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bradluke0 · 3579

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Offline bradluke0

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on: December 14, 2011, 08:04:38 AM
Hi all !  Just ordered a pair of Paramounts ! I am really excited about building kits again as I used to build some of the Heathkit stuff . These will be driving a pair of the fantastic Tekton Lore's . Anyway , very happy to part of the Bottlehead family , I have been stalking you guys on the forums for a while .



Offline shelby1420

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Reply #1 on: December 14, 2011, 08:36:24 AM
Welcome, I have a set of Paramounts as well and love em, enjoy the tunes!!!

Enjoying the music

Rick


Offline Paully

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Reply #2 on: December 14, 2011, 03:52:10 PM
I have mine, and they are wonderful.  Enjoy and welcome to the club!



Offline Grainger49

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Reply #3 on: December 15, 2011, 02:58:58 AM
I think you will be happy with the sound of the Paramount.  It  is fully top of the line.  PJ has tweaked the output iron and there is the choke smoothed DC for the heaters on the output tubes.  

There isn't much to do to improve the sound.  And since we both used to build Heathkit kits you will be bowled over with the manual.  Heath wrote the best manuals in the time but Doc has taken it to yet another level.

Welcome to Bottlehead !
« Last Edit: December 28, 2011, 08:02:56 AM by Grainger49 »



Offline bradluke0

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Reply #4 on: December 28, 2011, 07:43:52 AM
Hi all !  Thanks for the warm welcome . You guys were right , the manual is awesome and the build is going well . I am about 3/4 way through the build and everything is going pretty well except..... The wood base. I sanded it , tried to stain it with a light oak stain and it came out horrible . So I sanded both of them down to bare wood using 60 , 120 and finally 220 grit sand paper . Then I used some clear polyurethane . These things came out nice , very happy with the second attempt . Thanks again to the crew at Bottlehead for neat stuff . Cheers !     



Offline Grainger49

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Reply #5 on: December 28, 2011, 08:05:12 AM
The instructions about using tape for the base worked well for me.  I'm an old wood butcher.  I use a router to smooth all the corners on my bases.  That also routes off any wood glue that wouldn't take a stain.  Handy for a klutz like me.



Offline mchurch

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Reply #6 on: December 28, 2011, 09:41:41 AM
I just finished my Paramounts in early December and as Grainger said there is not much to do to improve the sound. I have been playing them pretty much daily since I finished them and they are sounding better and better as they burn in. Welcome to the Paramount club! I am going to get a second pair soon so I can bi-amp. In the meantime I am waiting for a set of Westinghouse clones of the 300Bs to see what that does to the sound.

Cheers

Mike



Offline bradluke0

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Reply #7 on: January 11, 2012, 08:23:28 AM
Hi all !    OK , got one of my paramounts completed and it sounds great . Been listening to it on one channel and it driving the heck out of the Lore . Well , the second one I kinda goofed on ...had to remove the board for the power transformer as I was not getting the correct readings . Found I had forgotten to solder one of the components leads and had to reheat one of the transformer wires as it was not making connection. However , I goofed two traces on the board when removing it and had to order a new board (head hanging low at this point )  But , very happy with the build and especially the sound . I will be ordering a Foreplay in the next day or so . Thanks again to the Bottlehead crew for the help ......brad