New Vintage System Help

[Carlman]

I got to thinking it'd be cool to have a system from say the 60's in my family room.  I have a McIntosh MR-65b tuner that's been restored, and was thinking a nice integrated and turntable would be good additions.
Also, a nice old pair of speakers would be cool to have also.  I don't mind refurbishing this stuff and I was hoping for some suggestions on vintage gear that sounds very good.  I'm open to just about anything at this point but the 'vision' in my head is some speakers with legs/feet that look warm and interesting, made of real wood... the rack would be one wide console table showcasing the stuff... Then when played would actually sound really good!

I'm not sure what my budget should be but I was hoping not to spend a lot... this will be a bit of a novelty but must also sound respectable and not damage my records.

I've got my eye on an old console-sytem that might do the trick also... and would be a different route than what I really want (described above).  It's the type with a top-opening wooden cabinet with a TT and 8-track inside with red cloth and wood diamond pattern along the front... probably something cheap and nasty but I might use it also... just to give you an idea of where my head is at.... all over the place!

-C

[WEEZ]

Scott; Fisher; Marantz....stuff like that

then an AR turntable...

and Advent, AR, or KLH speakers

 

[richidoo]

The Analog Store!

Alex has stuff like that, and you can try before you buy, or he can find it for you and fix it to like new. Some of his restorations I've seen are unbelievable. Last I was there he had a couple old Mac receivers, but he's got other stashes of goodies you never will see unless you ask.

[WEEZ]

Hey, that looks like a nice place!

Wish I lived closer...that would be a hangout for me..

The Scott tubed integrated amplifiers were (are) really good sounding. Even old Heath, Eico, Dynaco..etc.

WEEZ

[bpape]

Hmmm.  Let's see.  Mac MC 60's driving oh lets say AR 9's?.

Futtermans driving Quad ESL 57's?

Older?  Old Fisher or Macs driving some Bozaks?

Bryan

[Bunky]

Jim McShane does Harmon Kardon Citation II tube amps that are supposed to sound great and have a really nice quality Bass output.if i were building a retro system i would consider this as a viable power amplifier option.

[rollo]

Hey man,
              Mapleshade restores and sells Scott stuff. Check them out.

  rollo

[bpape]

Good call on the Citation - wasn't thinking about that but it would certainly be a nice piece to both look at and listen to.

Bryan

[Carlman]

Cool... thanks for the rec's... I was looking at Dynaco speakers on ebay... and various stuff... just trying to get an idea what I want.  I'll talk to Alex and maybe pay a visit.  There is quite a wide range of price in this stuff... And I'm more interested in it being a, safe to use, and b, from the 50's and/or 60's.  I'd like to avoid anything from the 70's and beyond.... mainly because of looks but also because it's just not old enough to be interesting to me.  Plus, I liked it when there was no choice but to use real wood.. and no vinyl veneer.
Thanks again,
Carl

[Carlman]

Currently, I can find an all-Mac system on ebay that matches and appears to be a nice setup:
MR-65b tuner (already have it)
MA-5100 integrated
AR belt turntable (or possibly a Denon direct-drive)
Mc LS310 speakers

Sound like fun?  I think it would be a fun little system for not too much money... but not cheap either.

-C

[mdconnelly]

Interesting.... back in the late 60s I bought a Harmon-Kardon system that included 4 speakers and an integrated turntable & FM (only!) tuner.  Not much power but it certainly contributed to a number of great parties thru about '74 at which time I caught the audio bug and started upgrading.   BUT, rather than sell it, I gave it to my folks (beer stains and all .  My Mom still has that orginal system and it still works.    As much as I loved it back then, it leaves much to be desired today sound-wise.   But, from a nostalgia standpoint,  it's great.

[jrebman]

Carl,

Shameless plug here --

You could always buy my Scott 222C that's up on AC.  It is a very nicely preserved piece and I do have a place in line at NOSValves (as the wait is probably close to a year by now).  There is also a guy in North Jersey who is probably also very good and has a quicker turnaround time.

Pair this up with any of the speakers mentioned above, or a nice pair of Klipsch Heresys ($350-$500) or Cornwalls ($750-$1100) and you will have a beautiful vintage sound.

The 222C is an integrated with a very decent phono stage and headphone output.

Probably not your thing, but I thought I'd let you know anyway.

-- Jim

[Bill O'Connell]

Carl,

 How about some University Cornerhorns from about 1958, sold back then for $528 per speaker as mono was the only way they came. 15inch woofer,midrange horn,horn tweeter. In my travels when I first toured the country usually on my way home ended up stopping and picking up a speaker that barely fit in the back seat of my father in laws Park Avenue. I ended up collecting 5 of these as I was going to build some kind of home theatre system in my basement. I still use a pair at my office and have another pair in the garage that I use to use while washing the car or doing yardwork. I believe they were model SP6, I have the paperwork somewhere around the house. weigh in at 80lbs or so, the cabinets have been abused, especially the garage speakers but the office ones aren't bad. Have a lone blond cabinet one also.
 You want vintage, you got it!

[jrebman]

Bill,

You sure know how to make a grown man cry .  Oh, if I only had a bigger house...

I do have a potential deal on a pair of cornwalls with abused cabinets but otherwise perfect condition that may end up in my office.  Yes, they are too much for that space but the one thing I always liked about the Cornwalls is that they psund very full even at very low levels.

-- Jim

[Carlman]

Wow, that sound like a fun project, Bill... thanks for the suggestion.  I'm still thinking about all the options at the moment... I'll give you a call one day if you're not too busy.

Thanks again for the advice...