Fisher Custom Electra V, Mod E46-X

This is the cartridge from the Garrard-no name on it. Also took a close up of the stylus. To me the stylus appears to be good but would appreciate an educated opinion. It also appears to be a little crooked in the mount, can I carefully turn that to straighten it or just get another stylus?
Which begs the other question, what is the cartridge and what fits it?
 

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Pickering / Stanton model 380. Great info from this thread http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/model-380-stanton-cartridge-info-needed.315438/
There is a sticker hidden on the top of the cartridge.

That is one of Pickering's first magnetic stereo cartridges, introduced about 1959/1960. It's confusing, since it's called a Model 380 Stanton, but it's really a Pickering.

I'm intimately familiar with this cartridge as it was the model used in my Uncle's Empire 298 that I grew up listening to. I even have one now, mostly for sentimental reasons.

It's a low-compliance cartiridge, and depending on what stylus you get for it has a tracking range of either 2~5 grams, or 3~7.

Original Pickering replacement styli were color-coded as to stylus type and tracking force requirements. All came with a diamond conical tip.

Red = 4 to 7 grams, for automatic record changers
Gold = 2 to 5 grams, for manual turntables
Black = 3 to 7 grams, 1 mil diamond stylus for mono microgroove records
Yellow = 3 to 7 grams, for 78 RPM discs

(I may have the black and yellow specs mixed up...I don't have access to my files handy right now) There was also a "blue" stylus but I can't remember what that was. (A sapphire tip maybe?)

Most styli available today tend to be the red type, though an original gold does pop up from time to time on ebay and other places. As for where to get styli, Ebay is your best bet. True replacements haven't been made for decades, and the examples on Ebay are usually OEM NOS examples. Even styli branded as Astatic, Phansteil, or Walco are more than likely to be true Pickering manufactured styli (and adhere to the color code.) They're cheap enough so play around. Other replacements of dubious origin don't adhere to the color code though, so assume they are equivalent to the "red" model, even if they are yellow, orange, or whatever.

You'd want to track no lighter than 3 grams with either the gold stylus, or 5 with the red stylus though. Heavier for each would be even better, even though my uncle used to track his red stylus 380 about 99% of the time successfully at *one gram.* (That's just asking for trouble though.)

You can also see here: http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/catalogs/1960/ (go to page 74-75)

It's a really "BIG" sounding cartridge, smooth, mellow and very romantic sounding with a very 3D soundstage, though a poor tracker by today's standards. It has something of a cult following (like the similar Shure M3D.) If you play nothing too demanding, it is a very beguiling cartridge. If things get too demanding though, the soundstage collapses and can get very hard and muddy sounding. High frequency transients can give it fits if they are too loud or difficult to track. No Telarcs here, please!!

It's best used in high to very high mass arms. It's a very heavy cartridge and will not balance or mount properly in most modern arms. (Spacers are almost mandatory to mount in most headshells due to how it's designed.)

In the Stanton/Pickering family tree, it's a direct forefather of the 680/681 series.

It's a good match for the 210 arm.

Don't try to turn,twist, or adjust the stylus. You'll only break or mess it up. Best to get a new replacement.
 
Thanks, I see a new Red one on ebay now I may pick up. Keep looking for a Gold so I can get tracking down to 3 grams.
 
Checked in with turntableneedles and they do have an ATE at a reasonable price (gotta buy a stylus anyway) that he also thought would be a good change over, and with future availability.

I am going to pull the components from the cabinet to clean the units and the cabinet as well as check and get some help to do some minor update to the components. Don't see anything in the literature about cabinet speaker impedance and the amp is not marked. Picture of the woofer is in an earlier post of this thread. Would like to connect and play on the bench without the cabinet speakers and am wondering if an 8 ohm speaker will be a problem, just for test purposes?
 
Look on the schematic to the right of the Amplifier output transformer. One connection is ground and the other 8 ohms. It's rated for 8ohm. Put your meter on ohms and connect it to the speaker terminals (doesn't matter which to which.) if you get around 6-7 ohms it's an 8 ohm setup. The disparity is that you are measuring DC Ohms while the rating is actually Inductance converted to ohms. It's close enough for Gov't work.
 
Now that you have shown a light on it, it couldn't be clearer. Read about 6 ohms at the speaker and the schematic is clear. Thanks
 
I have removed the components from the cabinet and will be getting some assistance to do some updates. This was an in the console working unit and I do not plan to do a full restoration but want it to be safe, clean, and perform well. I don't believe it's ever been touched other than one of the output tubes has been replaced with a GE I think, logo is unclear. Looks like all the other tubes at The Fisher-Made in West Germany or Great Britain. I have seen the posting on disassembly and thorough cleaning including a dishwasher but don't want to go that far, plus it looks pretty good. I need to do a basic cleaning while doing no harm. So I have a few questions.

There is some light oxidation on some of the chimneys and stubborn dust and dirt here and there.Thinking some low pressure air and a soft brush to clean the loose webs and dust and a damp wipe with water or Windex? where needed. Also thinking the tube sockets need to be cleaned. I have Deoxit, should I pull the tubes and squirt the sockets from top down or invert the units so the deoxit will drain? Also will use the Deoxit on the switches, input/output sockets, power sockets, etc. What cleaner should I use for the tuners?

Also, in the picture of the tuner face I am lifting a piece of opaque plastic that is loose. Doesn't appear to have been attached anywhere, there is an opening there that goes through to the chassis but it doesn't fully block that either. Looked at pictures of other 460-T tuners and don't see it. Purpose/location?

Thanks for any help.
Fisher console 2 001.JPG Fisher console 2 002.JPG Fisher console 2 003.JPG Fisher console 2 004.JPG Fisher console 2 005.JPG Fisher console 2 006.JPG Fisher console 2 007.JPG
 
Having rebuilt an RC 210 that came to me with a Stanton 380 I'd be inclined to run it. I picked up a new stylus for it as part of the repair, not expensive and it sounded excellent. It wasn't my changer, I only serviced it for a friend of a friend but I was impressed with how it sounded. Not the most detailed thing I've ever played but it nice to listen to. If you do a lot of classical music or well recorded jazz it may not be for you but its a heck of a rock cartridge, especially for earlier stuff that was not exactly optimized for super duper audiophile systems.
 
Get a can of Dow SCRUBBING BUBBLES (Yeah the stuff used in the shower.)and a can of CRC QD NON RESIDUE CONTACT CLEANER. The CRC is available @ Home Depot in the Electrical Dept. Don't get the Electrical cleaner. Remove the tubes from the Amp, and the Tuner/Preamp. Spray everything (except the tuner fins) on the top side of the unitand let it foam up and subside. Now take a 1-1/2" Paint Brush and scrub everything. Do one piece at a time. Now flip the AMP on it's end (Power Transformer on lower side). Rinse thoroughly with the contact cleaner from top to bottom. Make sure you get it in the socket holes for the tubes. Set aside to dry for an hour.

Now do the same thing for theTuner/preamp. Clean with the Scrubbing bubbles, then Flush the Tuner Preamp thoroughly. Turn each of the tuner knobs so the fins are UNMESHED! Do the TOP one 1st. Spray with the CRC on both sides of the fins. Use a new (unused) clean 1" brush and scrub the fins in the direction of the fins. Give the tuner another quick shot and exercise the fins from Unmeshed to meshed and back again about 20 times. Rinse onelast time with the CRC. Repeat with the other tuner.

You can use a metal polish like MOTHER's MAG and Wheel Polish to shine the tube shields and the chassis. Be careful around the lettering as it WILL remove the lettering (all of the polishes will) with a fair amount of elbow grease. Don't shine the chassis to a chrome like luster. It's Cadmium plated and is supposed to be somewhat dull.

Larry
 
Well, this is interesting. You are at exactly the same spot I am on a Custom Electra V restoration. I just pulled the electronics on Sunday.

Thanks for the cleaning instructions, Larry. I'll be putting those to good use in a few days.

I'm also made a list of all the caps that need to be replaced, and am working on a list of replacements. A lot of good information in this older thread:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/1st-fisher-62-custom-electra-v-460a-460t.556697/
 
Thanks Larry, sounds straight forward. Making a trip to HD today.
Questions on the cleaning:

The chassis sheet metal body is a little dirty but in pretty good shape, do I need to use the polish to remove cleaner residue or can I let it go if it looks ok, hate to remove the lettering and it's inside the console?

Should I treat the bottom/inside with just the CRC too?

Once this cleanup is done should I go into the pots and RCAs with Deoxit D5?

I am going to use the 210, may go to an ATE cartridge, but it works and it's period and I used the SPG3 to bring it down to 3 grams and it tracks so I'll clean and lube and go from there. Something is stuck and it keeps repeating and dropping at the 45 size when set to 33 and finishes playing a 33.

Interested to see some pics of your console and your progress, I'll be posting. Thanks for the link to the other post, did a quick check out, I need to do something to get access to the photobucket pics.

Great info all, I'll be back.
 
The CRC Contact cleaner is a NON-RESIDUE Cleaner. No rinsing necessary.

Insides of amps, preamps and tuners are generally clean enough to eat off of. Unless it's sat in water, has rodent tracks or leftovers, and or cobwebs, just brush it down with the paint brush.

DeOxit in pots, switches and RCA Jacks is recommended highly. Once cleaned, finish them up with either DeOxit FADERLUBE (F-5) or CRC 6-26 Electronics lubricant.(Home Depot). The CRC does just as good a job lubricating them and is less expensive to boot.

When you use the polish, cut small strips of Masking tape (blue,green or tan) and lay it over the lettering. Then go to town with the polishing.
 
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I do all my first-pass cleaning with a cheap paint brush and/or an acid brush just to get the dust and loose crap off. Evaluate from there. Undersides very rarely need anything more than a light dusting and when they do its usually because a rodent made a home in there or the amp got used as an outside door stop. If that happens you'll know it and you will have all sorts of ugly to deal with.
 
Made my HD run and am ready to get started. Undersides do look very good and I'll just give them a quick dusting, as well as a dusting up top for the loose stuff.. Have some Mother's from other projects so I'll do a little polishing too, thinking it will clean up real nice. I'll post some after pics.

Anyone venture an opinion on that piece of opaque plastic in my earlier post/pic?
 
Get rid of the opaque plastic. The opening is a vent for the Tuner/pre underside. Granted not a lot of heat under there but still.................
 
Getting my sea legs by getting ready to clean the MPX unit and thought I'd ask.

Do I need to remove the square cans, transformer and coil, indicated in the picture that are present on the MPX and tuner/pre prior to the cleaning process? Looks like they clip on.

Would rather leave them if that is alright.
 

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Don't remove those. They sort-of clip in but they are also soldered in underneath, the spring clip is just what holds it there.
 
Just put a piece of masking tape over the hole in the top. Do the same on the tuner section.
 
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