Pilot Electric Mfg. Co.

About Pilot Electric Mfg. Co.

Pilot Electric Manufacturing Co., founded in 1919 by Isidor Goldberg in Brooklyn, New York, began by producing parts and kits for home radios. Renamed several times (including Pilot Radio and Tube Corp. and later Pilot Radio Corp.), it became an influential manufacturer known for innovations such as the first civilian short wave radio (WASP, 1925), early FM tuners, portable radios, and TVs. By the 1950s, Pilot was a leading producer of affordable, reliable hi-fi amplifiers, receivers, tuners, and audio consoles, with highly rated products among audiophiles. The company expanded internationally and remained a significant player in hi-fi audio until its acquisition in the 1960s.