Does anyone know the Mcintosh C20 diffs?

s-petersen · Jan 9, 2012

Hi,
I'm trying to resurect a c20,it was built into a console,so the entire faceplate was missing,the bulb holders also,well,I almost have an entire faceplate put together,but it is the shorter one without the brass bar,and I am having trouble mounting it to the preamp.
Are all of the chassis the same height?I may just need different side plates,I'm not sure.I have to make the flag/pointer disks,and the 3 buttons under the volume control,and find end caps.
Thanks

skippy_ps · Jan 9, 2012

Some info on apparently 3 different models under the Compendium tab at Berners. I'm not going to put the link up but just google "Berners McIntosh."

BTW, the compendium was put together by AK member vintagemac.

Murray

s-petersen · Jan 10, 2012

Thanks for the info,I had been to the site,but I had not seen the compendum
there are actually 4 versions,instead of 3,there is a version that has a narrower (shorter)faceplate like the mid/late style. Larry Hodson at RR ARTifacts,makes end caps for Mc's,and wrote the copendum, knows about them,but doesen't know where they fit in the production,The end caps have 4 1/2 spacing on the end caps,instead of 4 3/4.He doesen't sell the 4 1/2 size.

BMWCCA · Jan 10, 2012

Do you know the serial number on your C20?

Mine is a very early "mid" version with the end caps: Early serial number 6L061 with "McIntosh on the original faceplate in normal Gothic font, not the Old English/Blackletter style we now think of as the McIntosh font.

Note the font used on the manual versus the font on the C20 in the photo:

Would it help if I measured my end caps?

s-petersen · Jan 10, 2012

My faceplate is a different series than the chassis,I'm trying to make it fit,#154A0 the first character is hard to read.
If you measure the pin spacing that the end cap fit on,and it is 4 1/2 then We can find out where the series fit in. My preamps are either late mid,or late as the transformers are potted. The one with the original faceplate has the front painted gold lettering,gothic (that wears off) #8LO15 The narrow faceplate is new production from Mcintosh($200)and is completely painted from behind.

BMWCCA · Jan 10, 2012

s-petersen said:
My faceplate is a different series than the chassis,I'm trying to make it fit,#154A0 the first character is hard to read.
If you measure the pin spacing that the end cap fit on,and it is 4 1/2 then We can find out where the series fit in. My preamps are either late mid,or late as the transformers are potted. The one with the original faceplate has the front painted gold lettering,gothic (that wears off) #8LO15 The narrow faceplate is new production from Mcintosh($200)and is completely painted from behind.

I'll see if I can get around to measuring mine. Okay; center of hole to center of other hole = 4-7/16". Inside edge of hole to other inside edge is 4-1/4". The entire cap itself is roughly 4-7/8" long and completely flush on the side opposite the front face, unlike the ones pictured on RR ARTifacts site. They're also stamped "C20" in ink inside the cap with a cast-in "1".

Here's mine:

And here's the repro from RR ARTifacts:

I hope this helps.

Do you have a photo of the faceplate? I asked McIntosh for one and they weren't able to provide it.

s-petersen · Jan 12, 2012

I'm working until saturday,I'll have pics then,I think the measurement is center to center,from your pic, it looks like it's the 4 1/2 ,possibly artifacts approximated when they called it 4 1/2 ,so theoretically my faceplate should look like yours,and Mcintosh has them in stock.
Thanks

s-petersen · Jan 14, 2012

here are the pics of the differences in my preamps,both preamps are supposed to have the larger faceplate,because of the lack of parts,I will adapt the smaller one,I made a pair of side plates,temporarily,untill I get better ones.

s-petersen · Jan 14, 2012

another pic

BMWCCA · Jan 15, 2012

Thanks. Is the fifth picture the new reproduction faceplate from McIntosh?

s-petersen · Jan 15, 2012

Yes, The one with the clear circles is the one fron Mc.It looks like it would fit yours.

s-petersen · Jan 15, 2012

I'm going to use your pics to copy the end caps to make new ones if I can't find any,is the thickness front to back 5/16? and the width looks like 3/8?

BMWCCA · Jan 15, 2012

s-petersen said:
I'm going to use your pics to copy the end caps to make new ones if I can't find any,is the thickness front to back 5/16? and the width looks like 3/8?

I put them back on and packed it away. Give me a few minutes . . .

. . . actually 17/32" deep and 1/2" wide. For all intents and purposes, nearly square in section.

I should probably get one of those face-plates just in case!

s-petersen · Jan 15, 2012

Someone on eb** was selling a copy,but the logo was a different font,similar to plain text.otherwise looked good, it was $100 glass Thanks for the measurements,and pics

BMWCCA · Jan 15, 2012

s-petersen said:
Someone on eb** was selling a copy,but the logo was a different font,similar to plain text.otherwise looked good, it was $100 glass Thanks for the measurements,and pics

That's actually the correct font for the original C20 of my vintage. Mine has its original glass and if you look very carefully at the photo on the cover of the owner's manual in post #4 in this thread you'll see the font used for "McIntosh" matches that used for "Stereophonic".

s-petersen · May 16, 2016

Just an update, It's nearly finished now.The project was jump started when one of my friends bought a 3D printer and offered to make the flag pointers(a part I couldn't get), the end caps are being made by another friend.

original

3D printed. The neon orange and neon red plexiglass are not available in 1/16 inch and had to be milled from 1/8 inch

cduarte · May 16, 2016

that's fantastic!

s-petersen · May 16, 2016

Thanks!
A friend found the C20 by the side of the road a few years ago with a MC-240 and MR-65 on junk pickup.
The 240 was in great shape,The C20 and MR-65 were missing everything of the faceplate except the knobs.Even the dial lights and sockets were missing.
The system was built in to a private home studio, The faceplates had been replaced with a painted aluminum one,that looked bad. I actually bought the other C20 to copy some the parts.The top and bottom covers were also missing.
It's been a project.

gmfgmfgmf1 · May 19, 2016

One of my C-20s has a main output pair of RCA jacks
The other C-20 with same appearance faceplate has two pairs of main output RCAs

Seems the years of manufacture are not wide spread - what is the difference?

s-petersen · May 19, 2016

Both of mine have a 2 pair of main outputs. The c20 was only made for 4 years, and there are 4 different versions,it seems.
According to the schematics the outputs are tied together, no difference between them

Does anyone know the Mcintosh C20 diffs?

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