Fisher Statesman II - S70 - Modern Cabinet - 1961

jonboy55

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Someone just emailed me these photographs of a 1961 Fisher Statesman II - S70 in the modern cabinet.

He found it in a thrift shop in Maryland. Paid almost nothing for it.

The photos were taken with his phone.

In addition to all the paperwork it also came with the WS-1 speakers!

He was nice and is going to send me a copy of the owners manual for the Fisher Console web site.

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That is one rare duck -- and such a beautiful example, too! So glad it was saved from the trash pile.........

Dave
 
DAMN! And it's Soooooo Close to Home. Anyone else notice the MPX-200 sitting next to the 202-T?
 
Wowee zowie!!! So glad it has been saved. Some beautiful iron there. Love to have one myself!!!

I'd think this could be a later one because of the type a garrard. Unless it was upgraded at some time. Wouldn't think they'd use the A in the Statesman and the 88 in the executive.
 
The tuner - preamp is the 202-T, the power amp is the SA-100, and the multiplex unit is the MPX-200.
 
The MPX-200 is clearly an add-on at a later date (probably just sitting behind the unit), since the MPX-200 was not in production when the 202-T (Statesman) was.

Dave
 
I added one on the exec. No sense not having FM stereo.

Can't believe the treasure trove this is... all there with the mpx and WS1's... and the paperwork. I'd make sure I played the lottery the day I found something like this.
 
The MPX-200 is clearly an add-on at a later date (probably just sitting behind the unit), since the MPX-200 was not in production when the 202-T (Statesman) was.

Dave

I just looked at the Service Manual for the MPX-200 and the date on it is 1961. Also, I looked at the MPX-200 brochure which has a 1961 date. The MPX-200 Owners Manual has a copyright of 1962 but in the list of "Fisher Firsts" that appear in many Fisher Owner Manuals the last date is 1961. The Owners Manual also discusses how to connect the MPX-200 to many Fisher tuners including the 202-T and all of the 1961 consoles.

A copy of the MPX-200 Service Manual, Owners Manual, and brochure are available on the Fisher Console web site.
 
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Some more photographs sent later last night to me of the amplifier and tuner/preamp.

The amplifier looks very minty when cleaned up!

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OMG... I do hope he intends to keep it intact.

I'm looking at the 1961 catalog. One thing I don't like about Fisher catalogs is they rarely show or say exactly what equipment is in the consoles. Their doors and drawers are almost always closed...

This is the modern in mahogany and sold new for $1245. Catalog says it has "2 horn-type tweeters" but obviously doesn't. According to the catalog, the executive had them as well but mine has regular roundies.

I bet this could run circles around mine with that additional amp.

I may be biased but '61 was about the greatest year for fisher consoles.
 
Hummmm. If the dates are all '61 for the MPX-200, does that mean that the 200 predates the MPX-50? This was the very rare GE/Zenith based sub-chassis that was specifically designed to go where the MPX blank plate is in the 202-T/Stateman, 100-T /Diplomat, and FM-100 tuner.

Dave
 
Interesting point but I never understood why receivers like the 400, 500 and 800 that were factory equipped with mpx's also have an "mpx output" jack on the chassis...

Thankfully they had the foresight to include the jack on the standalone tuners. Plug and play and walk away.
 
Hummmm. If the dates are all '61 for the MPX-200, does that mean that the 200 predates the MPX-50? This was the very rare GE/Zenith based sub-chassis that was specifically designed to go where the MPX blank plate is in the 202-T/Stateman, 100-T /Diplomat, and FM-100 tuner.

Dave

I really don't know.

Maybe one of our readers will have the answer.

Perhaps if someone has the Fisher price lists for components made between 1960 and 1965 we could narrow down when each multiplex unit was manufactured.
 
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To my knowledge, the top of chassis MPX jack was only present on the "B" series of receivers -- maybe because installation of the MPX sub-chassis was an option on the B series? The "TA" receivers before the B series has a MPX jack on the rear panel (no space on top of the chassis for a MPX sub-chassis) . The 400 and 500C/800C receivers do not include a MPX jack at all, rear panel or top of chassis. MPX was clearly standard on those models.

Dave
 
Only positing that as a guess. I suppose that at the time, things were moving so fast, that Fisher may not have known if they were going to be able to get them hardwired in as later ones were, or make them optional as production and other factors went, and so made provisions for both. It may even be that they were optional -- but only on the earliest production B receivers, with later B models having the MPX become standard. The jack just remained until the full rework with the C models. Again, just a guess.

Dave
 
Regardless the history or thought behind it all, I am constantly impressed that after more than half a century, these are still not obsolete. One thing I would like is the ability to add xm radio to one of the systems but it's not a priority.

When considering 1961 and early stereo, was there anything Avery didn't cover--phasing, reverse channels, am/fm stereo, which mpx will be approved...

Putting that thought and technology in a beautiful, quality piece of furniture, well, it's sad when you consider what hifi is today..
Like cars.

I'd have to figure the statesman and regents are among the rarest of consoles. This one is quite a find.
 
Regardless the history or thought behind it all, I am constantly impressed that after more than half a century, these are still not obsolete. One thing I would like is the ability to add xm radio to one of the systems but it's not a priority.

When considering 1961 and early stereo, was there anything Avery didn't cover--phasing, reverse channels, am/fm stereo, which mpx will be approved...

Putting that thought and technology in a beautiful, quality piece of furniture, well, it's sad when you consider what hifi is today..
Like cars.

I'd have to figure the statesman and regents are among the rarest of consoles. This one is quite a find.

All I can say is that on the Fisher Consoles web site if I compare the months January 2107 and January 2018, the number of page views increased by 63%. That could be due to a number of reasons: more people are interested in Fisher consoles or because more manuals have been posted on the web site in the last year. The most looked at page is the home page and the second most looked at page is the list of manuals which alone has increased 41% in the same period (that page has manuals for both consoles and separates). During the same period the amount of bandwidth used has increased by 53%.

It would be interesting to see the statistics on the amount of posts in the Fisher Forum during the last year.

The collecting and interest in Fisher equipment seems to have greatly increased.

Quality never goes out of style!
 
That is interesting. I'm in a conversation on another audio board regarding the very similar old car hobby. Most of my car people are also into hifi. I'm the only one into consoles, however.

Years ago, theory was find an old car and have it redone retail red, throw a naugahude interior in it and a Chevy 350 engine. Today the focus is on original. Untouched engines, chassies, original interiors and most importantly paint and chrome.

It seems like maybe that thought process is trickling down. No more chopping up consoles for their components!
 
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