At the the Tube Buffet and can't taste!

B

bueschersaxo

New Member
Greetings all!

I just thought I'd share a little bit of the hell I'm currently in. I've got right here in my living room a McIntosh 240, a Fisher SA 1000, an Ampliton TS 5000, a Fisher X-101-D, and a Fisher FM 100-C. Sounds like a good time, huh?

Here's the hell part: they are all 220v and I'm in 110v country with no up-converter that can handle the wattage, and they belong to someone else, so won't be here for very much longer! I think the transformers can be tapped to convert them, but I am not capable of figuring out how with the little info that I have. Any suggestions on how to do it?

Cheers,
David
 
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Does your house have an electric dryer? Or a large 220v window air conditioning unit? These will be 220v but the wrong receptacle. Go to Home Depot and get the correct plugs and receptacles and make a power cord.
 
rustnrot said:
Does your house have an electric dryer? Or a large 220v window air conditioning unit? These will be 220v but the wrong receptacle. Go to Home Depot and get the correct plugs and receptacles and make a power cord.
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No, but my stove might be. It has the crazy giant 3 prong plug. This house was built in the 60's.
 
Stove will be 220 V also. Next stop Home Depot. Expect to pay $50-75 for the stuff to do this.
 
?????

rustnrot said:
Stove will be 220 V also. Next stop Home Depot. Expect to pay $50-75 for the stuff to do this.
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Seems to me if you don't own them why would you spend money on them anyways.Let the owner do it?:scratch2:
 
It is all US built 110 volt stuff. Are you saying all the vintage equipment you named are 220 Volt wired?
I didnt even know they gave that option.
 
zman said:
It is all US built 110 volt stuff. Are you saying all the vintage equipment you named are 220 Volt wired?
I didnt even know they gave that option.
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Yes sir, they were used in Europe until they were shipped over here. The Fisher stuff all had do-not-remove factory tags warning that they were 220v. The Ampliton is French.
 
David, don't mess with something that is not yours without the owner's express permission. If you can't buy it, you can't get it fixed, and you can't be held responsible for making things right in the event they go wrong, you don't need to play.
 
sheltie dave said:
David, don't mess with something that is not yours without the owner's express permission. If you can't buy it, you can't get it fixed, and you can't be held responsible for making things right in the event they go wrong, you don't need to play.
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Excellent advise! I actually have his permission. He acquired them as part of an estate and knows nothing about them. He asked me to see what I could find out about condition, usability, market, etc. I had no trouble with converting the Garrard 401 turntables, the Quad 33 controller (unsolder and re-solder 1 wire) and 303 amp, the Luxman pre-amp, the Thorens 125, Nakamichi 1000...but these guys are not so straight forward. A repair shop in upstate NY that works on a lot of McInitosh said $85 per unit plus shipping. I do know that I would need a variac, thanks to info gained from this wonderful site, and I'm not about to just move my stove to plug them in though.
 
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bueschersaxo said:
Excellent advise! I actually have his permission. He acquired them as part of an estate and knows nothing about them. He asked me to see what I could fine out about condition, usebility, market, etc. I had no trouble with converting the Garrard 401 turntables, the Quad 33 controller (unsolder and re-solder 1 wire) and 303 amp, the Luxman pre-amp, the Thorens 125, Nakamichi 1000...but these guys are not so straight forward. A repair shop in upstate NY that works on a lot of McInitosh said $85 per unit plus shipping. I do know that I would need a variac, thanks to info gained from this wonderful site, and I'm not about to just move my stove to plug them in though.
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I had a 220 line put in for my W/D and the electrician only charged me like $60.
A) He's a great guy
B) He's a musician
C) I asked him ahead of time where it would need to come from and too, and where it should be routed. I drilled the holes before he got there and offered to pay him the same amount he quoted. He didn't accept my offer, but appreciated it.
D) I learned that it's just 2 110v circuits hooked together somehow. I still don't really know how, but I know he does, and if I'm gonna have someone tearin' my house apart, he's the guy. (and his work is 100% pro and well done.)
E) and he traded me the best guitar I've ever owned for a practice amp that I hated. When he played it? Like a lil' dose of heaven.

I vote for a cool electrician and a dedicated line. And enjoy the sweet euro market stuff. :banana::thmbsp:


*****AND you'd KNOW that you'd have a quiet, dedicated line for audio, that no one in the house can plug a noisy touch lamp or florescent PITA into.****

and I think you must earn some sort of badass point just for being able to say "my amp needs twice the voltage of your HT setup...
it's gotta be a fun thing to say at dinner parties and stuff. :)
 
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On second thought after reading the equipment list...

What country are you in?
You should probably just send them to me, for... erm... safety. Yeah, that's it, safety.... :deal:
(sigh. ok, maybe not, eh?)
That really is a sweet pile you've got there.:tresbon:
 
oneinchside said:
On second thought after reading the equipment list...

What country are you in?
You should probably just send them to me, for... erm... safety. Yeah, that's it, safety.... :deal:
(sigh. ok, maybe not, eh?)
That really is a sweet pile you've got there.:tresbon:
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Thanks, it really has me salivating now that they are out of storage and just a few feet away from my speakers. I do have the 220v lines for the stove and one out in the laundry room (not being used). Maybe I will get that variac.
 
hey-Hey!!!,
Until those amps are properly serviced those amps are not going to work at anything resembling their best. IOW, don't go to much trouble to go and listen to them in their present state.
cheers,
Douglas
 
I just dropped the Fisher X-101-D off at a local tube guy's shop for a check-up and possible conversion to 110v. It's an integrated and I figure the only one out of the bunch that I could actually afford to keep if the tube bug bites me. I might even enjoy the act of bringing it up to its best working order one cap at a time. All of the tubes appeared to be present in it, but I also brought along the loose tubes that were in the packed with this stuff so they could be checked as well. Fingers crossed....

btw I restore vintage saxophones and hand made flutes for a living, mostly from the 1920's and before. I'm working on a 1906 wooden Haynes flute right now. I know many things will need replacing on these Fishers.
 
bueschersaxo said:
I just dropped the Fisher X-101-D off at a local tube guy's shop for a check-up and possible conversion to 110v. It's an integrated and I figure the only one out of the bunch that I could actually afford to keep if the tube bug bites me. I might even enjoy the act of bringing it up to its best working order one cap at a time. All of the tubes appeared to be present in it, but I also brought along the loose tubes that were in the packed with this stuff so they could be checked as well. Fingers crossed....

btw I restore vintage saxophones and hand made flutes for a living, mostly from the 1920's and before. I'm working on a 1906 wooden Haynes flute right now. I know many things will need replacing on these Fishers.
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You'd be surprised! With under $100 in parts you can have these babies up and running for another 30+ years with minimal maintenance. :yes:

Stop by the Fisher section here. All Fisher talk, all the time. There's tons of guys who have been through the ringer restoring these things and can eliminate a lot of trial and error because like an old timer used to say at a shop I worked at "It's hard to do a first here!"

Only one word of warning....Once you bring your first vintage piece of gear back to life you'll be hooked. I still get a rush everytime I plug in a freshly refurbed piece of gear and it sounds glorious. I always call my girlfriend into the room for the "smoke test". Luckily no smoked yet. "knock on wood" :D

Kory
 
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