The Truetone line of radios and phonographs was the house brand of the national retail chain Western Auto Stores. And, like the Silvertone brand of radios from Sears, Truetones were produced by in dependant manufacturers to the specifications as set forth by Western Auto. However, unlike the Silvertones, which were mostly quite well designed, very reliable, and often feature rich, the Truetone radios tended toward the value end of the price spectrum and as such, employed simpler chassis designs, minimal tube counts, and ho-hum cabinetry. For those with minimal resources and less discerning tastes though, the choice of these radios rewarded the owners with low initial cost, adequate performance, and generally reliable operation.
The model D1845 pictured above, was typical of the type as offered by Western Auto. A two band radio-phono combination, it sports a minimalist circuit design that would be more suitable for a tabletop instead of a floor model. Using just six tubes, the chassis is physically so small that it is almost lost within the cavernous cabinet. From my perspective, I consider the size difference analogous to a Civic engine plopped into a Coupe DeVille.