Wow!  They are meant for each other.  Congratulations!!

I had that exact clock radio too!  The radio part went dead and I foolishly let it go several years ago.  If there was one radio worth keeping, it was that one.   It was exactly as you described.  I loved the big "Snooze" tab below the clock.

The easiest thing to get going, if necessary, is the clock.  It uses a Telechron rotor, which could still work fine, or if it's stuck or raspy, it can easily be revived to run quiet as a mouse.  It's likely a copper cased rotor, which is the most responsive to a little heat and several drops of 3 in 1 Oil (the blue can, not the red one).

A match made in heaven! That radio is beautiful!

That's an excellent idea!  The AM band has become a vast and often hate-filled wasteland.

That clock adjusting knob has a reverse thread (aka Righty-Loosey).  Hold the stem with pliers and you may be able to remove it by hand.   Worst case scenario you'll need two pairs of pliers.

If it's really stubborn, heat will help.  Use a blow dryer on it, or briefly hold the tip of a soldering iron to the end of the stem in the center of the knob.

From what you described, the radio needs all of its capacitors replaced.   Typical for something that old.  Contrary to (midcentury) modern legend, tubes rarely go bad.  Only a hobbyist would bother to do the work for you, though.  The bluetooth idea sounds like a winner to me.  Just don't compromise any existing parts in the conversion and stash away the old speaker.

Of GE radios is well documented and there are people out there who are happy to fix them. They're way cool!

There are two main problems which come up in these radios, both interestingly enough caused by capacitors.

First - an essential component (it's in the big cardboard or sometimes metal tube sitting on the circuit board) drys out over time and stops 'filtering'. That's why you have a hum. It's dangerous to play around with the innards of these radios - the chassis is hooked up directly to 120V - but an easy fix for someone who knows them. Very easy, fast fix.

Second - the capacitors used in the radio's tuning circuit sometimes had trouble with silver migration. There problem is called 'silver mica disease' and it, too, can be fixed. Takes a fair amount of skill. I'm attaching a link to the repair process of both in one video. The man doing it is one of the most famous restorers.

Unless you have good AM stations - you said you don't - I think the bluetooth solution is the way to go. Remove the chassis completely and do the wiring safely and you'll be all set for decades. I would lube the clock now, while it's still happy.

Cool!

Is the antenna. It's the reason you sometimes have to turn these radios sets around to improve reception. Once the rest of the radio is fixed, you can reglue - there will be traces on the inside of the cabinet where it was hung.

The great big tube shaped thing in the middle of the chassis, right to the left of the loudspeaker is what has died and is causing the hum. It's a super fast, super-cheap fix to replace it. Some people hollow them out and stuff the new (and really tiny) capacitors up in the tube, leaving everything looking original. I've done that. I've also just clipped and tossed and put the new capacitors in it it's place. Up to you, but you might want to watch a youtube clip on the subject or two. It's really quite interesting.

Don't forget - all the metal parts have 120v on them. That's why there is an interlock on the back of the radio. It's also why GE - never know to spend two cents when one cent would do - went to such trouble to keep the clock mechanism completely away from the electrically 'hot' parts of the radio.

There should be a heat shield across the top of the case - probably like an old fashioned grid out of Star Trek's engineering room. If there isn't one, then it's best to go the blue-tooth route - the heat from the tubes will destroy that beautiful cabinet without it.

Cool!

What Keven said.

And, if you're inclined to make this repair yourself, a "cheater" cord will eliminate the need to put the entire case back together for testing.  Here's what one looks like.  Just be careful when using one, because as Keven stated above, there's danger of electrical shock from those guts.

Is 'Widow Maker'.

Most people naively think 120VAC isn't that much. It isn't in the grand scheme of things. BUT - it's 120VAC at 60Herz - which is the worst possible frequency for sending the heart into a conniption fit that kills you.

It's appalling how low the amount of current needed at 120VAC, 60 cycles per minute needed to kill you. Appalling.

So, yeah - isolation transformer, cheater cord and caution. Especially with the modern isolation transformers sold in the US, which aren't. Not really. Sigh.

Timely advice.

Just yesterday they activated the 1KW current on a nearby ten-mile BART extension set to become operational later this year.   A good portion of this line is at or near grade level.  While high fences and other deterrents are in place, the warnings have been issued to stay away even though trains may not yet be running.

Per the article in today's paper, just 40w is enough to be lethal.

Mostly, GE used pre-punched grids, but the tape works as well. The main thing is that there has to be something to deflect the heat - that plastic malformed and became brittle very easily when exposed to heat.

I do enjoy your finds, thanks for sharing!

Were still good. It's not until the 1970s that I noticed a real decline in quality - and, by the time Welch was done with the poor company, it was all trash.