Hey all,
Just wondering if anyone has a resource for re-lettering a Model 18. Mine has both some dial numbers out and faceplate lettering.
Marantz 18 aftermarket dial glass comparison
I wanted to share a comparative review of Marantz 18 aftermarket dial glass options and their authenticity versus the original 1960s Marantz dial glass.
Background: The original Marantz 18 dial glass paint is notorious for being fragile and can flake off during cleaning. My original glass had significant residue. Assuming it was not salvageable, I purchased two aftermarket dial glasses (Sounds Classic and Radio Daze) to see which was superior. Fortunately, the residue on the original dial glass came off during gentle cleaning without incident and the paint remained intact. So I had the opportunity to compare all three side by side.
The two aftermarket dial glass reproductions examined are:
The images below are from top to bottom:
- Sounds Classic
- Radio Daze
- Original Marantz OEM dial glass (late 1960s)
Observations:
Sounds Classic glass — These have incorrect registration - the white arrows pointing to the scope tube green line and circle are misaligned. The font used for the numerals is significantly different and much larger than the originals. In addition, the aliasing (smoothing) of the text edges is poor, resulting is rough, jagged text edges. The green arrows below the numerals are much smaller than the original. The green color seems to have too much blue vs the original hunter green.
Radio Daze glass - The font type and size is much more authentic to the original Marantz dial glass (but is not quite 100% accurate). The registration of the white arrows and line / circle for the scope is correctly aligned; however, white is used for the line and circle instead of green as per the original. The numerals are more accurate than the Sounds Classic. It should be noted that the “1s” (e.g. 108, 106, etc) are too short in height. Aliasing is a bit fuzzy around the edges. The green color is much closer to the original hunter green than the Sounds Classic dial. (Note: when viewing the glass from the back, the green color is not visible only the grey adhesive backing. When viewing from the front, the green is visible).
In conclusion, salvaging the original dial glass is the best option as the original painted dial has better color (hunter green), registration and aliasing vs the two aftermarket options. I was able to clean my dial by damping a microfiber cloth and gently blotting the residue away.
In the event that the original dial is missing lettering and cannot be salvaged, the
Radio Daze dial glass is a more accurate and superior reproduction than the
Sounds Classic dial. But at twice the price of the Sounds Classic dial, the Radio Daze dial should be more faithful and accurate than it is.
Below is a photo of the Radio Daze dial from the front showing the green color is closer to the original than the Sounds Classic dial.