ferninando
Lunatic Member
Just bought a couple..
any praises for the Eico HF 12?
- Thread starter ferninando
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mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
An HF12 is half of an HF81 to a very good approximation. I.e., a great amplifier, by definition (well, by my definition). I am biased; I grew up with HF12s.
One tip: AFAIK, none of the HF12 models had line fuses -- add one if there isn't one! We lost one when I was a kid to self-immolation (shorted filter or rectifier), toasting the PT :-(
One tip: AFAIK, none of the HF12 models had line fuses -- add one if there isn't one! We lost one when I was a kid to self-immolation (shorted filter or rectifier), toasting the PT :-(
ferninando
Lunatic Member
Hadn't thought about that but its logical, being 1/2 of an 81.
Only 12watts but thats ok , I got big amps for that. they're 6bq5 based so should sound good. Have done an HF85 for practice some time ago and that worked out great.
They are easy to work on for sure.
I'll post pics when they come in.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Only 12watts but thats ok , I got big amps for that. they're 6bq5 based so should sound good. Have done an HF85 for practice some time ago and that worked out great.
They are easy to work on for sure.
I'll post pics when they come in.
Thanks for the encouragement.
mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
I am too lazy to check but I am pretty sure that the HF-12, like the HF-81, uses ceramic coupling capacitors. If so... my advice -- lose the ceramics! I swapped the ceramic coupling caps in my HF-81 with inexpensive modern Illinois caps (the little yellow tubular dealies), and the result (in a good way) brought tears to my eyes.
ferninando
Lunatic Member
I always do a complete recap and re-resister too if needed so no worries there. I may even gut them down to the chassis and do a total rebuild with all new parts if I feel
the need.. All depends on how things look upon arrival, but new caps and Rs for sure.
Hopefully my stock will have all I need.
the need.. All depends on how things look upon arrival, but new caps and Rs for sure.
Hopefully my stock will have all I need.
mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
Well -- here's the thing. Ceramics, go a good approximation, don't really age like most other flavors of capacitor. The ceramic caps in the Egyptian Pyramids are still in spec ;-) But... there are folks that feel that the use of -- ahem. cheap and notoriously nonlinear -- ceramic capacitors to pass signal from stage to stage is a key to the magic of the HF-81's sound. I am not one of those folks.
ferninando
Lunatic Member
any cers I find will be checked for value and replaced if not good. I usually like the newer film met poly prop caps in sig path or mylar film.
I have not been disapointed so far yet.
I have not been disapointed so far yet.
