Telefunken Orchestra 659GWK – German Post-War Table Radio from 1949/50

The Telefunken Orchestra 659GWK is a large German table radio from the immediate post-war period. It was produced around 1949/1950 and represents the generation of high-quality domestic receivers built shortly before FM broadcasting became common in German and Austrian households. The set is still mainly an AM receiver, covering long wave, medium wave and short wave, but it was already prepared for FM — a typical transitional feature of this period.

With its wide wooden cabinet, large loudspeaker and elegant front design, the Orchestra 659GWK was clearly intended as a representative living-room radio rather than a small utility receiver. The model name “Orchestra” also reflects Telefunken’s attempt to present the radio as a serious music receiver for the home.

Technically, the set is a superheterodyne receiver with an intermediate frequency of 473 kHz. The tube line-up consists of UCH11, UBF11, UCL11, UY11 and UM11, giving the radio the typical U-series valve arrangement of an AC/DC set. The permanent-magnet dynamic loudspeaker has a diameter of approximately 21 cm, which contributes to the solid sound expected from a radio of this size.

The suffix GWK identifies this version as an all-current set suitable for AC/DC operation. As with all transformerless AC/DC radios of this type, the mains and chassis arrangement requires particular care during repair and operation.

Technical Data

Item	Data
Manufacturer	Telefunken, Germany
Model	Orchestra 659GWK
Year	1949/1950
Type	Table radio / broadcast receiver
Principle	Superheterodyne
IF	473 kHz
Wavebands	Long wave, medium wave, short wave; FM prepared
Tubes	UCH11, UBF11, UCL11, UY11, UM11
Loudspeaker	Permanent-magnet dynamic loudspeaker, approx. 21 cm
Power supply	AC/DC, 110–220 V
Cabinet	Wooden cabinet, walnut veneer
Dimensions	approx. 490 × 330 × 260 mm
Weight	approx. 8.5 kg
Original price	458 DM

Restoration Notes

This Telefunken Orchestra 659GWK was carefully restored while preserving its historical appearance as much as possible.

The cabinet and chassis were cleaned inside and outside. The wooden cabinet was refinished with several layers of hard oil, bringing back the warm appearance of the veneer without making the radio look overly modern.

The old speaker cloth was replaced with a new one. This greatly improves the appearance of the front while keeping the visual character close to the original style.

A new mains cable was fitted. The scale lamps were replaced, restoring the illumination of the dial. The dial cord had been broken and was replaced; the tuning mechanism was then adjusted so that the pointer again moves correctly across the scale.

The aged capacitors were renewed in a conservation-friendly way. The original capacitor bodies were opened, fitted with modern components inside, and then carefully closed and resealed. This preserves the historical look of the chassis while restoring electrical reliability.

All tubes were missing when the radio was acquired. The correct tube types were sourced and installed, completing the original circuit configuration again.

After restoration, the Telefunken Orchestra 659GWK once again presents itself as a representative German post-war radio: a large, elegant AM receiver from the years just before FM broadcasting became the new standard in European radio design.