Holy crap. Did you look up ebay completed sales on the preamp and the monoblock power amps? This is like getting a Porsche out of grandma's barn. Or garage since it's clean enough to eat off of! Handle with care.
1960 Ampex Custom Stereo Console
- Thread starter DaBurninator
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KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
This Ampex Crescendo is among the upper class elite of consoles (as this was competition to a 1960 Fisher Executive without a tape recorder in price, in power, in overall quality). In short, a thoroughbred. I am glad to see it still in the family, getting preserved, loved and restored so it will be enjoyed for more years of good music to come. Your example is beautiful, thanks for sharing photos and the backstory of how it became yours. Keep us posted about the restoration, and lots of good pictures and your thoughts. I enjoyed this thread a great deal.
CoastinHome
Well-Known Member
Welcome!
You are correct that Grandpa left you with a 1960 Ampex Custom Stereo Console just as you described. Other readers suggested that it might be a Crescendo. The Crescendo is a larger console which is populated with the exactly the same equipment other than it has a three-way speaker system vs. the two-way in the Custom. The Crescendo would have a 7xxx model number. Edit: Forgot... the Crescendo ads a 950-Series reel to reel (952/954).
This console is absolutely worth the best that you can provide for it.
Here's a few postings that might help you get started:
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/help-with-ampex-stereo.784713/#post-11203514
If you find yourself obsessed with it's history you are geographically in luck -- as the Ampex historical files are maintained at Stanford University:
http://www.aes.org/aeshc/docs/press.releases/stanford.ampex.museum.mp3.html
https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/ft4s2004rn/
More to share at a later date...In pretty deep at the moment.
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scoloheros
Super Member
Really curious to see the speakers in this. That's a great compact piece, I'd love to find something like that.
CoastinHome
Well-Known Member
@DaBurninator -- The speaker grilles might be attached with 2 self-tapping screws each on the bottom side of the console. If so, after removing the screws, the bottom of the grilles comes out first.
You'll likely find a pair of Ampex/JBL design 12" drivers and a pair of General Electric A1-403 tweeters.
Grandpa was living large...what did he do for a living?