TOP to Bottom in the last picture.
Main Power Transformer
2 Main Filter caps
2 speaker (Dual) Resistors (White)
Interstage transformers.
This is normal configuration of the TA-900
That thing looks PRISTINE, with the exception of the TA-900 having been worked on. Honestly I wouldn't trust it, but don't toss it. Keep it with the console as a historic piece. The big problem with the 1st gen amps is they used Germanium Transistors and had a super sensitive Bias system that WOULD blow transistors just by looking at it cock-eyed. I would suggest finding a newer amp of comparable wattage or slightly more and installing it in place of the TA-900. Not too many techs have the know how to work on this monster, and the one's that DO, are getting few and far between due to age. With the tuner and 400-CX-2 being self powered a straight amp that can be plugged in to the tuner or the cx-2's swirtched Aux pwr plugs would be best. A SA-16 amp (about 15W per channel running 7189's), or a 690A(about 25W per channel running 7591's) that has been converted to stand-alone would be about perfect.
Otherwise this is a straightforward Tube setup. Look on the FISHERCONSOLE site (
Http://www.fisherconsoles.com) at the presidents prior to 1964 down to 1961 or so. They used pretty much the same as you have now. The Amps were the SA-300-B which was FISHER's top offering in straight amps at the time. But any straight stereo amp would work in this unit. The 7189 (el84/6bq5's big brother) is a really good tube, but it's getting extremely hard and expensive to find old stock tubes in almost new condition. Russian 6P14p-Ev is a very good replacement tube and will handle the 7189 voltages and output. Sovtek has the EL-84M which is also a very good tube for 7189 replacements. Both are still available and relatively cheap. 7591's, you have 3 choices that are proven good tubes. Old Stock from a reputable dealer (expensive!) and the 2 Russian replacements. The EH7591 has a larger bottle but other than that is a very good tube, and has proven itself in the last 10-12 years. The Tung-Sol 7591 Re-Issue is also a Russain tube, has the original tube envelope (bottle), and is proving to be a very good tube, almost the equal of a Westinghouse IMO. I SAID Almost. If you remember that these tubes (7591 russian) are good up to about 90% of what the original Westinghouse can deliver without going chernobyl, then they'll work well. Also some circuit changes need to be made to a circuit using the Russian tubes. These circuit changes will also help old stock tubes.
Tubes: It's NOT required to use all fisher branded tubes. They came from Tele, Brimar, Mullard, Phillips, ITT, Valvo, etc. and had FISHER imprinted on them. Later on about 1965 Fisher went with Sylvania tubes in almost eveything they put tubes in. I prefer GE tubes in the tuner, but in the preamp / AMP, if I can get GE or RCA tubes fine, but Russian tubes are a hell of a lot cheaper and work just fine. If the small signal tubes test fine, I'll use them until they die, then replace with domestic tubes. In a console setting you really can't hear the difference in them. I've got 8 or 9 Fisher consoles, depending on how you count the 560 companion to the 510/610; a 1951 Coronet Mono; 1958 Contemporary; 1959 610 consolette (was originally a 510 but changed out the head unit); a 1960 560 companion to the 510/610; 1963 Executive. Model 960; '64 Custom Electra VII; a '65 Custom Electra VIII; 1965 Futura; 1969 Royal Electra.
All were stripped of running gear, the running gear fully restored, tested on the bench, then re-installed in the cabinets. It's really the only way to do it.
