Who Was the First to Feature Black Styling?

[LBPete]

Here is a picture of a 1958 vintage Sansui Q3535 amplifier. I don’t know when Macintosh or other high end audio manufactures started painting their gear black but this sure looks like an early one.

- Pete

 

[jrsh92]

Ooh, very nice picture. I like it.

 

[jami w.]

ummmmm

Here is a picture of a 1958 vintage Sansui Q3535 amplifier. I don’t know when Macintosh or other high end audio manufactures started painting their gear black but this sure looks like an early one.

- Pete

that needs to have some work done to it so you should send it to me !!

 

[LBPete]

Keep your shirt on. It's there now.

- Pete

 

[pustelniakr]

Yamaha was black way before the silver folks went there.

Enjoy,
Rich P

 

[Aage]

I don't know the history of Mack&Totch, but I figure they had to start around then, right?

Can't think of another brand that played with black back then. I'm going to bet that it was Sansui copying Mac's look...

 

[LBPete]

It looks like Sansui was black before they were silver.

- Pete

 

[wajobu]

My, that Sansui is pretty!

 

[LBPete]

I've heard they were copying Nikon's look.

- Pete

 

[Victor]

That Sansui amp is beautiful. :yes:

The McIntosh MC30 which was black and chrome (see link below) came out in July 1954.

http://mcc.berners.ch/power-amplifiers/MC30.pdf

Victor

 

[LBPete]

Then maybe the question should be which was the first Japanese manufactuer to offer black styling.

- Pete

 

[Mark W.]

Canon Had Black Rangefinders in the early 50's

 

[soundmotor]

Here is a picture of a 1958 vintage Sansui Q3535 amplifier. I don’t know when Macintosh or other high end audio manufactures started painting their gear black but this sure looks like an early one.

- Pete

If you really wanted to split hairs you could say it was black from the beginning on the radio side with black bakelite forming the front panel with white paint-filled lettering. But, the operating word is styling. Bakelite was the material best suited to the job and white paint made the engraving easier to read. It was purely functional.

Other than McIntosh, one of the other audio ones I can recall is when Heathkit offered styled white lettering on black chassis in the late 50's on some of their mono amplifiers. Those followed the gray hammertone & gold paint eras. However, what company embraced it first on the consumer side? When someone says "black styling" I think of consumer receivers and not really anything else.

 

[ManFromPorlock]

I believe the French refer to the whole school of Deliberately Dramatic Design as "le Darthvaderisme," which tells us 'when', if not 'who'.

 

[Paul C]

Hmmmm... let me think....

 

[mikey3117]

It's nice to know that the black styling can trace it's roots back to the early days of audio! I applaud the efforts of the companies from the 80's to the present, and their conviction to bring back the black styling as they pay their respect to the audio pioneers of yesteryear!

:thumbsdn:

 

[Skinley]

A lot of the quality receivers from the 70's were available in black, but only in Europe (i think).

I know that some, if not all, of the Pioneer SX series was available in black, and with different model numbers.
Also I'm pretty sure that some of the vintage Marantz units were available in black.

 

[birddog]

Shaft! The black private dick! He was the first to feature black styling! Unless you count Huggy Bear... : ) What? I'm just talkin' bout Shaft....

 

[ron-c]

EH Scott in the 1930s. Black chassis and chrome plated potted transformers, capacitor and tube covers..

Thanks,
Ron-C

 

[GordonW]

Here is a picture of a 1958 vintage Sansui Q3535 amplifier. I don’t know when Macintosh or other high end audio manufactures started painting their gear black but this sure looks like an early one.

- Pete

OK. I'd shoot someone for one of those Sansuis. That's just TOO COOL.

Regards,
Gordon.