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Thoughts on ‘The Fisher 101’ Console Pull

angelaudio

angelaudio

Super Member
Hello fellow AK’ers

I was at an estate sale this morning digging through a box of old 78’s and finding nothing worthy of buying when I looked up and noticed an old console. It was a stout console and at first glance looked like it might have just been a speaker but upon lifting the lid I see a “Fisher” emblem and a few knobs. I took a look around back and badabing badaboom: Tubes! Anyway I hauled the thing home and pulled the chassis out and plugged my phone into one of the aux inputs and to my delight it began to sing. “Oh when the saints, go marchin’ in...!” Louis Armstrong sang.

Anyway I’m not well versed in The Fishers and so I wanted to see if anybody out there knows anything about this chassis and what they like or don’t like about it and if anyone has ever come across one have they made any modifications to it, left it in the console, pulled it and are using it as a standalone mono amp? I have the console which isn’t in the best shape but it does have a “Collard” turntable made in England. Anybody think they’re worth repairing?

Thanks in advance for your responses!
 
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Restore the Fisher, and the Collaro changer, enjoy it in top condition as a complete console. Preserve it, they're awesome consoles. And I say this as a Fisher console owner myself. You'll enjoy it and have fun listening to it and admiring it's superbly crafted beauty, and great sound.
 
KentTeffeteller said:
Restore the Fisher, and the Collaro changer, enjoy it in top condition as a complete console. Preserve it, they're awesome consoles. And I say this as a Fisher console owner myself. You'll enjoy it and have fun listening to it and admiring it's superbly crafted beauty, and great sound.
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I just spent two hours in the garage with the Collaro to no avail. I’ve never repaired a turntable but I’ll ask around and see if I can find a way to fix it. The Speakers in the console sound great and the console itself isn’t too far gone. Nicks and scratches here and there but otherwise pretty solid. Even the cloth cover on the front looks good with no tears. I really hope to get the turntable running as it should then the next step would be to get a new stylus. It has the kind you can switch from 33/45 to 78 rpm. Would you happen to know what stylus I could use for this particular phono?
 
And if you need to, changing out the changer is an option. Fisher usually used Garrard changers until the 1963-1964 time frame. Your Collaro most likely had an EV ceramic installed.
 
angelaudio said:
I just spent two hours in the garage with the Collaro to no avail. I’ve never repaired a turntable but I’ll ask around and see if I can find a way to fix it. The Speakers in the console sound great and the console itself isn’t too far gone. Nicks and scratches here and there but otherwise pretty solid. Even the cloth cover on the front looks good with no tears. I really hope to get the turntable running as it should then the next step would be to get a new stylus. It has the kind you can switch from 33/45 to 78 rpm. Would you happen to know what stylus I could use for this particular phono?
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As someone else pointed out, the changer probably has a high-output ceramic cartridge installed. The amp may not have enough gain for a moving-magnet cartridge on a more up-to-date changer.
 
tonyg88 said:
When you say the changer isn't working what is it doing
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After tinkering with it for a while I observed that the auto-changer function engages and the tone arm begins to move toward the correct position but then loses steam and then brings the rotation of the platter to a halt as well. It seems the idler wheel that engages the changing function does not back off from the mechanism that is spinning the other idler wheel (the one that makes contact with the platter) and so brings it to a halt. If I physically push that idler wheel off the spinning mechanism then the other idler wheel begins to spin as it should but only because I am pushing.
 
Most changer problems are petrified grease and hard idler wheels. The usual fix is to clean out all the gummy grease and replace with fresh, and either re-surface or replace the idler wheel. Sometimes you can bring them back to life with light sanding of the outer rim, other times they're just too shot. If its a 2 step wheel, you cannot sand them. The diameters are critical for proper speed. Simple flat wheels can be any size so long as its not so small it won't connect the motor to the platter.
 
angelaudio said:
After tinkering with it for a while I observed that the auto-changer function engages and the tone arm begins to move toward the correct position but then loses steam and then brings the rotation of the platter to a halt as well. It seems the idler wheel that engages the changing function does not back off from the mechanism that is spinning the other idler wheel (the one that makes contact with the platter) and so brings it to a halt. If I physically push that idler wheel off the spinning mechanism then the other idler wheel begins to spin as it should but only because I am pushing.
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My magnavox console which uses the same brand changer has two idler wheels. Sounds like the idler wheel that controls the arm is good enough while the one that turns the platter is hard and no longer gripping the platter. This is the same problem mine had when I got it.

Easiest solution is to ebay "magnavox idler wheel" or collaro. Other solutions usually involve sending your old idler wheel back and then they send you a new one. (Since they will later rebuild your old part and resell it)
 
6SC7 does phono duty. No tone control amp. Looks like a 6AN8 for voltage amp and phase inverter, so likely its just using the 6AN8 as a fairly high gain stage to make up for what the tone controls lose.
 
gadget73 said:
6SC7 does phono duty. No tone control amp. Looks like a 6AN8 for voltage amp and phase inverter, so likely its just using the 6AN8 as a fairly high gain stage to make up for what the tone controls lose.
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if you could see through the 6SC7 would it be lighting up?
 
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