[Fred R]

GI is General Industries. The company was based out of Ohio. These changers were originally made by Packard Manufacturing. This is the famed changer that Homer Capehart, after being let go by his own company, approached Wurlitzer with the changer for their line of radios. They were not that interested but told Capehart they were interested in a selectable changer for the coin operated machines they planned to build. He brought them the "Simplex" changer which became part of the Wurlitzer P-10 jukebox of 1933. He maintained control of Packard while becoming VP of Wurlitzer from 1934 to 1940. Somewhere his ejector changer became part of General Industries and were made to around 1939. There were two versions of the changer. The Philco used the larger one that could change 10 or 12 inch records. They made a smaller one that could change 10 inch automatically but played 12 inch discs manually. I have a 1934 Sparton with the 10 inch version in it. The Magnavox Regent coming has the same changer as the Philco 509X except it has a straight Astatic arm with crystal pickup. The pickup on my Sparton and the 509X is a horseshoe magnetic pickup made by Webster Electric. The 509X I heard sounded great. It uses the Philco 201X chassis in it.

Fred