SAE Mark I preamp score today

[Bauhausler]

I actually won this on eBay a few days ago but just picked it up. It was sold as non-functional because it didn't light up. It was a dead bulb. The preamp is fine. I spent 90 minutes with contact sprays treating every switch in it.
This is an unusual preamp. It was SAE's first product, in 1970. There are no pots. All levels are set with switched networks. There are three levels of overall gain selectable from the front panel. The tone controls have multiple turnover frequencies and use LC networks. See the multitapped coils at the left of the 'top' inside pictures. I used it briefly with headphones. It sounded dead quiet and very smooth and warm. I liked the sound immediately. Now I wish I hadn't sold the MK III power amp that I rebuilt last Fall. They match exactly. I never thought I'd find a nice MK I. Well, I have a MK IV DM power amp, which is similar if a bit later.

 

[Stoffie]

Impressive engineering on that pre ! Nice score !

 

[jami w.]

u said sae rite?formally known as g.a.s. great american sound?

 

[totem]

The styling sure is different from what I normally think of as "SAE". Has a
60,s look that I do like. Also the insides certainly have that old school build quality.

 

[gadget73]

wow, switched networks for gain controls. I'd hate to have to replace one of those things if the switch broke. Nice find!

 

[Bauhausler]

u said sae rite?formally known as g.a.s. great american sound?

Different companies, but they both involved James Bongiorno (sp?) at one time.

 

[Grainger49]

Hey! This is the stuff I sold. And you found one classic beautiful piece.

G.A.S. was James Bongiorno's own company. He designed the Mark XXXIB, Mark IIIC/M and Mark IVD/M.

I still have a long letter from him describing the different competing designs "of the day." (Phase/Dyna/Bose/McIntosh, I think)

 

[Brian]

These 1st generation SAE products were engineering acheivements that were 2nd to none. I had the 1 and the matching metered power amp and the VI tuner set and side by side to the Mc C28, the SAE made the C28 show its construction weakness; just turn the controls of each and suddenly as good as the Mc it, it seemingly feels cheesy (yes, this is me speaking). I was going to keep the set but the amp just could not take the KLH Nines.

I have lusted over replacing the set from time to time but it would mean getting rid of my old friends, the Mc system and I can not bring myself to do it.

 

[Bauhausler]

These 1st generation SAE products were engineering acheivements that were 2nd to none. I had the 1 and the matching metered power amp and the VI tuner set and side by side to the Mc C28, the SAE made the C28 show its construction weakness; just turn the controls of each and suddenly as good as the Mc it, it seemingly feels cheesy (yes, this is me speaking). I was going to keep the set but the amp just could not take the KLH Nines.

I have lusted over replacing the set from time to time but it would mean getting rid of my old friends, the Mc system and I can not bring myself to do it.

Mac gear comes and goes around here. There's a MX114 around here with box and papers that I need to eBay off. I enjoy using it, but it's not an emotional thing for me.
I was just offered the chance to buy some vintage Mac stuff from an estate and I passed. They're so well known and highly regarded that asking prices are fixed at near ebay maximum, past what I'd spend. Instead I went for all the estate's tube gear, the Fisher and Sherwood receivers, Scott receivers and integrateds, Fisher tuners and some odd Knights, Eicos, Dynas, etc. I have more fun with that stuff because modding or improving it doesn't destroy the value like a modded Mac.
My special weakness is Accuphase. It's 'The Japanese Mcintosh'. I won't describe the build quality, as the details would put the 'real thing' in a poor light. Echowars did a good writeup on the P-300 150WPC power amp, their best early piece. The P-300 cost $1840 in 1973, a whale of a lot of money. Nevertheless they sold enough of them for me to collect 6 with little trouble. Echowars rebuilt 2 of them for me which were in distressed condition. The matching pre was the C-200. I have 4 of them and just repaired and recapped one. I lent it to a friend this evening to whom I sold one of the rebuilt P-300s. He just called to tell me he hooked it up to the P-300 and he hates me now because he has to find one to buy. The matching tuner is the T-100. This is probably one of the dozen best vintage tuners. I have two, neither of which is in quite top condition and both need service. They sound wonderful, however. Later they came out with the E-202 100WPC integrated amp, of which I have one, and the T-101 tuner (have 1), which is also respected. It's an outstanding line in terms of functional design, convenience, specification, build quality and performance. They're still in business, building $20K CD players, preamps, power amps, etc. There's a ready market for those I guess.

 

[Brian]

Compared to the 1st gen SAE, McIntosh is as common as Technics. As for pricing, Mc owners have always known the value other than for that period when tubes were out and SS was in so tube onwers of all brands were simply throwing out the tube gear more or less. This was well over by the early '90s and Mc pretty much hit the pricing you see today for much of the resales except for the fringes such as the poor widow who gets taken advantage of or the overseas buyer who seems to have an unusual sense of value.

The MX110 I bought from Audio Classics in the late '80s/early '90s had a cost not much less than the going price from them today.

 

[Strawman]

I was watching that, but was hesitant about the operation, Glad it works!

 

[Bauhausler]

I was watching that, but was hesitant about the operation, Glad it works!

Boy, if it hadn't I'd have a mess on my hands. I have the schems somewhere, but it's complicated and not friendly to work on. It's amazing to look back 37 years and see the hand labor that went into things.
On eBay, 'untested' and 'nonworking' are a crapshoot. I fell for the Pre/Power Link Scam once (Pioneer 9500 integrated). OTOH, one of my Accuphase C-200 preamps needed a 2 second shot of pot lube to restore the 'dead' channel, and another needed 1 resistor to bring it to life. Both purchased cheap.

 

[Strawman]

He had a pair of L-26 cabs with rough looking orange grilles I had my eye on.
Waiting to see if he relists them.

 

[Bauhausler]

He had a pair of L-26 cabs with rough looking orange grilles I had my eye on.
Waiting to see if he relists them.

Gone, I'm afraid. They're common, though. Just put out an automated eBay search and you'll have a pair in a few months.

 

[rickr15]

Boy, if it hadn't I'd have a mess on my hands. I have the schems somewhere, but it's complicated and not friendly to work on. It's amazing to look back 37 years and see the hand labor that went into things.
On eBay, 'untested' and 'nonworking' are a crapshoot. I fell for the Pre/Power Link Scam once (Pioneer 9500 integrated). OTOH, one of my Accuphase C-200 preamps needed a 2 second shot of pot lube to restore the 'dead' channel, and another needed 1 resistor to bring it to life. Both purchased cheap.

Can you imagine the labor costs to hand build that thing today. Impressive consruction though. I have a few later SAE pieces and even those are pretty well built.

 

[Eunomians]

That old SAE gear is great stuff... You have reminded me of how stupid I am for selling off some SAE items a while back when I was hurtin' for dinero.

 

[jami w.]

i had one of his orignial ampzillas 200wpc that my uncle gave me yrs ago but it sadly died an no one i could find could fix it so i had to lay it to rest that was one of my saddest days in my life!!!!!!!

 

[Grainger49]

i had one of his original Ampzillas 200wpc that my uncle gave me yrs ago but it sadly died an no one i could find could fix it so i had to lay it to rest that was one of my saddest days in my life!!!!!!!

They suffer from the lack of parts some of the SAE products do. The transistors (darlingtons) are designed to work at higher power supply voltages than any replacements available.

I had the SAE Mk IIICM S/N 42. Took it to Terry DeWick and this (above) is what he told me.

Sad.

 

[jami w.]

i wish i had a working one now to power my vegas up im using the sta 2100d but i really dont like it

 

[Bauhausler]

i wish i had a working one now to power my vegas up im using the sta 2100d but i really dont like it

Which one do you mean? Sorry for the dark pix. I need t oget a ladder and change the lightbulbs back there.