New Magnavox Concert Grand owner.

balderdash1

New Member
Hi all,

This one has been on my radar for years but have never seen one anywhere close to where I live.

I was perusing CL yesterday and for some reason I started searching for Magnavox's. An ad came up for "retro stereo". That sound's pretty vague and cheesy, but this time it was the holy grail. When I opened up the photo, I thought it looked better than your run of the mill console stereo. I thought with luck, it could be an Imperial.

Once I opened the add it said, "Concert Grand $300 or best offer. I thought it must be a joke. I know it's not like a million people are searching for Concert Grand's, but I can't imagine the listing being up for more than several hrs without the seller being deluged with phone call's.

The number was listed and I called right away. The lady said it had been in the family for many years and that it was lovingly cared for and that it was still available. She said that her parents had passed recently, and that the family had just conducted an estate sale the this past weekend and that no one seemed interested in the Magnavox. She then told me that the company that conducted the sale told her, "you might as well take this to the dump because no one want's these old stereo's any more".

Anyway, this was a case where no one involved realized what they had. Very surprising as Google is just a click away. I offered the lady $ 200 and she almost seemed a little shocked. Frankly, as this thing weighs at least a couple of hundred pounds, I think they would have been fine if I would have just hauled it off for free.

No biggie. $200 is a small price to pay for something as cool as this. BTW, it did come with the remote.

I'll get some pictures up over the next few days.

My question though is, I don't really want to mess with it until I'm sure it's not going to blow up. I did turn it on for about 30 seconds and heard a little hum and some scratchy pots..

Not looking for a full restoration at this point, just want to be able to safely play it for a bit.

Is there a protocol for starting a job like this? Any capacitors I should look at..or maybe give it a good cleaning?
 
Coupling caps for ALL output tubes (IIRC there are 8 per amp?) and Filter caps for both amps if you are hearing a hum at BARE MINIMUM!!!! Clean everything! Tube sockets, pots, switches, chassis, etc. Make sure all the tube socket leaves are tight on ALL of the pins. Test the tubes on a tester to make sure they are all about the same (use a gm tester). replace any weak tubes, especially output tubes as a weak one will make the stronger ones work harder. And THAT is a non starter. Clean the tuner/preamp and go thru it also.

That should get you started and working on them for about a week before you need more info, that I don't have specifically for the Concert Grand.
 
Coupling caps for ALL output tubes (IIRC there are 8 per amp?) and Filter caps for both amps if you are hearing a hum at BARE MINIMUM!!!! Clean everything! Tube sockets, pots, switches, chassis, etc. Make sure all the tube socket leaves are tight on ALL of the pins. Test the tubes on a tester to make sure they are all about the same (use a gm tester). replace any weak tubes, especially output tubes as a weak one will make the stronger ones work harder. And THAT is a non starter. Clean the tuner/preamp and go thru it also.

That should get you started and working on them for about a week before you need more info, that I don't have specifically for the Concert Grand.



Thanks Larry. BTW I live in Arnold MD. Just down the road from you. As a matter of fact, I found this console in Glen Burnie! I'm new to servicing tube electronics but have always wanted to learn. If you're down this way, I would love to have you take a look at the console and maybe pick up some pointers from you.
 
Get a sams service manual for it. You should replace the electrolytic and paper capacitors, and test the tubes. The phono will need an overhaul. Very cool find!
 
I had been looking at that on craigslist. I should have called ..... (norah jones)

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....or-300-00-or-best-offer.772230/#post-10572676

Congratulations, I hope you enjoy it well. I have a magnavox concerto which serves me quite well

Yes the stereo god's were on my side this time. It had only been on for a day, and I was sure it would be gone. I'm not sure what made me look for a magnavox that day but this time it worked.

By the way, the wife was not happy and still doesn't get it but I assured her it was a must buy.
 
Very cool. Not often you find one of these.

Did it come with the usual assortment of bad albums? Usually you get stuff like Perry Como, at least one Christmas album, Jim Nabors, stuff along those lines.
 
The console grand doesn't have storage space for albums but there were about 10 Christmas albums on the floor. I think one was a Brady Bunch Christmas album..

The lady said a "farmer" came in and bought a bunch of other albums.
 
hahaha, I think I'd have had to take the Brady Bunch album just for one torturous listen. Might be good if you have a neighbor you really dislike.
 
Um, I hope you plan to post pics...because...well....
:needpics:

Besides, it's not everyday we get to see a TOTL Maggie Concert Grand.
 
Gadget; So do I! (Same guy that has that Bogen console? Man that thing was FUGLY!!! It would have made quasimodo look like a Victoria's Secret Model!!)
 
Half meant myself but I think everyone probably knows someone who has or had an ugly console somewhere along the way. The one stereo console I actually own isn't too fugly to keep. The one I fixed for someone thats in my way is both crappy and in my way. It's biggest sin is that its in my way. Its been the shelf for my Fisher 600 for months now.
 
I was thinking about Hank. Don't know if you saw that Bogen console in his trailer on Sunday or not, but wearing welding goggles would have been a good idea. I've seen some ugly French Prov cabinets, but this one beat them all! What was Bogen thinking? That cabinet probably sent their sales back 20 years.
 
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