New to Tubes - Is this worth it?

TeeDubs

New Member
Hello All,

I recently decided to take a dive into vinyl. While researching options for a mid-range setup I started looking at consoles. I ended up grabbing a GE that was for sale locally. I figured if the internals were trash I could gut it and use the console as a stand for newer equipment. I think it is a 1962ish RC1360. It didnt come with a power cord so I am not sure what works. I have a couple questions to start and I'm sure many more will arise as I go.

Is this unit worth restoring? I'm by no means an audiophile but I don't want to sink money into a unit that is going to sound mediocre at best.

Any help identifying what I have would be great.

Besides the power cord, any suggestions on where to start and things to check?

Any suggestions on what not to do?

Thanks in advance for your input. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

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When you power it up, use a variac and dim bulb tester to bring it up for testing, and when your sure there are no major issues, recap it, replacing the electrolytic and paper caps.I am unfamiliar with that console, but it looks like a nice one. The console appears to have the stereo decoder, and an extra box that I don't know the function of.(the perforated one) I think it has the system that vacuums the dust from the record while it is playing also. The extra box may be a transmitter for a "music distribution system" system.
 
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I'm no expert on these but I think the old GEs are pretty good, to me the quality looks pretty decent in the one you have. I have my grandparents old Magnavox console, they sound pretty good in general and that one you have looks to be in pretty good shape. I'd get it going, it doesn't look too big, they play music pretty well and are getting some antique value, finally. You can usually hook up your modern digital players to them also.
 
That's one of GE's good one's. It has the separate tuner, separate preamp, plus the good 7355 push/pull stereo power amplifier, along with the vacuum (forget what they call it) dust collection for the tone arm, the outboard MPX adapter, reverb, and the channel B adapter for radio broadcast through out the house with the use of GE's Porta-Fi external powered speakers. Holy Sh**! :yikes:

You can ship it to me. I promise I will take good care of it! :D
 
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Thanks for the info so far.

The perforated box is labeled "Model SP30B". I think it works as an FM transmitter, which century tek called out as the channel B adapter.

I've seen the vacuum system referred to as the Dustomatic.

The outboard MPX adapter pointed out by century tek is labeled "Model MA-2F"
 
Ah, the GE MegaMaid, aka Dustamatic record changer. I believe this was pretty close to the top of their range, if not the top. The Porta-Fi thing is kinda neat too. Once in a while you'll see those speakers appear but they aren't properly useful without the transmitter in this console.

I think that amp runs 7355 tubes, so should be good for a solid 15 watts per channel.

For service info, you'd probably need the numbers off each chassis rather than the model of the console itself. I'd expect to see a tag or a stamp on each piece with the numbers you need.
 
Hello All,

I recently decided to take a dive into vinyl. While researching options for a mid-range setup I started looking at consoles. I ended up grabbing a GE that was for sale locally. I figured if the internals were trash I could gut it and use the console as a stand for newer equipment. I think it is a 1962ish RC1360. It didnt come with a power cord so I am not sure what works. I have a couple questions to start and I'm sure many more will arise as I go.

Is this unit worth restoring? I'm by no means an audiophile but I don't want to sink money into a unit that is going to sound mediocre at best.

Any help identifying what I have would be great.

Besides the power cord, any suggestions on where to start and things to check?

Any suggestions on what not to do?

Thanks in advance for your input. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.
The 7355 is an excellent sounding power tube, very similar to the 7591 in quality. It is not as popular as that tube so price on replacements are less. Harman Kardon A500, uses this tube for a very nice sounding amp. I dont have much experience restoring consoles which have many components to deal with but the amp section is definitely worth refurbing. The turntable is more problematic since many of those units were rough on records and definitely not recommended for your collectible vinyl.
 
Can anyone confirm the model, RC 1360? I'd like to find a service manual for it.

Sams doesn't list a schematic for that model number. Is there a separate number on the amplifier chassis, the preamp chassis or the tuner chassis?

You say it's missing the power cord. Is it the type that is removable and someone just took it or has it been cut off? If cut off, that was commonly done by techs when something was seriously wrong with the amp.

I pulled a different model amp that used different power tubes from a GE console many years ago but I dismantled it for parts. These units use a circuit board, not point to point wiring, but if there is no damage to the board you shouldn't have a problem restoring it.
 
GE's Porta-Fi external powered speakers. Holy Sh**! :yikes:

I guess I'll have to keep my eyes out for some.

I think that amp runs 7355 tubes, so should be good for a solid 15 watts per channel.
The 7355 is an excellent sounding power tube, very similar to the 7591 in quality. It is not as popular as that tube so price on replacements are less. Harman Kardon A500, uses this tube for a very nice sounding amp.

Sounds like it will be worth trying to get going.

You say it's missing the power cord. Is it the type that is removable and someone just took it or has it been cut off? If cut off, that was commonly done by techs when something was seriously wrong with the amp.

Its a removable cord. Finding a replacement is going to be the first order of business.
 
Power cord...just bypass the plug and wire one in directly, an old lamp cord or extension cord will do.
 
As consoles go its a good one to find. I agree that its a goid idea to replace the TT. A $40 phono preamp between the new tt and the amp will address the lower signal issue.
 
Sounds like it will be worth trying to get going..
I did not know that this has a phenolic circuit board, which require careful attention to the foil "traces" that are easily broken when caps and resistors are replaced. sometimes the foil traces will lift off the board when heat is placed on the component leads. I tend to stay away from these type of units because of that issue.
 
I had one of those amplifiers once. It's really not that bad and those traces on that thing are pretty fat and solid. One could also make point to point wiring if need be with this amp.
 
I may agree 100% that the "changer may not be so terrible"... bit I kinda opt for something a tidge more modern and less rough on the records and to summarize, I think one can do better than terrible.

The amplifier will be quite nice, the speakers will be fine and the TT should be replaced, my opinion.
 
I'm a changer guy, but not all of them are decent. I don't happen to have experience with GE changers. If its not hard on the records though, I'd be perfectly fine with converting it to a mag cartridge with a preamp and leaving it alone for originality and functionality reasons.
 
I'm a changer guy, but not all of them are decent. I don't happen to have experience with GE changers. If its not hard on the records though, I'd be perfectly fine with converting it to a mag cartridge with a preamp and leaving it alone for originality and functionality reasons.[/QUOTE

I think you are more energetic than I am... which is the polite form of '' I am lazier...'.

Cheers :beerchug:
 
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its actually underlying laziness. Rather than shopping for something more modern that can be fit in, the original thing already goes in the hole. Also if I can stack 6 records on there, I don't have to get up as often.
 
Hello All,

I recently decided to take a dive into vinyl. While researching options for a mid-range setup I started looking at consoles. I ended up grabbing a GE that was for sale locally. I figured if the internals were trash I could gut it and use the console as a stand for newer equipment. I think it is a 1962ish RC1360. It didnt come with a power cord so I am not sure what works. I have a couple questions to start and I'm sure many more will arise as I go.

Is this unit worth restoring? I'm by no means an audiophile but I don't want to sink money into a unit that is going to sound mediocre at best.
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Any help identifying what I have would be great.

Besides the power cord, any suggestions on where to start and things to check?

Any suggestions on what not to do?

Thanks in advance for your input. I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

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I would buy something new for your first piece of tubed equipment .
I have pulled a similar unit, made in Germany that I don't think is worth restoring, it's output is only around 4 watts, which is all that is necessary to power the speakers in the cabinet.
 
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