Sam, I seem to recall you saying that your Contemporary came with all its documentation. Do you have a date of purchase or any indication of which model year it's from? The reason I ask is that I just noticed that each of the catalogs for three different model years the Contemporary was offered list slightly different cabinet dimensions:
1957: 36" wide, 18-3/4" deep, 30-3/4" high
1958: 36" wide, 17-1/8" deep, 33-1/8" high
1959: 36" wide, 18-1/8" deep, 33-1/8" high
How deep and high is your Contemporary and do its dimensions agree with the year (assuming you know the year)?
It's a later '58 model. Definitely mono, so it's not a '59, but it had a GE VRII cartridge on the Garrard, so it was sometime past the start of '58. The faceplate says "stereo" instead of "TV" like the Medalist II that showed up here several weeks ago, but it doesn't have any sort of real provision for stereo operation unless the Contemporary was being used as the extension speaker.
I think it's odd that Fisher changed the cabinet dimensions. I wonder if they had a reason for doing so.
I can't imagine why they would, unless someone was sloppy with a tape measure when writing those descriptions.
Having just reviewed all of Fisher's cabinet codes 1958-1964, one thing that's clear is that Fisher was consistent, model year to model year: "P" always stood for Provincial (either Cherry or Fruitwood). Here is the complete list:
M = Mahogany
W = Walnut
T = Teak
P = Provincial (Cherry/Fruitwood)
B = Blonde
E = Ebony
C = Cherry (or Contemporary - they always occurred together.)
PM = Provincial Mahogany
EA = Early American (Maple)
TM = Traditional Mahogany
IP = Italian Provincial (Walnut - in '62 it was "Driftwood Gray Walnut")
IPM = Italian Provincial Mahogany
AI = Antique Ivory
After '64 it gets a little out of hand with codes like EAO = Early American "Oldtown" (Cherry) and the all-to-common MD = Mediterranean (Butternut & Oak) to list but a few. I think the most likely explanation for your "P" cabinet code is some sort of mistake.
I could buy Fruitwood as the finish. It doesn't look like Mahogany or Walnut, the grain and coloration just isn't right. It's not red enough for Cherry.
Fisher made one tube layout chart for the R-20 based consoles, then used an ink stamp to insert the basic model number. The finish code was then hand-written on the end. I wonder if mine was a special order for someone who wanted the Contemporary cabinet but different veneer? Unfortunately I don't have the sales paperwork, just the manuals, tube chart and hangtags.