This is the first radio I ever bought. I found it in a funky little thrift store, in the annex room of a church, across the street from my apartment in college. It was dirty, and it smelled like cigars when it warmed up, but it’s one of the loudest and strongest of the radios I have. I bought it for $30 because I liked the idea of listening to the Big Band station that still existed here in Baltimore while I worked, and for that, it didn’t let me down. I’ve seen other variations on the model in stores here and there (most of them more attractive than this) but I have a sentimental attachment to this old beast, even though I don’t like the lines, the detailing, or the knobs. This radio makes me think of Lil Jon, not because it’s full of crunk juice, but because it’s all gold up in the grill.