Would you buy McIntosh MC-60 monos for 3k ?

MC60's for under 2k with decent cosmetics! Yah done well. If you got vintage output tubes, you've done disgustingly well. Congrats.
A quad of GE 6550s and 2 brand new JJ6550s came with it... the GE are all in decent shape, and I'll run them until I can't. The former owner only bought new tubes because the center keyed pin on two of the GEs are broke... but if you make sure they are positioned right, they work.
 
I would squirrel away those GE's and get some new Gold Lions or equivalent new production. Recap parts are about $140 per amp and it was not difficult to DIY, if that is your play. When all is said and done, the cost will be roughly half of what a new MC275 will cost. And the kicker is I think you will find the MC60 to be better than the new MC275. I know I did when I played my restored 60's side by side with a MC275V.
 
I would squirrel away those GE's and get some new Gold Lions or equivalent new production. Recap parts are about $140 per amp and it was not difficult to DIY, if that is your play. When all is said and done, the cost will be roughly half of what a new MC275 will cost. And the kicker is I think you will find the MC60 to be better than the new MC275. I know I did when I played my restored 60's side by side with a MC275V.
This one, I am not DIYing. They will be corrected by a Mac tech, with Mac parts, to Mac specs. No fiddle-faddle. The one with the issues, has had a very sub-standard choke installed, and my tech has already sourced the right one, but it alone is going to cost some bucks.
I have heard that many do prefer the 60 over the 75. Maybe someday I can own a 275 for comparison... for now, I am happy to be making these baby steps.
 
Question for all you Mac experts-

Is the choke the DK 30-60 Variable Damping kit?

One of these is serial #1049, which is suspected by the tech to be a very early production, and it possibly did not have a choke installed, from factory. Then somebody put in something that threw the THD out of whack. ( Tech supposes maybe a guitar hot rod of the 70s) ... But the Tech has a couple parts/donor pieces that will earn their name.
 
I have a MC60 serial #519. Years ago I called McIntosh to determine approximate date of manufacture. They told me the first production number was 500 and August 1955 is the month production began. So yes, yours is among the earlier production models.
 
I have a MC60 serial #519. Years ago I called McIntosh to determine approximate date of manufacture. They told me the first production number was 500 and August 1955 is the month production began. So yes, yours is among the earlier production models.

Thanks! Does yours have the Variable Damping kit installed? If so, it was probably installed later.
I talked to the tech and the DK 30 60 is an additional circuit installed in later models. It isn't the choke. The choke in mine was not original, not correct and he has replaced it with a correct one. Also my Serial # 1049 did not have the VD circuit, but he installed one that matches my other later production one. He remembers doing this to units ~40 years ago when he was updating MC60s, doing Mac Labs. As soon as I can, I will pick up my pair and be rocking to the rhythm of less than .3 thd @ 60W. Acceptable for 50 year old amplifiers...
 
It ends up that the vintage tubes are a bust. They came with two new JJs ... so I still need to buy a couple more. So after this cost, I am going to be in these right at about 2600, for Electronically restored, and cosmetically decent MC-60s. I feel good about it.
 
Thanks! Does yours have the Variable Damping kit installed? If so, it was probably installed later.
I talked to the tech and the DK 30 60 is an additional circuit installed in later models. It isn't the choke. The choke in mine was not original, not correct and he has replaced it with a correct one. Also my Serial # 1049 did not have the VD circuit, but he installed one that matches my other later production one. He remembers doing this to units ~40 years ago when he was updating MC60s, doing Mac Labs. As soon as I can, I will pick up my pair and be rocking to the rhythm of less than .3 thd @ 60W. Acceptable for 50 year old amplifiers...


I doubt that it has this mod and to be certain I'm not tech savvy enough to look inside and find out. I could send you an upskirt pic if you're interested. It has been rebuilt by a reputable tech and sings beautifully populated by some nice vintage tubes except for the KT88s which are JJ. When I found it, one of the KTs had gone to gas and the other was physically broken.
 
I doubt that it has this mod and to be certain I'm not tech savvy enough to look inside and find out. I could send you an upskirt pic if you're interested. It has been rebuilt by a reputable tech and sings beautifully populated by some nice vintage tubes except for the KT88s which are JJ. When I found it, one of the KTs had gone to gas and the other was physically broken.

No pictures necessary. I was just wondering if this mod was done to most of the early ones. The history of my pair is pretty typical. The original owner bought the first one in about 1955-56, then stereo became the rage and he bought another one in about 1958-59. They were shelved after a move in the 70s .They then went to one son in the 80s and he was a guitar player. ( possible that the choke was messed with at this time). In 2016 they went to another son and weren't used. His friend/neighbor thought he could get them running and fiddled with them for months, got one working good enough after one cap was replaced , but botched the other. Sold to me in Sept. 2017.
 
I found mine in a cardboard box in the shop of a hard core ham radio enthusiast. He apparently had taken it in trade years ago for some work he did on the owner's ham rig. Then forgot he had it. I found it and a Dynaco SCA35 one afternoon while visiting him on a business matter. Left his place with both of them at a price fair to him and to me. He knew what he had and I did not want to sour our business relationship. This was sometime around 2010.
 
My buddy who happens to be a great tech picked up a pair just over a yr ago now,good cosmetics but ageing caps .original cost to him was 3k c.a.d and he's spent around 300.00 on caps and his time to recap.
He's happy with the performance on a great pair of Tannoy DMT 15 speakers
 
:needpics:

Good pics, not like pic in the OP.

Are you happy with the cosmetics? Seems you got a good deal. :beerchug:

I got em hooked up using a simple pre...
upload_2017-9-16_13-1-1.png


They sound wonderful... I will soon try other preamps, I have about 4-5 that I will try.
 
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