the 1964 Milan Triennale, the industry’s most prestigious exhibition. Even the stars were endorsing this Canadian-made gem: Hugh Hefner bought one for the playboy mansion; Frank Sinatra allegedly purchased several after filming “Marriage on the Rocks”, which had one on set; and Oscar Peterson claimed the music sounded as good on a G as it did live.

Two models were produced between 1963 and 1967 – the TC4 and T10. The former’s components were mounted sideways with record storage in the center and had the red hues of the rosewood. The latter’s components were mounted horizontally with record storage in the bottom and had a reduced red hue.

It retailed at $2,000 ($20,000 today) and sold fewer than 400 units. A collector’s item, it is hard to find, many owners are reluctant to part with them. If you have one, hold onto it – it will make your music better for ages.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A freelance writer and editor, Lisa Hoekstra loves learning and trying new things. She can be found with her nose in a book or multiple tabs open on her browser as she researches the latest and greatest in the world of food, style and everything in between.

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