Exhibit 23.1 Consent of Independent Accountants We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (No. 333-69049) of GenRad, Inc. of our report dated June 23, 1999 appearing in Appendix 1 of this Form 11-K. /s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Boston, Massachusetts June 23, 1999