1967 Executive 972 opinions? Updates on restoration.
- Thread starter grindfix
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
little-al
Active Member
Next to the top of the line in Fisher's console lineup, I'm sure it is very nice and worth saving.
This console retailed for $1845 ( $1845 (French Provincial/Italian Provincial), $1795 (Contemporary)) in 1967, which is $14,312.62 in 2020 if that gives one any sense of the quality and exclusivity of these models!
http://fisherconsoles.com/executive 972.html
Does the one she's selling include the Ampex reel to reel?
We just picked up a 1970 Statesman, and it is a very well built unit.. and that was approaching the end of the good years of Fisher.
Although transistor versus tube, it sounds very nice.
1967 was still firmly in Avery Fisher's control, so the 1967 Executive should be a very fine unit. I suspect given the extreme cost of these top end consoles that they weren't sold in huge numbers, and even fewer survive today. So it would be a shame not to save and restore this one.
It is supposed to have the 31-R chassis:
http://www.fisherconsoles.com/service manuals/fisher 31r sm.pdf
Here are some photos of another 1967 Executive:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-1967-fisher-executive-stereo-421376426
This console retailed for $1845 ( $1845 (French Provincial/Italian Provincial), $1795 (Contemporary)) in 1967, which is $14,312.62 in 2020 if that gives one any sense of the quality and exclusivity of these models!
http://fisherconsoles.com/executive 972.html
Does the one she's selling include the Ampex reel to reel?
We just picked up a 1970 Statesman, and it is a very well built unit.. and that was approaching the end of the good years of Fisher.
Although transistor versus tube, it sounds very nice.
1967 was still firmly in Avery Fisher's control, so the 1967 Executive should be a very fine unit. I suspect given the extreme cost of these top end consoles that they weren't sold in huge numbers, and even fewer survive today. So it would be a shame not to save and restore this one.
It is supposed to have the 31-R chassis:
http://www.fisherconsoles.com/service manuals/fisher 31r sm.pdf
Here are some photos of another 1967 Executive:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-1967-fisher-executive-stereo-421376426
I looked it up before posting. Even before that I knew it was one in the top of their lineup. Just wanted to hear opinion on the sound quality to help me justify hauling this huge and heavy thing.
It does have 31-R and it does have Ampex RTR. Supposedly, everything works and it is in the clean house, vs. many that were stored in barns and basements with mold and rodent issues.
I think I should tick it up.
It does have 31-R and it does have Ampex RTR. Supposedly, everything works and it is in the clean house, vs. many that were stored in barns and basements with mold and rodent issues.
I think I should tick it up.
little-al
Active Member
I agree, unless she wants an unreasonable amount of money for it (very subjective
)... it sounds like it is the best case scenario, taken care of, kept inside, working 
If it were near me and say just a few hundred $$, I'd at least give it a try. Although it is a good thing it ISN'T near me or I'd get in trouble with the family. They constantly remind me that I already have 3 consoles, so geez why another?!
Worst case you save it, don't like it, and find someone else here that would take it off your hands. Being a relatively rare Executive in the shape being described, I don't think you'd have much risk of getting stuck with it.
But I am almost certain that if it is in good running order that it will sound very good as Fisher marketed these as their flagship models.
Oh and of course it needs to be said:
little-al
Active Member
That looks great!
I have a slightly earlier model of that Ampex that was my grandfather's that needs going through. If I ever pick up one of the Fisher console models that supports a RTR as an option, but doesn't have one, I'll probably put my Ampex in the hole
Something curious... it looks like this model has a locking lid. I haven't seen that before.
I have a slightly earlier model of that Ampex that was my grandfather's that needs going through. If I ever pick up one of the Fisher console models that supports a RTR as an option, but doesn't have one, I'll probably put my Ampex in the hole
Something curious... it looks like this model has a locking lid. I haven't seen that before.
He got ya, LOL!GRAB IT! Executive's don't usually come with the tape deck as it was a $400.00 option. By 1967 apparently they dropped the optional part and the lower pricing. My 63 didn't come with a Tape Deck, so i had to look around for an AMPEX that was period correct. Finally found one with decent heads on it. So mine is complete except for the reverb tank setup that Buglegirl still has. The 31R is supposedly a decent sounding unit (for a receiver). It's got quite a few germanium transistors mainly in the tuner IF sections and the driver, finals. The Tuner Front end has 6CW4 tubes (the solid state ones). But if it's been taken care of, it should be ok. It's 53 years old, so a recap might be in order. Word of caution. Bias and offset are NOT ADJUSTABLE. No provisions made, so if an output transistor goes you'll need to match the beta on all 4.
The 31-R bears a very close resemblance (just doing a cursory glance) to the previous years 69-T Solid State receiver used in the Exec. Have to do some comparison, but it wouldn't surprise me if they are identical or extremely close, but different enough to warrant a Model # change.
little-al
Active Member
No kidding! It took four grown men to move our Statesman, and even then was tough. And this Executive is larger and has that tank of an Ampex in it too!
Is it THAT heavy? Can 2 people load it in the minivan?
little-al
Active Member
Based on picking up our Statesman (smaller) about a week ago... unless you are Hanz & Franz... absolutely not, at least to not damage it due to how unwieldy it will be. These things are shockingly solid and heavy, unless they made them lighter in 1967, which I doubt.
I would plan for at least four strong people, and a real van or small box truck so you have room to maneuver. Seriously.
You also want something with a smooth floor so you don't break the legs.
And you want some way to tie it down so it doesn't slide around.
I borrowed a Mercedes Sprinter...
Oh and make sure no one is wearing a bull-riding championship belt buckle or a Billy Idol commemorative bracelet. As I mentioned, along with being heavy, these are unwieldy and those lifting it are likely to lean into the cabinet to steady it. It would be a shame to gouge it up. I made my friends remove their belts when we moved the Statesman
Last edited:
Use a Handtruck, some blankets, and straps. REMOVE the turntable and the Ampex 1st. That'll remove about 75 #'s. My Executive weighs about 280 all up. Once you remove the AMPEX that end becomes the light side. Make sure the legs are tight in the corners, wrap the opposite (Turntable side) with blanket, and flip it up on the turntable end. Strap it to the handtruck, move to the Soccer mom Mobile, and tip it in with it's back DOWN. You should be able to slide it until it's over it's tip over point and it'll flatten out in the floor of the Mobile. Push it the rest of the way in, and Haul ASH! I just moved my '65 Futura (about 180-200 all up) last Friday, by myself from the Storage unit, to my 4x8 trailer, and then into the house with just a Handtruck a couple blankets and 3 straps. Got it in the house, Hit it with the DBT @ 75W, just the slightest glow, plugged it in and ran it for 12 hours to heat it up and dry it out from Humidity outside(it hadn't been run in over a year). I've got more Scaffolding in my back and neck than Notre Dame does
(Yeah I have a few loose)!
Larry
(Yeah I have a few loose)! Larry
CoastinHome
Well-Known Member
If it's local it's well worth the $60 or $80 a day for a rental truck which has a lift gate -- and probably essential if you don't have four people and don't want to start disassembling the console. Unlike renting a cargo van, trucks with lift gates comes with with a mileage charge -- so if you have to travel the $.75 to $1 per mile can really add up.
I just watched some movers move some heavy furniture. They wrapped the furniture in furniture blankets and then wrapped that with that wide plastic wrap. Some version of that is not a bad idea at all -- but shouldn't be necessary if it is moved with care.
Avoid sideways pressure on the legs best as possible. You'll save a lot of work if you can get it onto wheels at "A" and then off the wheels at "B", leaving it on the wheels within the truck. It will work best to move it on a single furniture dolly... Multiple furniture dollies can be difficult to manage on rough or unlevel surfaces.
Measure ahead of time for the 4x4's and shims required to support the cabinet by its underside rather than by its legs and get it up high enough that the legs will clear the step on the liftgate, front door threshold, etc. Make sure you are working around the wiring to the pilot light when placing the supports.
Much depends on whether you have two or four people. If you only have two people you can limit the side force on the legs by lifting each end of the cabinet an inch at a time, alternately stacking wood under each pair of legs. Of course a portable pallet jack would come in handy -- but I'm just assuming you don't have one available.
When you get it in place in the truck wrap some rope or an old extension cord around the wheels at ground level to assist in keeping it from rolling. This will greatly reduce the pressure on the straps that you are using to strap it to the walls or floor of the truck.
If you have to lift it into a van without disassembly you pretty much need four people. As a minimum you'll want something like those large neoprene-backed furniture glides under the two legs that go in first. Anything you can do to reduce the sliding force on the front two legs is a worthwhile effort. If you have some Pergo flooring scraps those can come in handy as glides. Pergo slides especially well face-to-face. If you have the material, lay out some strips the length of the van floor and some smaller scraps for glides under the forward legs. The glides are critical to reducing the side force on the legs -- as it will be much more difficult to assist in lifting the weight off the legs once it is in the van.
I just watched some movers move some heavy furniture. They wrapped the furniture in furniture blankets and then wrapped that with that wide plastic wrap. Some version of that is not a bad idea at all -- but shouldn't be necessary if it is moved with care.
Avoid sideways pressure on the legs best as possible. You'll save a lot of work if you can get it onto wheels at "A" and then off the wheels at "B", leaving it on the wheels within the truck. It will work best to move it on a single furniture dolly... Multiple furniture dollies can be difficult to manage on rough or unlevel surfaces.
Measure ahead of time for the 4x4's and shims required to support the cabinet by its underside rather than by its legs and get it up high enough that the legs will clear the step on the liftgate, front door threshold, etc. Make sure you are working around the wiring to the pilot light when placing the supports.
Much depends on whether you have two or four people. If you only have two people you can limit the side force on the legs by lifting each end of the cabinet an inch at a time, alternately stacking wood under each pair of legs. Of course a portable pallet jack would come in handy -- but I'm just assuming you don't have one available.
When you get it in place in the truck wrap some rope or an old extension cord around the wheels at ground level to assist in keeping it from rolling. This will greatly reduce the pressure on the straps that you are using to strap it to the walls or floor of the truck.
If you have to lift it into a van without disassembly you pretty much need four people. As a minimum you'll want something like those large neoprene-backed furniture glides under the two legs that go in first. Anything you can do to reduce the sliding force on the front two legs is a worthwhile effort. If you have some Pergo flooring scraps those can come in handy as glides. Pergo slides especially well face-to-face. If you have the material, lay out some strips the length of the van floor and some smaller scraps for glides under the forward legs. The glides are critical to reducing the side force on the legs -- as it will be much more difficult to assist in lifting the weight off the legs once it is in the van.
Last edited:
little-al
Active Member
No one means to scare you away from picking this Executive up ...just making sure you are prepared.
I was frankly shocked at how heavy and hard to handle that Statesman was. I've moved a handful of smaller consoles that were NOT simply proportionally lighter. The Statesman was an order of magnitude heavier.
BTW, I finally decided to go weight the Statesman... 240lbs
Sounds like Larry has it down to a science, but for ad-hoc retrievals, it's a little bit of prep and lot of work on-site to make sure it doesn't end in disappointment.
...just making sure you are prepared. I was frankly shocked at how heavy and hard to handle that Statesman was. I've moved a handful of smaller consoles that were NOT simply proportionally lighter. The Statesman was an order of magnitude heavier.
BTW, I finally decided to go weight the Statesman... 240lbs
Sounds like Larry has it down to a science, but for ad-hoc retrievals, it's a little bit of prep and lot of work on-site to make sure it doesn't end in disappointment.
Last edited:
Last time I moved my Executive, I removed all the electronics and put them in the car. The cabinet went in the truck. I figured keep the most valuable parts with me... even empty, it weighed a ton. The speakers in those are huge. That r2r is probably about 30 lbs itself.
There's nothing like a r2r in a console.
There's nothing like a r2r in a console.
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
Referencing this ancient thread, it took 4 "over 40" men to load a '63 President VIII into a full-sized van . . . but only 2 20-year-olds to unload. Speaking as one of the 4, I need to point out that those two kids had gravity working to their advantage.
https://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/all-hail-the-fisher-president.428582/
And then there was that time Larry and I wrestled that old 50's Fisher console down a narrow, twisting stairway by Glen Echo Park . . .
https://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/all-hail-the-fisher-president.428582/
And then there was that time Larry and I wrestled that old 50's Fisher console down a narrow, twisting stairway by Glen Echo Park . . .
