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Mcintosh C-11 Mc240

I'm not sure that a restoration will not affect value, the amp and preamp are / were "original" only once. In the car business top survivors awards are awarded to cars that have not been touched or altered after they left the factory, that means not even loosing a wheel bolt....depends what your intentions are for your gear, I would use ithem but try to keep them as close to orginal as possible.
Good luck
 
As someone who actually has restored a whole bunch of these old Mc amps I can attest that I have never experienced a drop in value after service. Just the opposite actually.
To compare these amps to some old Ford Cobra found in a barn is nonsense. The 'legendary' Japanese audio collector who demands that the amps be all original has either found their amp a long time ago or they are dead.
Unless you have a time machine you will not experience a box stock McIntosh amp from the 1960s. Sorry, the parts do age and performance is effected.

Thanks,
Ron-C
 
L-82 said:
I'm not sure that a restoration will not affect value, the amp and preamp are / were "original" only once. In the car business top survivors awards are awarded to cars that have not been touched or altered after they left the factory, that means not even loosing a wheel bolt....depends what your intentions are for your gear, I would use ithem but try to keep them as close to orginal as possible.
Good luck
Click to expand...

Agreed.:thmbsp:
 
Strat,

As a staunch devotee of original preservation myself, I would not lose any sleep over having the amplifier serviced by any one of the reputable Mc specialists and enjoying it as it had been intended.

Unless it were literally unopened, NIB and/or previously owned by a famous musician, actor or some other notable public figure, at the end of the day it is simply a nice old McIntosh tube amplifier - albeit one in exceptional condition and its intrinsic value will not be harmed by a professional electronic restoration by one of the reputable McIntosh specialists.

In the absence of any special pedigree or provenance, the odds that a museum would have interest are very slim; infinitely more likely that the subsequent owner will want the amplifier to use for its intended purpose and to that end, would want the amplifier fully operational and performing to spec. Therefore, its value would be enhanced by such refurbishment.

It's your amplifier and the decision is yours of course, but you have nothing to fear by having the unit electronically restored - provided the original stock appearance is maintained - for which there is no reason why it should not.

One man's opinion.
 
In a sea of pitted and bubbled Mc240s this amplifier seems to be the cleanest hands-down I have ever seen. Seriously.

I do have a Mc225 somewhere that was owned by a famous musician(s) that is very much within spec and is all original inside. It has been used many, many hours and was in use for more than 45 years in a studio setting. It's special, but it's still within spec and it's got good original bones - and Mc tubes, and original power supply components.

If you're into the 240 good for you. But considering how clean this example is I would sell it as it may bring serious $$$ for being an exceptional specimen of its kind with all paperwork. I've never seen one this clean.
 
Sell?
No! :no:
Price of these tube amps can only go up. :thmbsp:
When I got my SS McIntosh set up, I could buy nice MC240 and C22 for $1700.
I am sure you know better where the prices are these days. :jawdrop:
Regards,
 
CountD said:
I do have a Mc225 somewhere that was owned by a famous musician(s) that is very much within spec and is all original inside. It has been used many, many hours and was in use for more than 45 years in a studio setting. It's special, but it's still within spec and it's got good original bones - and Mc tubes, and original power supply components...
Click to expand...

How do you know it's still within spec? Measuring true power output, THD, IMD, etc. are hard and usually not done routinely - or cheaply. After long use in a studio, with original tubes and original components from the 60s, I'd be flatly amazed if that amp were performing at spec as described.

In lieu of a true performance evaluation, people who say this sort of thing often have grabbed a DMM and checked resistances in a cold amp - without realizing the old carbon comps drift a lot at temp - and proclaim it good. To check caps and a decent chunk of the resistors you have to lift at least one end out of the circuit.

And even if it were, a cap shorting could turn it into a boat anchor with dead OTs tomorrow. I stand by my original statement - if you love this equipment, it's irresponsible not to do preventative maintenance.
 
SilverTpt999 said:
How do you know it's still within spec? Measuring true power output, THD, IMD, etc. are hard and usually not done routinely - or cheaply. After long use in a studio, with original tubes and original components from the 60s, I'd be flatly amazed if that amp were performing at spec as described.
Click to expand...

How do I know? Because it is. It equals the performance it was designed for. It was done when I received it, and again after 100s of hours of use. Frankly, I don't care if you're amazed. Be amazed. I'm not amazed. It's a Mc. And I wouldn't risk losing one of the most storied Mc225s out there.

PS. I never said it had original tubes. I said it had original McIntosh tubes.
 
I remain skeptical, but we're off topic here. I refuse to acknowledge or respond to ad hominem attacks.

My position on this is well articulated above, so I'll say this and no more: no 50+ year old amp which has ever crossed my bench - or any other I trust, that does in-depth actual measurements - has ever performed fully correctly at spec under power. Not one.

That's the evidence I have from direct and indirect experience. I've seen people refuse maintenance and then come back months later with a near- unrepairable amp (bad OTs) as a result. They wished they'd listened to me; I'm only trying to help people protect their valuable equipment.
 
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