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Found: 1963 Fisher Custom Electra VI Console (E-48) W-Walnut

M

mbolzies

New Member
Hi Everyone,

I recently uncovered a 1963 (I think) Fisher Custom Electra VI Console E-48 in my basement. It's the Walnut version, and it is extremely clean (:banana:). As far as functionality, when I turn it on it produces an increasingly loud tone, so I unplugged it quickly.

First off, what's it worth to the right person?

Next, say I want to restore it to working condition, where would I start?

I'll submit some photos once I get back home.
 
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Questions of worth go in the Dollars and sense Forum. As far as restoring it, DONT Turn it on again. Test or have test all the tubes on the amp and tuner/pre. Then you get into replacing parts. Caps, resistors, tubes if bad, etc. Replacement caps will run you about $50.00. Figure another $8-10 for resistors and other small parts(diodes, etc). You need to know how to take voltages and determine whether AC or DC voltages, read a schematic, and how to De-Solder and Solder, how to clean switches and pots, and overhaul the Garrard Changer in it. That's the quick down and dirty version.

Edit your profile to add your location. (county and state is fine)

Larry
 
What else you got in that basement?!?! I see your profile says "Chicago". You did better than Geraldo Rivera with the Al Capone vault debacle.

Congratulations on your find!
 
DAMN! How long have you been living in that house and just found them?!?!?! Keep looking. Maybe there's a Concert Grand down there, too!
 
So how do you just "find" stuff in your basement? Did you just buy a hoarder house, inherit the place or does a confused tooth fairy put audio stuff down there while you sleep? Congrats on your "finds". Do exactly what larryd says, he is the king of these consoles.
 
You'll need to make a Dim Bulb Tester, and use it when powering up when testing. It limits current and helps keep the bad parts to a minimum unless they are already bad.

Service manual is at the FISHER CONSOLES site. www.fisherconsoles.com. Read it and study it for a couple weeks, comparing the schematic against the amp and tuner/pre before doing anything with it. Don't mess with the tuner, and the Multiplexer, except for C210 (1uf 350v Electrlytic), and C77 (8uf 50V Electrolytic). There is a Can cap on the Tuner/pre that you can replace.

If it's an electrolytic you can change them. Brown or black shiny epoxy coated caps get changed also. Other than those, leave them alone unless bad. There aren't that many that it's complicated, but the tuner/pre is close quartered. The amp itself is pretty well open comparatively.
 
The house was originally my grandparents, and I purchased the house from the family last year. Everyone else has already taken what they wanted, so I had 60 years of plastic flowers, wreathes, and workbench space to work through.

So, I'm going to take Larry's advice and build a dim bulb tester. I plan to use this website as a guide for that, although it looks really simple. In the meantime, I've downloaded the service manual from Fisherconsoles.com and I'm going to start studying!

Tonight I'll post some photographs.

Oh yeah, BONUS: I found a drawer full of old fuses and caps for one of the radios (not sure which yet). Maybe I won't be hunting for too many parts after all.
 
chances are the fuses would be ok. They don't go bad unless blown. But the caps are a different matter. They do dry out and go out of spec, leak electrically, and go short. If you have a cap checker test them for value and leakage, it's a good learning tool. Otherwise, toss all except the lozenge shaped, light brown ceramics.
 
As promised, I wanted to upload some photos of the Fisher console.













Also, I just finished putting together a dim bulb tester from spare parts in the basement. Looking forward to diving in, but I'm definitely not going to rush this.
 
Just as a warning - the yellow stuff on the tuner chassis is powdered cadmium. Be very careful if cleaning it off...

-D
 
Chances are if you open the back panel for the Turntable you might find the two missing knob brights. And you've even got the 45 spindle adapter. SWEET!!!

Don't brush or wipe the cadmium dust dry. wet it down first then wipe/brush. After cleaning around the tuner capacitor, flush it with CRC QD ELECTRONICS CLEANER to remove any and all residues from the fins. Tuning is accomplish by changes in the air gap between the fins< and any residues, dust, etc., changes the value and the tuning is off.

Larry
 
Looks pretty nice for being in the basement. The cabinet will clean up nicely and the grill cloth looks to be in fine condition.

Console experts--what exactly was the "Anniversary Series"? Was it to commemorate something or was it an upgraded cabinet, finish or component?
 
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