I Need Help, Mcintosh/Marantz 7 content

[Trout]

I just got home from an estate sale after finding a fairly good deal
on a Complete audiophile grade system.

It was mounted in a custom (owner built) console.
1- Mcintosh 240
1- Marantz Series 7 pre-amp.
1- Scott Tuner
1- Scott Thingy(Maybe speaker switching unit)
1- Fancy old Turn Table

All of these units are in near mint condition, But, It is my understanding that they may not have been used in nearly 5 years. A very light coat of dust that feather dusted right off.

Has Telefunken 12AX7's in The Mcintosh, 4 X GE 6L6GC's

I have a variac, But I have never used it on anything like this nor do I know exactly what the proper power up sequence should be or how fast It should be brought up.


I have built a lot of guitar amps, Up to 50W, and several 5-18W stereo amps so I have some skill.

But I REALLY REALLY want to bring these babies back to life without damage.

BTW, I went to this sale and the entire setup was marked $75.00,
I told the guy, Heck, I'll give you $150.00 if you help me load it.

Pretty much the great find of the year


Trout

[leadbelly]

Lucky @#$%^&*

[Trout]

Originally posted by leadbelly
Lucky @#$%^&*

I'll feel lucky if I can get it up and running. The Sadest part is last week thet threw out 20 boxes of tubes cleaning up for the sale!!. And seeing the guys taste in gear, I bet they were good ones.

Trout

[poobah]

I think I hate you...

[rdf]

The Mac's a tank. I pulled one out from under a pile of scrap metal and rack panels and it fired up with little more than replacing the thermistor and tubes. My recommendation would be to test the tubes or drop a few bucks on a replacement set and go the variac route. Schematics are easy to find on line. Take your time, if it's truly mint and original $3000 wouldn't surprise me as its worth.

[Trout]

Originally posted by rdf
The Mac's a tank. I pulled one out from under a pile of scrap metal and rack panels and it fired up with little more than replacing the thermistor and tubes. My recommendation would be to test the tubes or drop a few bucks on a replacement set and go the variac route. Schematics are easy to find on line. Take your time, if it's truly mint and original $3000 wouldn't surprise me as its worth.

My big questions are going the variac route,

#1, I should meter the AC line voltage?

#2, How fast or slow should I raise the AC line voltage?

#3, Should all tubes be installed during the initial power up?
#3a, With or without a music source?


#4, Assuming it initially powers up without any signs of trouble, How long should I run the unit on the variac before switching to plugged into the outlet normally?

Trout

[anatech]

Hi Trout,
1 - yes

2 - depends on current draw. There is no timed answer.

3 - yes, absolutely! Watch the plates of the outputs!!!! Low light helps.

3a - no music, shorted input so you can hear clearly. Do connect speakers to have an audible warning if things start to go sideways.

4 - depends on how you feel.

-Chris

Edit: I personally feel that with a unit this old, you need to replace a ton of resistors and capacitors. I have found the caps they use in McIntosh to be good so far. Other products with the wax covered caps should be replaced wholesale.

[Brian Beck]

Let me throw you an alternative spin. These items are worth big bucks to collectors on eBay. Sell them and laugh your best evil laugh as PayPal deposits big bucks into your bank account. Then set out to build your own in the best DIY tradition. You'll have a lot of fun, learn a lot, and maybe even end up with a better sounding rig.

It's always good to ask the inverse question: If you didn't already have a Marantz 7C (to pick one of your items) would you go out and pay thousands for it? If not, then sell it for thousands and use the money to buy parts and save the rest for a vacation.

If these things are worth thousands to you to keep, then that's OK - never mind.

[anatech]

Hi Brian,
That's assuming you don't get burned dealing on Ebay.

-Chris

[Brian Beck]

Sure, that's always a concern. Or try Audiogon.