My First Mac

[Kasanay]

Just think, for all that effort and expense they could have just stepped up, paid list for a pair of MC3500s.....and be 30 k ahead!.

Mirko Paneko would have had to wait 7 or 8 years for the 3500s.
These amps were build in the early 60s.

 

[damacman]

I've never seen anything like that. Was that a Bozak product?

 

[Pio1980]

Mirko Paneko would have had to wait 7 or 8 years for the 3500s.
These amps were build in the early 60s.

My swag thinks it looks like sixty 12B4 total, thirty per channel.

 

[Kasanay]

I've never seen anything like that. Was that a Bozak product?

No. Just the drivers and crossovers in the speaker cabinets were Bozaks.
The cabinets, console and amplifiers were all disigned by Mirko Paneyko and were built at his shop: MP Engineering - Fairfield 3, Conn. (About 1962).
This system would have costed about $5,000 at the time.

 

[Kasanay]

My swag thinks it looks like sixty 12B4 total, thirty per channel.

That is correct 60 - 12B4As. Should work well this winter as I always wanted a heated garage!

 

[damacman]

No. Just the drivers and crossovers in the speaker cabinets were Bozaks.
The cabinets, console and amplifiers were all disigned by Mirko Paneyko and were built at his shop: MP Engineering - Fairfield 3, Conn. (About 1962).
This system would have costed about $5,000 at the time.

Wow! That's quite a piece of history and a rarity at that. How do they sound?

 

[Kasanay]

Wow! That's quite a piece of history and a rarity at that. How do they sound?

I am still working on a recap of these.
One amp works fine (as is) and I have a hard time shutting it down. The other has an issue with the balance between the upper and lower power tubes.

 

[BilboBaggins]

Wow! I'm really quite stunned! Clearly, you are confortable working with tubes! I would guess you have some experience with them, seeing you have a variac.

 

[Kasanay]

Wow! I'm really quite stunned! Clearly, you are confortable working with tubes! I would guess you have some experience with them, seeing you have a variac.

I am comfortable around tubes, but by no means an expert - everyday I learn something new.
Many moons ago, I was very active in electronics but fell away from it for most of my life. I feel I am now playing catch-up. Thankfully, we now have the internet - making rapid learning possible.

 

[Kasanay]

I have been checking out the MC 30s and have now verified that all 3 are able to amplify sound!
One of the can caps was tending to get warm so I replaced it with what I had on hand: the 40 is now a 47, the 15 is now 22 and the 80 is a pair of 200uf at 330V wired in series.
This allows me to continue testing and put together my shopping list. At the same time, I am able to enjoy listening to the amps. It is amazing how much better the amp sounds with just this capacitor swap. I may do the same thing to the other one. I did connect the amps to the Bozaks and just I love the tone! I am not an audiophile but I do like what I am hearing.
I have been reading about many different approaches to restoring these amps and my head is spinning with ideas. I may send them in and have the whole job done professionally, or I may do it myself.
I think I would have to sell one amp and maybe some other gear to be able to afford a pro restoration as my wife is starting to look at me funny every time the UPS truck stops at our house.
I could also do some of both - strip the chassis down, find someone to re-chrome and re-label them, and then do the painting of the bottoms and transformer covers myself.
I think I can handle the electrical work - I'll just have to relie on all the experts, here on AK for advice on cap selection and other details.

 

[quartersaw]

Oh, I got me some speakers......View attachment 766229

Nice.
I'm partial to 'old school' sized speakers, myself!
Congrats!

 

[131east23]

Oh, I got me some speakers......View attachment 766229

Looks like you are on top of things...