Seattle, wake up for an Ampex!

[blhagstrom]

odd the other way

I meant odd the other way.
They went for the stereo on the TT but not on the tuner.

Hmm, now that I think about it, FM didn't really get going (at least where I was) until the 70s. SO, OK, that's makes a little more sense now.

I was wondering about the apparent lack of power.
It appears that the pre-amp is weak.
Very little volume control and the tone control seems missing or light.
SO, some investigating to do there.

BUT, the mono blocks rock! Feading them with a good pre-amp makes a world of difference.

"There's real gas in those tubes".

 

[sheltie dave]

The preamp needs a real good cleaning. All the push button controls are contact sliders, and catch dirt, dust, grime, and cigarette nicotine/tar quite well, thank you. A can of deoxit, contact cleaner, and a dental pick to scrape the contact surfaces will do wonders to get things tip-top.

Get some decent new patch cords and things will start sounding a lot better. I'm glad to see it made it to a considerate owner. BTW, Ampex was licensed by JBL to build speakers for this line, so your Crescendo will have Ampex built JBL speakers. :thmbsp:

 

[blhagstrom]

cleaning

I agree that a cleaning is in order and an upgrade to the patch cords.
I did find a dead 12au7a. Swiped one from the tuner and the tone controls are back.

A good tube testing wouldn't hurt. Nearest person I know is a day trip.

Looking at the case, its not real obvious how to open it. It will have to wait until I get some sleep. Busy weekend. Don't want to screw up anything being so tired.

 

[Sam Cogley]

I meant odd the other way.
They went for the stereo on the TT but not on the tuner.

Still completely normal. The FM multiplex stereo system wasn't finalized until 1961. Everyone knew it was coming, they just didn't know what format was going to be used. That's why most FM tuners from the early stereo era were mono but had multiplex output jacks.

 

[blhagstrom]

cleaning update

The preamp needs a real good cleaning. All the push button controls are contact sliders, and catch dirt, dust, grime, and cigarette nicotine/tar quite well, thank you. A can of deoxit, contact cleaner, and a dental pick to scrape the contact surfaces will do wonders to get things tip-top.

Get some decent new patch cords and things will start sounding a lot better. I'm glad to see it made it to a considerate owner. BTW, Ampex was licensed by JBL to build speakers for this line, so your Crescendo will have Ampex built JBL speakers. :thmbsp:

I got a chance to open up the chassis and check things. They look new inside. So nice. I wanted to make a list of caps for re-caping. Its tough to think about reworking that stuff.

The pre-amp contacts where fithy. A good deoxit bath and some running cleaned up the switchs contacts faily well. I got at the pots too and gave them a good wash.

I snagged some "super duper" special interconnects brand new in the case at a flea market for $1 so I figured, why not?

I had a pair of old KLH twenty-fours handy that just came home. Fired up a Journey CD as input and it was 10 times better than before. Damn speaker pile is too big to get at some of the things I'd like to try with this.

Still working on getting the consol inside to get at the original JBL/Ampex drivers. Work and wife just get in the way some times.

 

[blhagstrom]

moving update

Just got the "room" rearranged so I could get the console into the house.
Not its permanent location but inside.
Hooked her back together (amps, preamp) feeding it from a stereo tuner (solid state).


NICE, , Oh, "Stairway to Heaven"?!?!? Perfect, just perfect...gotta go listen.

 

[blhagstrom]

dude,

OH WOW!!!!

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/fuo/1919704587.html

Sheltie Dave, Dude! I owe you one. Thank you!

I'm beginning to understand why these get so much money.

Everything sounds good on it. Turning it off is difficult!

 

[Bucky Badger]

Congrats blhagstrom on your new stuff. Glad it sounds good for ya'.

 

[markdi]

a friend of mine used to try to play stairway to heaven on his gitar - over and over and over and over and over again.

I could live the rest of my life never hearing that song again and be very very very very very happy.

 

[blhagstrom]

thread

Dragging up the thread to update.
The amps started to hum and pop on power down so I shelved them and ordered new caps.
Wife is recovering from shoulder surgery so I got to sit and solder a while.
Got the amps and pre-amp (audio control center) recaped and I'm sitting here listening to the new parts "burn in".

I hid the new caps inside (lots of room) and left the cans in place for looks.


Sweet, sooooooo sweet.

 

[sheltie dave]

Glad to hear you are enjoying them so much. Sometimes the "I told you so!" works out in spades. :thmbsp::yes:

 

[blhagstrom]

recent photo

Yeah, go ahead and "tell me so" any time.

Fresh photo.

 

[blhagstrom]

another update

kansei offered up an Ampex multiplex unit.
Deal was made.
Unit arrived.
Tubes were located.
Power applied and VIOLA!
Stereo FM

Killer!

 

[Rex Everything]

Very sweet rig!