Zenith Model ML2685H

[BleachedBlck]

Greetings!

Couldn't find anything online about this stereo console. Just to start, if you are reading this, thank you for your help and input.

I have what I believe to be a Zenith Model ML2685H stereo console. I found it at Goodwill and it's in relatively great shape. The left speakers don't work, I'm thinking maybe corrosion. I was planning on learning how to fix this over the summer.

First question, I have zero experience but I figured I could fix this myself, is this a bad idea? Would it be better to have a professional fix it? It seems like this unit has a tube pre-amp and a solid state amplifier. Can anyone confirm this? I did find an e-bay listing for the manual, are these worth it to buy? Last question I can think for now; the console is painted yellow with gold highlights. Was this the original paint job? Normally these consoles are wood grain colored.

Thanks for your help!

 

[century tek]

This might help. I also own this model. I don't have the console but I do have all of the guts including the tuner, amp, turntable and speakers. FYI the balance control isn't really a balance control as most of us who know what a balance control really is but is rather a separate volume control. Don't know why Zenith labeled their control this way but you have to turn them both up or down as they are both individual left and right volume controls.

The amplifier is all solid state and the tuner/preamp is both tube and solid state but unfortunately for us tube buffs, the preamp output is a transistor and not a tube. All tubes are for the tuner only. It's kind of a hybrid.

 

[Madeline12]

Beginner here too. From what I know of zenith consoles of the time (yours: ‘64?) they were typically hybrid models with tube technology with the tuner and a solid state amplifier. I’ve been told they’re difficult to work with. You can clean and restore the turntable like I will be on a unit I will be getting soon. That’s probably the best place to begin. I can also tell you that paint job is not original. But others will obviously have better input than myself.

 

[century tek]

If that is an amateur paint job, it looks pretty damn good to me. I know Zenith had blonde models but not sure if this one qualifies as blonde.

 

[BleachedBlck]

Thanks for your responses! Yes, the pain job looks great if it was after market. Looks like I'll be cleaning the turntable first.