Realistic CLARINETTE-115 (Unknown)

An all-in-one from RadioShack with AM/FM, tape and turntable in one box. It never got much attention.

Overview

Picture a back room at a thrift store, past dusty receivers and half-dead reel-to-reels. There sits a beige plastic console with a flip-up lid, cassette slots and a record platter under glass. No brand screams for attention. The label says Realistic Clarinette-115, RadioShack's house brand. It isn't a high-end receiver or a coveted turntable. It's a forgotten attempt at the ultimate bedroom console, with an AM/FM stereo tuner, a dubbing cassette deck, and a turntable in one unit.

Realistic was RadioShack's longtime badge for consumer electronics. The Clarinette-115 was built for convenience. It's the kind of system that lived on a dorm desk, a bedroom dresser, or a college apartment shelf, playing Top 40 off the radio, recording mixtapes from vinyl, or spinning 45s after class. It tried to do everything, just well enough.

The model number, 13-1219AS, is stamped on the back like a serial tag on a library book. It's functional, not flashy. The machine promised to do it all: listen, record, play.

Specifications

Manufacturer	Realistic (house brand of Radio Shack/Tandy Corporation)
Model	CLARINETTE-115
Model No	13-1219AS
Product type	AM/FM Stereo, Dubbing Cassette, Turntable, Music System

Key Features

All-in-One Convenience

The Clarinette-115 combined three major audio functions in a single chassis: an AM/FM stereo tuner, a dubbing cassette deck, and a built-in turntable. You could tune in a station, record it to tape, and play the recording back later. Or you could drop the needle on a vinyl album and make a copy. No stack of components. Plug it in, flip open the lid, and go.

Dubbing Cassette Deck

The dubbing cassette deck was one of its standout features. That means it had two tape transports or a dual-capstan system able to copy from one tape to another, or from radio/turntable to tape. It was a tool for making mixtapes, archiving records, or recording late-night radio shows.

Integrated Turntable and Tuner

With a built-in turntable and AM/FM stereo tuner, the Clarinette-115 needed no external sources. You could play your vinyl collection or catch the latest hit parade without adding another box. It was designed for simplicity and self-containment.

No Built-In Speakers

One detail from surviving listings: Speakers Not Included. Many all-in-one systems of the era had internal speakers, but the Clarinette-115 needs external speakers to work. That trips up modern buyers, since it looks like a complete system and isn't. Whether this was a cost-saving move or a way to let users pair it with better speakers remains unclear.

Collectibility & Value

The Realistic Clarinette-115 hasn't become a sought-after classic, but it isn't entirely forgotten. One recent listing recorded a sale price of $115.00, suggesting modest collector interest. The unit was described as "In very good cosmetic and working condition," with only "light scratches on the plastic cover" and "All features work properly." Condition like that drives value for these utilitarian systems.

Original pricing and production years remain unconfirmed, and no technical specs are available. There's no service manual trail, no known failure points documented, and no cult following. For RadioShack completists, vintage console hunters, or anyone restoring a period-correct bedroom setup, the Clarinette-115 fills a niche.

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