mikte15
Active Member
I was looking forward to my post-Xmas week off because I was sure there’d be good CL/Goodwill pickings to be had. I was looking for some 70s/80s vintage integrated amps such as Pioneer SA-6800-9800 because I picked up a SA-508 a month earlier and was very impressed by it’s build quality. I found a CL ad for a Technics SU-V6 for $50 with the disclaimer ‘One side occasionally cuts out, likely needs cleaning’. I googled it and found it to be similar in vintage and performance to the Pioneers I was looking for, moderate power (70W/channel) and very low distortion. It was marketed as ‘New Class A’! Although I was concerned about it’s electrical problems, I was interested enough to give the seller a call. He was a contractor and he got it years ago from a nightclub they were rehabbing. He said he thought there was an issue with the channels but he could remember because it was stored for so long in his basement, he would look into it and get back to me. He called the next day and said he got both channels working so I could here them through headphones. I agreed to drive across the state to see it.
When I got to the guy’s house in southern RI, it was like entering a construction site. There was a backhoe in the front yard and a huge pit. Every side of the house was under construction. I followed him through the mud to his living room where the amp was. Oh my god! What a mess! The amp looked like its’ owners liked to listen to music while they smoked cigars and refinished furniture. The faceplate, knobs, and switches had industrial strength grime.
He let me listen to it play from an Ipod through headphones. Both channels did work. We removed the case cover and the entire interior was covered with sawdust.
My heart, already low, fell off the cliff. With all the other active projects I have going I didn’t want another cleanup mess. I offered the owner $30 in the hopes he would turn me down and I could depart gracefully. He was indignant with offer and I thought I was free, but he quickly countered with $40 and I said - no I was sorry I didn’t want another cleanup project. I think he sensed I was trying to escape and declared he wasn’t going to spend another minute with this amp and he would take $30. I don’t back down after I’ve made an offer so we settled and we spent another half hour reviewing his home rehab plans.
When I got to the guy’s house in southern RI, it was like entering a construction site. There was a backhoe in the front yard and a huge pit. Every side of the house was under construction. I followed him through the mud to his living room where the amp was. Oh my god! What a mess! The amp looked like its’ owners liked to listen to music while they smoked cigars and refinished furniture. The faceplate, knobs, and switches had industrial strength grime.
He let me listen to it play from an Ipod through headphones. Both channels did work. We removed the case cover and the entire interior was covered with sawdust.
My heart, already low, fell off the cliff. With all the other active projects I have going I didn’t want another cleanup mess. I offered the owner $30 in the hopes he would turn me down and I could depart gracefully. He was indignant with offer and I thought I was free, but he quickly countered with $40 and I said - no I was sorry I didn’t want another cleanup project. I think he sensed I was trying to escape and declared he wasn’t going to spend another minute with this amp and he would take $30. I don’t back down after I’ve made an offer so we settled and we spent another half hour reviewing his home rehab plans.
