I am only posting this here because ...

Cleet Torres · 3019

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Offline Cleet Torres

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on: April 21, 2014, 02:48:46 PM
I am only posting this because because the proceeds needs to go towards a new Bottlehead toy.

I am planning to sell an unmolested Fisher PA80-G to get funds for either an Extended Foreplay III Upgrade Kit or if the bottle gods smile on me a PreBee kit.

The Fisher is untouched, unchanged and unrestored. I was planning to restore it but after seeing a Dynaco nearly go up in flames I have developed a fear of the old timers' amps. No fuses, no ground. Much to risky for me. I'm thinking on selling it. Can anybody advise me on what I should be asking and on which venue I should try and sell?

Then a bottlehead related question. I have a Foreplay III that I have not listened to in while and I was wondering if what type of increase the C4S kit brings to the party?  I noticed the Foreplay is no more, so I was wondering if I should just hang onto the $$ and hopefully with the sale of the Fisher I can get a BeePre. Was the Foreplay III not up to snuff and therefore the Beepre?

Comments and opinions appreciated

thanks
Cleet


Offline Doc B.

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Reply #1 on: April 21, 2014, 07:06:02 PM
Cleet, check out the new Smash preamp. I think that would fit your requirements.

http://bottlehead.com/product/smash-dht-preamplifier-kit/

Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President For Life
Bottlehead Corp.

Offline Cleet Torres

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Reply #2 on: April 22, 2014, 01:07:26 AM
Wow. Wow.  :o

Doc, do you have any more info for me?

I'm assuming the PS is the same layout as the Foreplay III given the gaseous rectifying? And it would be a stupid question to ask if it sounds better than the Foreplay III right?

Oh man, yeah I think that is what I am looking for.  :P

Cleet.



Offline RayP

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Reply #3 on: April 22, 2014, 01:25:01 AM
I see this new pre-amp is using 4P1L tubes. I actually have a few of them that I did not get around to using in the Russian line stage competition and I've been thinking of using them in the push-pull amp competition both as driver and outputs. They are supposed to sound very good with filament bias but have issues with microphonics.

ray

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Offline Doc B.

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Reply #4 on: April 22, 2014, 04:36:22 AM
Yes, it's directly heated so it's a little microphonic like Quickie and BeePre. But it still sounds great, better than Foreplay. The power supply is a little different than Foreplay, but the same general concept with the gas reg.

Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President For Life
Bottlehead Corp.

Offline Cleet Torres

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Reply #5 on: April 22, 2014, 04:41:20 AM
Ok, one sold to me.

Hopefully 20 guys don't jump the queue before I get home tonight. Left my CCard at home  >:(


Offline mcandmar

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Reply #6 on: April 22, 2014, 05:03:20 AM
I have an old headphone amp with 4P1L tubes and never found microphonics to be an issue.

M.McCandless

Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #7 on: April 22, 2014, 05:05:52 AM
Quote from: Cleet Torres on April 21, 2014, 02:48:46 PM
The Fisher is untouched, unchanged and unrestored. I was planning to restore it but after seeing a Dynaco nearly go up in flames I have developed a fear of the old timers' amps. No fuses, no ground. Much to risky for me. I'm thinking on selling it. Can anybody advise me on what I should be asking and on which venue I should try and sell?

Your best bet would be (IMO) to do as much gentle cleaning in and out as you can, then to sell it on eBay with no reserve.  Have you powered it up?  If you can get it really clean and show it running, I think you'll do well.  I don't see much about the PA80, but if it's an amplifier in that old gold/black style of Fisher gear, the market price should be pleasing.

If your Foreplay III is nicely built and relatively stock, you may also be surprised at what kind of price that may fetch online as well.

-PB

Paul "PB" Birkeland

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Offline Cleet Torres

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Reply #8 on: April 22, 2014, 05:15:52 AM
Hi CB

I have not powered up the Fisher. A friend nearly had his house burned down by a short on a Dynaco PAS 2. No fuses, no ground. Power didn't trip, the tranny just started smoking. The Fisher is probably 100% good, but old gear scare me a little :-) The only "Burning down the house" I'm interested in is a Talking Heads song.

BTW, I had another look at the amp, its a P80-C Fisher.

I'm thinking my Foreplay III may go towards my friend with the PAS 2 that burned. I'll need to re-pad the inputs though. The gain is waaaay to high for his setup.

Cleet


Offline Paul Birkeland

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Reply #9 on: April 22, 2014, 05:26:25 AM
Ah, alright.  eBay completed listings have a good range of prices on those, it looks like you'll do well.

I agree about vintage amps, I tend to put a 3-prong power cord and a fuse on any vintage gear that I plan to work on, but that isn't always agreeable to everybody. 

At the local ham swap-meet this year, about an hour before the doors opened, a vendor decided to plug in a piece of untested equipment.  I believe several capacitors blew out and the transformer smoked before he could get it unplugged.  It wasn't so much that this was a fire hazard (oddly enough, the building next door caught on fire a few weeks later), but rather that the unpleasant smell of burning capacitors/transformers lingered for three to four hours. 

Paul "PB" Birkeland

Bottlehead Grunt & The Repro Man

Offline Cleet Torres

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Reply #10 on: April 22, 2014, 08:39:21 AM
On the PAS 2, I noticed the on/off switch was bypassed by a cap, I believe a 0.01uF. I was wondering, what happens when that cap fails? Unless its an X or Y rated cap, they are liabale to short when they fail right? So your PAS 2 could literally switch itself on ...

My Fisher has a nice patina and my thoughts are that I'm not going to touch anything. Somebody that knows his/her game that wants it can decide what they want to do with it. For all I know, I may end up devalueing the amp.

Man, I can already see the Smash amp on my rack ...


Offline Grainger49

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Reply #11 on: April 23, 2014, 07:51:40 AM
Cleet,

That cap is there so that when the switch opens there is no pop.  If it fails it will either be open, like it wasn't there, or short and the fuse will blow (odd design, there is no fuse).

Either way it is not going to be a problem.
« Last Edit: April 25, 2014, 12:44:03 AM by Grainger49 »


Offline Cleet Torres

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Reply #12 on: April 24, 2014, 06:37:02 PM
Hi Grainger49.

No fuse. Not in amp or in accompanying circuit diagram that it came with. I had a look at the amp, there is nothing to indicate that any provision is made for a fuse either.

Quote from a user on the Dynaco forum re the lack of fuse on the PAS 2 amp : "This is a good example of a deficiency in the original PAS. Before doing anything else, it would be a really good idea to install a fuse. "

If my buddy keeps his PAS I'm putting in a fuse for him.

Cleet


Offline Grainger49

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Reply #13 on: April 25, 2014, 12:47:18 AM
There are chassis mount fuses you can buy or a fuse holder with a pigtail, like a car fuse.  Bottlehead has converted to the IEC input connector with a fuse.  This might fit on a blank spot on the rear panel, but it requires cutting a square hole.  That takes some filing.

A one amp fast blow fuse should be fine.  Maybe even a half amp.
« Last Edit: April 25, 2014, 12:56:33 AM by Grainger49 »


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