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Mystery Pilot R 4700 "solid state receiver with tubes"

Dav3

Dav3

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
A local junk store has a Pilot R4700 Receiver "solid state w/tubes" for sale. I'm guessing it might be a later model tube tuner with a solid state amplifier packaged together? (Serial number 400476). I was curious and did some internet digging but couldn't find anything via google or any of the usual archives. Anyone know anything about it? worth restoring? Have a schematic or a tube listing? It looks pretty cool but the guts look rough and the owner wants a bit more than I'm willing to fork out without more information. I get hooked on stuff I can't identify and that's probably not a good habit. Thanks for looking!Pilot R4700.jpg
 
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The front face plate looks like it says "solid state amplifier" to me, so your hunch about the tube tuner might be correct.

I'd pass at most any price, as my personal preference would be for a solid state tuner and tube amplifier, but that's just me.
 
The preamp section could be tube also. I've seen earlier SS gear that were hybrids. Tube tuner/preamp and SS amplifier. It could sound pretty good.
I've used tube preamps with SS power amps before. Some prefer this kind of setup.
Edit- But there just isn't any info on this model. Probably produced for one year only.
 
Looks like a Pilot version of a Mac 1700. Unfortunately it's hard enough to find info on earlier Pilot stuff...
 
From some online rear views it looks like it has a good number of tubes and a couple of big heatsinks but only one transformer, so my guess is early hybrid with transistor power amp and tubes at least in the tuner. Preamp maybe SS or tubes TBD.
 
The problem with this place is the stuff they put on-line you can't just go in and look at and the store itself is a junk shop with everything in piles you have to dig through. There are some Dual turntables that I feel sorry for, buried underneath lots of worthless crap, but he thinks everything's a treasure no matter how damaged and won't negotiate anything or I'd rescue them. I'd pay $50 for the Pilot just to take it apart and look at it, but $200 and the dial is broken.....
 
Dav3 said:
The problem with this place is the stuff they put on-line you can't just go in and look at and the store itself is a junk shop with everything in piles you have to dig through. There are some Dual turntables that I feel sorry for, buried underneath lots of worthless crap, but he thinks everything's a treasure no matter how damaged and won't negotiate anything or I'd rescue them. I'd pay $50 for the Pilot just to take it apart and look at it, but $200 and the dial is broken.....
Click to expand...

No. ;-) You have no idea if it's working, and one blown output transister means the thing is pretty much worthless.
 
I’d grab it and buy a bunch of the best tubes that fit that unit and see which tubes make it sound better.

Probably has great potential and if the price is right saves you enough to get some vintage JBL’s…
 
its entirely possible none of those tubes actually pass audio. They could be all for the tuner, in which case tube rolling is sort of pointless.
 
I don't see any power tubes here, but there do seem to be some solid state heatsinks and some likely front end tuner tubes.

Amplificateur-a-semi-conducteurs-Rare-PILOT-R4700-avec-tubes-pour.jpg
 
Yah, I think they're all tuner tubes, maybe some pre-amp tubes up front if lucky, why I've been looking for the schematic. The one tube up front has nice Pilot branding on it.
 
Looks like the store you saw it at has listed it for sale on the auction site, it'll be interesting to see if they get what they're asking for it.
 
Well, it sold for $260, someone got something interesting for not too much, I just don't have room for more projects without savings for alimony. Wish there was a way to contact the buyer and get his comments.
 
There is one of these, in a non-working condition on Ebay near me currently. When they say "item untested" that usually means there is a short and the item doesn't power on. I've bought several items from them. Most have been great. The "item untested" amps all have had shorts and don't have power.
 
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