This guy that worked in the surplus store always piped up at the mention of any audio gear. "I used to have one but my girlfriend knocked it over." No one wanted to inquire as to whether she was an audio Tasmanian Devil or if it was a single, catastrophic event. The less he talked, the better.
In the early 70s, I got a deal on a Teac 3340S, 10.5 reels, 15 ips, 4 discrete channels. I think I might have had 100 hours on it when, during an effort to move things around on my shelf the wires strained and the deck pitched off and onto the piano bench 4 feet below. The Sync buttons smashed the circuit board near the heads, and the right take up motor shaft broke.
My next disaster: I had a BIC with a V15 Type 3. I regularly changed out the stylus, but back then, it cost 45 bucks. For 10 dollars more, I could get a new cartridge and stylus. After installing the new cartridge, I put on a brand new record, closed the dust cover, and proceeded to knock over a 16 mm projecter I was working on. It smashed through the dust cover, destroyed the record and cartridge. The projector was undamaged.
Surely you have some blow up or damage stories.
In the early 70s, I got a deal on a Teac 3340S, 10.5 reels, 15 ips, 4 discrete channels. I think I might have had 100 hours on it when, during an effort to move things around on my shelf the wires strained and the deck pitched off and onto the piano bench 4 feet below. The Sync buttons smashed the circuit board near the heads, and the right take up motor shaft broke.
My next disaster: I had a BIC with a V15 Type 3. I regularly changed out the stylus, but back then, it cost 45 bucks. For 10 dollars more, I could get a new cartridge and stylus. After installing the new cartridge, I put on a brand new record, closed the dust cover, and proceeded to knock over a 16 mm projecter I was working on. It smashed through the dust cover, destroyed the record and cartridge. The projector was undamaged.
Surely you have some blow up or damage stories.
Brand new Audio Research SP-3 and D-150 arrived, was hooked up, and turned on.
Noise and smoke came out of the D-150. Drove them to Minneapolis, and at Bill's request
the repair was done while waiting. Turns out that the final assembly on the SP-3 included
a sheet metal screw for the cover penetrating the 120VAC line wiring, which melted down
the ground bus in the D-150. After that day, ARC made a big kink in the SP-3 internal AC wiring,
to make sure it couldn't get near that screw.
Noise and smoke came out of the D-150. Drove them to Minneapolis, and at Bill's request
the repair was done while waiting. Turns out that the final assembly on the SP-3 included
a sheet metal screw for the cover penetrating the 120VAC line wiring, which melted down
the ground bus in the D-150. After that day, ARC made a big kink in the SP-3 internal AC wiring,
to make sure it couldn't get near that screw.