Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television - Page 2 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

G6Tanuki · 19th Dec 2020, 7:17 pm

Must admit, I've never really thought of Alba as a real 'quality' brand.

I bought some Alba tuners/amplifiers/speakers/record/cassette-decks from one of the backstreet London brown-box-warehouses in the 70s and sold them on to my student-cohort at a decent profit - they were seen as a rung-higher-up-the-ladder than Ferguson/Amstrad - maybe on the same rung as Goodmans - but well below the likes of Trio-Kenwood/Sony/Aiwa/Marantz/Akai.

Brand-Quality perception is a strange and fickle thing. Most people these days would think of Alba as a cheap-and-cheerful brand for clock-radios/kitchen-radios and such, totally oblivious to the 'faintly upmarket' image they had in their grandparents' days.

agardiner · 22nd Dec 2020, 3:55 pm

I had an Alba 5" B&W TV back in the 80s along with 2 of their CD players. All sourced from elsewhere I suppose, but they did still have a service department which I visited when one of the CD players developed a fault. I think that was in their twilight years however, and didn't they merge with Bush around that time?

Richard_FM · 23rd Dec 2020, 12:27 am

My brother had an Alba radio / tape recorder in 1985 as a birthday present, which was an OK performer (I still have some home recordings using the built in mic) but after a few years something broke in the tape mechanism.

I imagine it was made in the Far East and badge-engineered.

Paul_RK · 23rd Dec 2020, 2:30 am

The valve portable radiogram with wind-up motor - part of image 2 in the leaflet in post 13 - was quite a nice item in an unusual category. I had one many years ago, I think it was the variant fitted with turnover cartridge making it compatible with microgroove records. Big and heavy, though, and not an ideal choice for any role other than as a picnic instrument for folk sufficiently well-to-do at the time to own a vehicle. There were better compact mains-driven radiograms for static situations.

Paul

Radio Wrangler · 23rd Dec 2020, 8:09 am

I'd always seen the Alba name as meaning something very down-market. Fidelity was mentioned as the only one lower. I hadn't known of their better past. Having seen their later products, I wasn't likely to go looking.

Then, walking past an antique shop in Jedburgh which all to frequently had a brass crapophone in the window, I saw a decent-looking wooden, floor-standing console, wind-up gramophone. Too big for me. THe name on the inside of the lid: Alba.

I suppose it was a case of Alba pursuing greater profit from the cheaper end of the market under their own impetus, long before the brand name itself got traded. Unlike Goodmans who got traded as a brand, and then turned to tat.

Dazzlevision's post links Alba, Harvard, and Crosley. Now there's an unholy trinity of names!

David

G6Tanuki · 23rd Dec 2020, 3:41 pm

The wind-up portable gramophone is listed as being AC/DC powered; it would therefore have been an interesting solution to the "friends living in a mix of houses with AC and DC mains" issue, since it would be agnostic as to which supply was involved.

electronicskip · 27th Dec 2020, 1:54 pm

Think the last thing i owned under the Alba name was a CB Handheld unit which i believe i still have.
Bought it from Selfridges in Oxford if memory serves when i was working in Oxford.

19th Dec 2020, 7:17 pm	#21
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,996	Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television Must admit, I've never really thought of Alba as a real 'quality' brand. I bought some Alba tuners/amplifiers/speakers/record/cassette-decks from one of the backstreet London brown-box-warehouses in the 70s and sold them on to my student-cohort at a decent profit - they were seen as a rung-higher-up-the-ladder than Ferguson/Amstrad - maybe on the same rung as Goodmans - but well below the likes of Trio-Kenwood/Sony/Aiwa/Marantz/Akai. Brand-Quality perception is a strange and fickle thing. Most people these days would think of Alba as a cheap-and-cheerful brand for clock-radios/kitchen-radios and such, totally oblivious to the 'faintly upmarket' image they had in their grandparents' days.

22nd Dec 2020, 3:55 pm	#22
agardiner Octode Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Thetford, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 1,741	Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television I had an Alba 5" B&W TV back in the 80s along with 2 of their CD players. All sourced from elsewhere I suppose, but they did still have a service department which I visited when one of the CD players developed a fault. I think that was in their twilight years however, and didn't they merge with Bush around that time?

23rd Dec 2020, 12:27 am	#23
Richard_FM Nonode Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 2,002	Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television My brother had an Alba radio / tape recorder in 1985 as a birthday present, which was an OK performer (I still have some home recordings using the built in mic) but after a few years something broke in the tape mechanism. I imagine it was made in the Far East and badge-engineered. __________________ Hello IT: Have you Tried Turning It Off & On Again?

23rd Dec 2020, 2:30 am	#24
Paul_RK Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 4,255	Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television The valve portable radiogram with wind-up motor - part of image 2 in the leaflet in post 13 - was quite a nice item in an unusual category. I had one many years ago, I think it was the variant fitted with turnover cartridge making it compatible with microgroove records. Big and heavy, though, and not an ideal choice for any role other than as a picnic instrument for folk sufficiently well-to-do at the time to own a vehicle. There were better compact mains-driven radiograms for static situations. Paul

23rd Dec 2020, 8:09 am	#25
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,868	Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television I'd always seen the Alba name as meaning something very down-market. Fidelity was mentioned as the only one lower. I hadn't known of their better past. Having seen their later products, I wasn't likely to go looking. Then, walking past an antique shop in Jedburgh which all to frequently had a brass crapophone in the window, I saw a decent-looking wooden, floor-standing console, wind-up gramophone. Too big for me. THe name on the inside of the lid: Alba. I suppose it was a case of Alba pursuing greater profit from the cheaper end of the market under their own impetus, long before the brand name itself got traded. Unlike Goodmans who got traded as a brand, and then turned to tat. Dazzlevision's post links Alba, Harvard, and Crosley. Now there's an unholy trinity of names! David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

23rd Dec 2020, 3:41 pm	#26
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,996	Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television The wind-up portable gramophone is listed as being AC/DC powered; it would therefore have been an interesting solution to the "friends living in a mix of houses with AC and DC mains" issue, since it would be agnostic as to which supply was involved.

27th Dec 2020, 1:54 pm	#27
electronicskip Nonode Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Gloucester, Glos. UK. Posts: 2,150	Re: Mixed memories of ALBA Radio and Television Think the last thing i owned under the Alba name was a CB Handheld unit which i believe i still have. Bought it from Selfridges in Oxford if memory serves when i was working in Oxford. __________________ Oh I've had that for years dear!!