Fisher Consoles 1959-1965
- Thread starter TheRed1
- Start date
fairchild
Active Member
This thread is a really terriffic resource!! I wish it had been around when I started picking these consoles up about 10 years ago. Unfortunately, I was one of those philistines who stripped out the electronics, but no one seemed to want the complete units as stereos back then, due to their size... I did recycle the cabinets at least, by giving them away free to folks to make into liquor cabinets or bookshelves... I'd keep em whole now, at least if they had contemporary style cabinets. I also got a Pilot console with SA 232 amp (great amp) and Sp210 preamp once for $25 at a thrift store in Vermont!!
I had 2 of those hybrid mid-60s Electras, also I had one console that had the el-84 X100 amp and R200 tuner with Garrard 88, and one nice hi-end console that had the Ampex tape deck, Dual TT, FM-200B and X-202 amp (7591s), and finally The Piece-de-Resistance: and one I haven't seen discussed here, but it must have been the top of the line around 1961: it had a Garrard Type A TT, 400 CX preamp, FM-200 tuner, and SA-300 EL-34 stereo basic amp!! This was good stuff! Appropriately the components were all sold to my friend Al Pugliese, The Fisher Doc on Staten Island... oddly, I bought it from a family that had a fairly run down house in Saranac Lake, up in the Adirondacks!! ...Roger Anderson- VTV writer (VTV-RIP?) Binghamton NY home of McIntosh Labs
I had 2 of those hybrid mid-60s Electras, also I had one console that had the el-84 X100 amp and R200 tuner with Garrard 88, and one nice hi-end console that had the Ampex tape deck, Dual TT, FM-200B and X-202 amp (7591s), and finally The Piece-de-Resistance: and one I haven't seen discussed here, but it must have been the top of the line around 1961: it had a Garrard Type A TT, 400 CX preamp, FM-200 tuner, and SA-300 EL-34 stereo basic amp!! This was good stuff! Appropriately the components were all sold to my friend Al Pugliese, The Fisher Doc on Staten Island... oddly, I bought it from a family that had a fairly run down house in Saranac Lake, up in the Adirondacks!! ...Roger Anderson- VTV writer (VTV-RIP?) Binghamton NY home of McIntosh Labs
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TheRed1
Console Conservationist
Hi Roger,
It sounds like you parted out a 1963 President VIII. http://members.cox.net/fisherconsoles/PresidentVIII.html
Excuse me for a second, I think I've got something in my eye...
I read your introduction with interest. I am curious to know which issue of VTV has the Avery Fisher interview. Is it #6 - the tribute to Avery Fisher by Al Pugliese? (Incidentally, there is an old TV interview of Avery on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4ALVqUqu-k)
I'm glad there are folks like yourself who are endeavoring to document the history of some of the more interesting hi-fi companies and the even more interesting people that comprised them. Any suggestions for sources of Fisher information?
It sounds like you parted out a 1963 President VIII. http://members.cox.net/fisherconsoles/PresidentVIII.html
Excuse me for a second, I think I've got something in my eye...
I read your introduction with interest. I am curious to know which issue of VTV has the Avery Fisher interview. Is it #6 - the tribute to Avery Fisher by Al Pugliese? (Incidentally, there is an old TV interview of Avery on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4ALVqUqu-k)
I'm glad there are folks like yourself who are endeavoring to document the history of some of the more interesting hi-fi companies and the even more interesting people that comprised them. Any suggestions for sources of Fisher information?
sloober
Super Member
I have a Fisher record with Avery introducing sounds such as "breaking glass"
I think I posted it here before at some time.
http://homepage.mac.com/johnhuber/Sites/Fisher/AveryFisher.m4a
Sorry for the clicks and pops, didn't have a chance to clean it up.
John
I think I posted it here before at some time.
http://homepage.mac.com/johnhuber/Sites/Fisher/AveryFisher.m4a
Sorry for the clicks and pops, didn't have a chance to clean it up.
John
fairchild
Active Member
Actually, that President had been dis-assembled already by the time I got there, I think the owner had plans for it, but needed money... that cab stayed with him. IIRC I also got a Bogen MO-100 there. I'm not sure what his interests were, the whole place was kind of skeevvy, and I think some marital problems were somehow involved in the sell off... I just buy, no questions asked!! That was my best Fisher find ever... at least it went to Al P. And yes, that was his piece in VTV that I referred to, not an acutal interview per se, in that case, but his personal experiences and conversations with Mr. Fisher. Only one I've ever seen in an audio magazine... the mainstream ones like Stereophile are just discovering how good vintage stuff is, something a lot of us never forgot in the first place... thanks for your kind words, preserving audio history is a labor of love for me. BTW, did y'all know that Grommes (Grommes Precision) still exists in it's original form, and is still run by Bill Grommes family? Only legacy audio. company where that is the case. That article is in the can if VTV revives.
analog addict
Glory or Death!
Well if not, you know where you can post it......:thmbsp:
qft.
Saint Johnny
Bon Ton Roule
I found this thread looking for info on the Philharmonic IV.
I have a chance to get one cheapish.
Any opinions?
I have a chance to get one cheapish.
Any opinions?
1966 Fisher E-491
Here is my fisher E-491. TheRed1 has told me that it's a 1966, and is very similar to the 1965 models. Please pardon the horrible photos. When I picked it up, the tubes had been robbed from it. I'm installing new tubes in it tomorrow. I'll take better shots of it when it's in its proper location.
I assume this is the "contemporary" style cabinet. I think it's fantastic!
TheRed1, I saw you posted the tube layout for this model in an earlier post. As I said in my introduction post, mine flew off on the drive home. If I PM you my email address, could you send me the hi-res photo?
Cheers,
Nick
Here is my fisher E-491. TheRed1 has told me that it's a 1966, and is very similar to the 1965 models. Please pardon the horrible photos. When I picked it up, the tubes had been robbed from it. I'm installing new tubes in it tomorrow. I'll take better shots of it when it's in its proper location.
I assume this is the "contemporary" style cabinet. I think it's fantastic!
TheRed1, I saw you posted the tube layout for this model in an earlier post. As I said in my introduction post, mine flew off on the drive home. If I PM you my email address, could you send me the hi-res photo?
Cheers,
Nick
cooljjay
Super Member
Isn't this a hybrid model? I just picked up a 1963 console that I parted out to finish the restore of my 800C, it had a hybrid amp...I heard that they can be tricky to restore. Here is a picture of the amp and the tube layout if you have the same amp.
It is a hybrid. I got it for free, and the couple who gave it to me said it was working before the other guy took the tubes from it. Knowing that, I'm hoping some replacement tubes will be all it needs. My owner's manual has the tube layout in it, but I would like to print the full size one to place on the rear of the unit.
TheRed1
Console Conservationist
I see your E-491 is the Contemporary model which is my favorite style among the 66 models. I was mistaken when I posted that the 66 models were the same as the 65s. The amp and tuner are the same but not much else. I went back through the 66 catalog and noticed that only the Early American model looks similar. However, there even appear to be some subtle differences within that style between the two model years. The first scan below gives the entire 1966 Custom Electra model round-up for comparison purposes.
I was also incorrect in referring to your console as a Custom Electra IX: 1966 was the year that Fisher dropped the roman numeral suffix off *most* of its model names. What you have, for the record, is a 1966 Custom Electra in the Contemporary cabinet. And there was a ton of information on this model including an x-ray view of the components that comprise the console as you can see below.
Here's hoping that your Electra comes back to life once you replace the tubes without any issues. It's possible you will need to have the radio aligned since it will have all new tubes. And you will probably want to measure the bias voltage at the speaker connections before you hook everything up. It's an easy to do measurement that you will find covered over at the solid state forum in a "sticky" at the top of the page. You, of course, realize that the 49-A is what is termed as a "hybrid amp"; indicating, in this case, that the output section of the amp is transistorized. And there's nothing wrong with that - it's still a fine sounding console that I'm sure you'll be impressed by. Much of that "tube sound" resides in the driver stages of the amp, anyway. It'll be interesting to hear what you think once you get everything plugged back in and running. Do you plan on using the Dual 1010 as a source?
EDIT: Yes - PM me and I can email you the photo I have or, if you don't mind waiting a week or so, I can drop by my friend's house and try to take a better picture since the one I have isn't very crisp.
I was also incorrect in referring to your console as a Custom Electra IX: 1966 was the year that Fisher dropped the roman numeral suffix off *most* of its model names. What you have, for the record, is a 1966 Custom Electra in the Contemporary cabinet. And there was a ton of information on this model including an x-ray view of the components that comprise the console as you can see below.
Here's hoping that your Electra comes back to life once you replace the tubes without any issues. It's possible you will need to have the radio aligned since it will have all new tubes. And you will probably want to measure the bias voltage at the speaker connections before you hook everything up. It's an easy to do measurement that you will find covered over at the solid state forum in a "sticky" at the top of the page. You, of course, realize that the 49-A is what is termed as a "hybrid amp"; indicating, in this case, that the output section of the amp is transistorized. And there's nothing wrong with that - it's still a fine sounding console that I'm sure you'll be impressed by. Much of that "tube sound" resides in the driver stages of the amp, anyway. It'll be interesting to hear what you think once you get everything plugged back in and running. Do you plan on using the Dual 1010 as a source?
EDIT: Yes - PM me and I can email you the photo I have or, if you don't mind waiting a week or so, I can drop by my friend's house and try to take a better picture since the one I have isn't very crisp.
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Holy Smokes!
I think I've just hit the Holy Grail of information on my console! Thanks, TheRed1!!!
With regard to the Dual 1010. At this point, I plan on using it. I'll know for sure once the unit is up and running. I also have a Garrard Lab 80 that works and sounds pretty decent through a solid state system. I've heard mixed reviews on the Lab 80, but haven't come up with anything on the 1010. What say the experts?
I think I've just hit the Holy Grail of information on my console! Thanks, TheRed1!!!
With regard to the Dual 1010. At this point, I plan on using it. I'll know for sure once the unit is up and running. I also have a Garrard Lab 80 that works and sounds pretty decent through a solid state system. I've heard mixed reviews on the Lab 80, but haven't come up with anything on the 1010. What say the experts?
I got that one for free a couple months ago. The guy was in Waldorf.
The R-494 (Royal Electra) is a 1969 Solid State Middle of the line Unit. Has a 175-T (coded as 23-R) Receiver rated at 130 watts IHF. 2 10" inch Woofers, 2 5" Mids, 2 2-1/2"tweets. BSR Changer.
I got 2 different brochures for 1969 consoles. guess it's time to scan them and get them up.
The specs are from the actual R-494 owners manual.
Larry
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Lman
Active Member
You may want to consider the cost of replacing the output tubes, if necessary. The Philharmonic III uses the 6HU8, which can be pricey. The IV uses a different (290-T vs. 280-T) chassis so maybe it uses a different tube. Just something to consider.
The Garrard AT-6 is considered a decent turntable by today's standards so, if you spin vinyl, you don't have to worry about replacing it.
Lou
coffee123
Well-Known Member
Here is my 1960 Fisher Premiere:
The Fisher 600 (TA-600), front:
Back:
That is a one georgous console! seriously makes me want to go out an find a nice fisher now...
Mark
