Systemic Development > Amplification and Preamplification
Vintage Fisher 400 receiver
S Clark:
I picked this up 4-5 years back, and it's been sitting on a shelf in the shed ever since... until today.
I only gave $100 bucks for it from a friend that runs a record store. It was sitting in his shelves, and he hadn't made time to really look it over, so I gave him what I thought was the value of the tubes.
OK, like most, I'm sitting around the house and decided to bring it in and put it on the variac yesterday- on the breakfast table with my wife eyeing me suspiciously.
Power tubes are 7868's, and I picked up three backups at a decent price and put them to the test... all tested strong! Most of the preamp tubes are German 12ax7's. All the originals tested pretty good, so I left them in.
Today, I brought it up to line voltage and it came to life. Hooking up a portable cd player and a Paul Simon's "Graceland", a pair of extra DIY speakers, and son of a gun, I've got music playing!! Left it running while I fixed some fresh cut asparagus from the garden and a matched quad of large scallops, some onion, garlic, and a bottle of California sparkling... all while Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo played in the background.
Before I get used to it, I picked a restoration kit and booklet, so I'll be slinging solder for a week or two. I have hopes that this will make the heart of a vintage system that I'll put......... somewhere where my wife won't kill me. Maybe in the garage.
Just out of curiousity, has anyone actually heard any of this vintage tube Fisher stuff? By the time I was really into stereo, this was the stuff my uncle had that just wasn't cool as those newer blue Pioneer receivers. And tubes were sooooo yesterday. :duh
This one is exactly like mine...
Folsom:
I haven't heard them. But I know the 500 is revered.
Triode Pete:
I have a Fisher 500C that I break out once awhile to hook-up to my original JBL L-100 speakers... Great Sound!
All the original Fishers were made in Long Island City in Queens, NY... Made very well with good iron... Your 400 must be pretty heavy!
Have fun & enjoy,
Pete
S Clark:
Yep, it's definitely hefty. Did you refresh yours with newer guts?
Triode Pete:
--- Quote from: S Clark on April 19, 2020, 07:16:01 AM ---Yep, it's definitely hefty. Did you refresh yours with newer guts?
--- End quote ---
My tube guru buddy John Wiesner went through it completely... The only thing not working correctly was the combo "ON-OFF - volume control" switch, a very common failure in the units. The volume pot works fine but my "ON-OFF" is controlled through a switch on an power cord outlet strip...
Even the caps still tested good... pretty amazing...
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