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pioneer sx 1250

mikeg58

mikeg58

Active Member
I have an chance to buy a pioneer sx 1250 for about 350.00 and I don't know how much it would cost to do a complete service on it and is it worth spending the money? I have owned a few in my time and never had to do anything with them because they were always dependable but this is the unit I have wanted for a while and if anyone could guide me on what to replace and what the cost involved is, I would be a very happy camper. I know once the unit is serviced it will be like new but I don't want to spend the money if it's gonna cost me an arm and a legg...
 
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mikeg58 said:
I have an chance to buy a pioneer sx 1250 for about 350.00 and I don't know how much it would cost to do a complete service on it and is it worth spending the money? I have owned a few in my time and never had to do anything with them because they were always dependable but this is the unit I have wanted for a while and if anyone could guide me on what to replace and what the cost involved is, I would be a very happy camper. I know once the unit is serviced it will be like new but I don't want to spend the money if it's gonna cost me an arm and a legg...
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When you say, complete service are you talking about the usual pot cleaning, relacement of bulbs, and checking DC offset and then replacing any obvious out of spec caps/transistors?

I've had 2 receivers and SX-850 and an SX-980 in the shop in the last 6 mo's. Both went into protection and needed a few transistors and caps replaced. each was around 200.00 for the repair. If you're wanting a complete refurb, i.e. recap and replacement of problematic transistors a shop probably won't do that cause of the time involved. For a complete recap someone here on AK, through Barter Town would be the way to go.
 
If you have a phone number for the place or a website it would be a great help to me, I want this unit to last and sound like it did when it was new. I saw someone on ebay saying in detail what kind of service they do on the unit for about 500.00 plus I pay for shipping both ways...does that sound like a good deal?
 
Parts to rebuild sit around $225-250, labour about the same- so you'll be $500 on top of your initial investment. That's a total job.
 
I don't think anyone is doing a full rebuild on a 1250 for $500, unless he's lying about what he's doing, or is a fool.

I did see a guy on eBay advertising for a rebuild of the two driver boards, the regulator, and the protection (and may have included new PS caps) for $400 or $500, and making it sound as if this is a full restoration of a 1250. Now, he's in the ballpark for costs for the work he's doing, but he should make it clear that this work is essentially ignoring the tuner, phono amp, and the rest of the preamp (which constitutes pretty much 1/2 of a restoration of the 1250).
 
Considering basic run of the mill unrestored SX-1250's go for 1k plus $350.00 is a steal. I personally if it works ok use it until it needs some work then have a restore done it may go for another 10-15 years who knows?



REGARDS SNOW
 
bktheking said:
Then I guess i'm a fool or a liar or both. :D
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Sorry...was not directed at you. Are you tackling full 1250 rebuilds for $500. Good God, why? My parts list alone for a 1250 comes to something like $300... Add 30+ hours of work, and a $500 total is crazy.
 
I am happy for the energy twards your answers and hope that there are not any hard feelings with a few of you guys. I spoke with a guy named Bill on ebay telling me what he will do for the 500.00 and it's all written out in detail. I am happy with what he has told me but I am going to wait and see if I will get it done because of finances. I have had a sx 850,950,1080...and wanted a 1980 but at the prices that they are going for I will be just fine with the 1250 even though there aren't any meters to show off. I am going to hook it up with a pair of hpm 100's and bose 601's series 1 for now. I have a pair of jbl l65 cabinets with glass tops,woofers mids...missing the tweets and they get so damn expensive...I will get them all built to specs unless I sell what I have and find a pair of altec lansing model 14's cheap. I almost got a pair on ebay for 800.00 and just missed them...love the design and deep bass sound.
 
EchoWars said:
Sorry...was not directed at you. Are you tackling full 1250 rebuilds for $500. Good God, why? My parts list alone for a 1250 comes to something like $300... Add 30+ hours of work, and a $500 total is crazy.
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30+ hours?? I must be doing something wrong. :scratch2: I'm not criticizing you, just surprised. It's never taken me more than 14 hours total on a SX-1250 not including breaks for mealtimes or days off for family activities or errands. And that includes doing everything, recapping the boards and cleaning the boards after soldering everything, cleaning the switches and pots in detail, replacing the filter caps and converting the ring terminals and ground bar to accept the bigger screws of the new caps, setting the bias, offset etc.
 
I couldn't begin to list the chit I do...well, I could, but I'm too lazy. Guys are sending me stuff in order to have a restoration done, and that's what I do. ;)
 
There's more than just caps, transistors, diodes, etc etc. I know when I did the 1280 it was around 18 hrs, the 1250 should be a little quicker as it has the pluggable boards. I guess if you pulled every switch and cleaned it, aligned the AM/FM and whatnot your getting close to 30.
 
mikeg58 said:
I am happy for the energy twards your answers and hope that there are not any hard feelings with a few of you guys. I spoke with a guy named Bill on ebay telling me what he will do for the 500.00 and it's all written out in detail. I am happy with what he has told me but I am going to wait and see if I will get it done because of finances. I have had a sx 850,950,1080...and wanted a 1980 but at the prices that they are going for I will be just fine with the 1250 even though there aren't any meters to show off. I am going to hook it up with a pair of hpm 100's and bose 601's series 1 for now. I have a pair of jbl l65 cabinets with glass tops,woofers mids...missing the tweets and they get so damn expensive...I will get them all built to specs unless I sell what I have and find a pair of altec lansing model 14's cheap. I almost got a pair on ebay for 800.00 and just missed them...love the design and deep bass sound.
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I bet this is the cat in Austin, circle stereo I think. I was gonna send him mine, I hear he may keep it a year before he gets to it. Try the searchbox because there was a thread on here about him, some good some not so. The folks that waited him out seemed really satisfied, and others went and picked their stuff up cuz they were tired of waiting. I ended up taking mine to Save on Sound in Houston, I had heard good things, and he took a month, very satisfied, 500. Plus I didn't have to ship which was a big deal to me....Roost
 
Yep, I was thinking it was Bill in Dripping Springs too. He does occasionally run service ads on ebay.
Guess his work is good, he did an sx 1050 for a friend of mine.
As mentioned already, he usually has a waiting list so turn around times won't be immediate.
 
Bill is a good guy. Did my 1980..but does take a LONG time. I knew this going in, and just waited. Think it was about 6 months..
 
The "sticky" part here is what someone defines as a restoration.

Be sure to get the service outlined in writing and ask for your old parts back.

If you get the unit for $350 and drop another $500 you are still a few hundred below what a clean unrestored unit sells for, don't see how you could go wrong.

FYI there are many who prefer the sound of the 1250/1280 over its larger brother, YMMV.
 
Do not, and I repeat, DO NOT take your crap to Matt at Telstar. The dude is an a-hole and is full of ****. He may do good work but I took my Marantz 150 to him to fix a problem and he charged me $60 for a "diagnostic fee." He couldn't tell me that any actual examination was done.
 
Buffing the Metal???

My 1250 arrived today!!! I felt badly, as it's my husband's birthday, and he was left with a chocolate cake and a card, while I was unpacking this bit of wanderlust. My Q regards appearance of the silver faceplate, especially right there at the top where the metal meets the wood [which is now a solid oak cabinet], has anyone attempted or had the metal professionally/non-professionally buffed out?
 
I know when I did the 1280 it was around 18 hrs,
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There's more than just caps, transistors, diodes, etc etc. I know when I did the 1280 it was around 18 hrs, the 1250 should be a little quicker as it has the pluggable boards. I guess if you pulled every switch and cleaned it, aligned the AM/FM and whatnot your getting close to 30.
Click to expand...
Bill is a good guy. Did my 1980..but does take a LONG time. I knew this going in, and just waited. Think it was about 6 months.
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Guys!!
and you charged what?
and you work for how much an hour?
and this manages to pay your bills/mortgage.
Some how, the economics just do not add up. Maybe if it is a hobby and you do not consider an hourly rate into the equation, but as a business that has overhead/expenses. I do not know how anyone could run a successful/profitable business using this business model.:scratch2:
 
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