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SCORE....FREE "THE FISHER" Console...

larryderouin

larryderouin

I'm VERTICAL and Breathing...most of the time.
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D.C. Craigslist. Called the guy this evening, still had it. So I drove an hour and a 1/2 1 way.

"The Fisher Royal Electra" Model R-494 with a 23-R Chassis. In the 1969 line up it's in the Upper 1/2. I figure about 15-20WPC based on 90W Usage. Originally sold in Sept. of 1969 in New Jersey. Has all the original paperwork, brochures, etc and a repair sheet from a shop when it went in for no FM. They replaced a Zener and something else I can't decipher.
(I'll post pics later today that I took.)

AM works Fantastic. Aux, Phono Ok(BSR:thumbsdn: with a Pickering V-15:D). Pots dirty. FM? NADA!!!! Just Hiss!

Get it home around 11:30 tonight, take a few pics, tear into it. Mr. FISHER built the cabinets GOOD!!! Took me 20 minutes to get the receiver out of the cabinet. Speaker enclosures are SEALED!!! The receiver I got on my bench, and sprayed it down with air, then De-Oxit. DC-Offset on both channels is 0.000mv!

Now I have to find a Service Manual.......

The pics NOW are from the ad.
Larry
 
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I like it! I think there is a wide variation in quality among consoles. A lot of them are utter junk obviously. So many of the receivers in consoles seem to have been made specifically for the console, whereas yours looks like it has an "actual" receiver in it. That seems like a good thing, especially if you ever wanted to get rid of the cabinet and just use the receiver portion.

Let us know how it sounds!
 
Looks very nice. Given the age, I suspect that the outputs have capacitive coupling so measuring for DC offset should give a 0.00 value.
 
I do believe it is cap coupled. Fisher took a 175-t Receiver and removed the heatsinks, and called it the 23-R. Just got the Service Manual, so now it's trying to figure out what's wrong with it.

All of the console were done this way by Fisher, at least that's what I gleaned from the brochures, and the Component brochure. Each console family was matched with a certain receiver and turntable. Mine has a BSR. The next one up all the way to the top got DUAL's (probably 1215's or such).

The WAF is GOOD. She likes it better than her Maggie(KISS Principle). So it stays upstairs and the Maggie goes in the Basement with the others.

The rear corner on the larger door has been crunched previous to my getting it. It's now pinned and glued together. Next up is fill and sand, then refinish.

ALL the pics I took last night and this morning are here....... http://s408.photobucket.com/albums/pp168/torskdoc/Fisher R-494 Royal Electra Console/
ENJOY.

Larry
 
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Tore down the BSR. Grease in it had hardened to concrete. So it got stripped, cleaned, and lubed with White Lithium.

Never seen a BSR with an adjustable tracking force on the Arm, antiskate, and a tonearm lift.

The idler wheel is supple, no flat spots. She wants to run the BSR as it came with it. It DOES have a Pickering V-15 with a good stylus.

The drivers are real nice. 10"Woof, 5" Mid, 2-1/2" tweet. They are in a SEALED enclosure with a lining of 1/4" thick fiberglass batt. It does sound nice without rattling, or boominess. Crank it up and sound just gets better. Surrounds are cloth impregnated with Butyl Rubber. No splits, cuts, tears. The grille cloth does need to be replaced tho.

I DO like the fact that I can use the receiver as a freestanding unit if I need to do it. The BSR will probably get replaced with the Garrard or a DUAL 1215 (if I can find one cheap) once it starts going down hill.

I got me some wood working to do on the lid.

Larry
 
man, i just saw a console in that shape at the thrift and didnt even lift the lid to look. argh
 
Well got the Service Manual downloaded and made a list of caps for every board on it. 45 caps. While I was at it, I got it (the receiver) on the bench and went at it with a VTVM. Every voltage point on all schematics in the S.M. was within a 1/2 volt. Even the transistor values. STILL NO FM! AM pulls them in all over, actually felt like I was DX-ing last night. Aux and Phono work to, very well. The Pickering V-15 stylus is about 6 months old, and appears to have very few hours on it. It's tracking @ 1.3grams.


Next question. Does anyone know of a shop that works on FISHERS in the Mid-Atlantic region or Baltimore Area?

Larry
 
Since i got it 3 months ago, I've recapped the whole thing. There was a service report from a shop dated 1972, (NO FM) replaced zener. Taking chance it was a diode, I researched then and got enough to do all of them. NO DICE. NO FM. I did notice the readings on the Transistors in the FM front end are out of whack. So they and the IC's are next. Actually the Transistors 1st, test and then replace the IC's if still no fm. The IC's are on the AM/FM IF Board. Seems to me that the AM signal may go thru them also. If so then they are more than likely ok. But then again, I'm a complete noob when it comes to understanding circuits. I can follow them to trouble shoot continuity, voltages, etc. but understansing what goes on, Nope!

We'll see later this week.

Larry
 
I've also got a Royal Electra. Unfortunately, mine needs work, too. If I put it into mono, I get decent-ish sound, but not in stereo.

Also, mine is the Mediterranean flavor :D
 
I know this is an old thread. but I have a question,,, For any Fisher experts. I just picked up this same exact console. I got to the place and I thought another particle board Fisher.. I tried to lift it and it was extremly heavy. I thought it would be very light. I noticed besides the the backs. This console is mostly solid wood construction. Even the floor/bottom is hardwood plywood. I picked up a Diplomat and it is all particle board. But has the seperate chassis deal. Why?? and you would think that the older console would have solid wood and the newer would have particle board. Confused.... What is the hieght of your console? As I said I know this is an old thread,, but I just got one of these electras. I am trying to get the tuner freed. I squirted a little penitrating oil and it is starting to feel a little loose. Hope it will be ok. One last thing,, Is the 23r chassis a good one? I know it isn't powerful,,,, but is it quality? Thanks Mike.
 
My parents had that same BSR turntable, I ended up using it with my Fisher 400 which I bought used in high school and eventually restored. They are not bad turntables, better than most that came with all in ones. I used a Shure cartridge. I eventually replaced the BSR with a vintage Thorens.
 
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Mike; I can't tell you why the differences in construction materiel. But the R.E. is solidly built. Height is standard 27-28" or so.

As for the 23-R. 1st generation FISHER SS. The amp is very good for a 20 Watter. The tuner on this particular model, when running is pretty good. But it's a gold plated PITA when it's not. Unobtainable parts, germanium transistors, etc. Mine has since then become a Hanger Queen and parts donor. The cabinet will end up getting another receiver as soon as I can find one that fits. Modifying the cabinet to fit another that is larger is an exercise in futility so it's probably easier to find another working receiver that is the same size.

the BSR Turntable is one of their better units. Haven't had any problems with this TT.
 
Yeah I am having trouble with my tuner,,,, it is frozen and I am using penitrating oil on it so I am playing the waiting game,, I opened up one of the speaker sub enclosures and looks like really nice speakers in it. If worse comes to worse,,, I am going to install another preamp/tuner and a power amp. there is plenty of room in the console to install a nice power amp. It is all solid wood except for the speaker backs and the baffles. Nothing structual. When I first saw it,, I was surprized by the size. The gentileman and I went to pick it up I couldnt beleive how heavy it was. It is that perfect sized console I always wanted. IT is perfect and can't wait to get the tuner freed (If ever) and start listening to it. It was a much better console than I ever thought it would be. The console's construction blows away my Diplomat night and day. I also was surprized that it has a Magnetic cartridge. I wish my Concert Grand did....
 
Well I got the tuner freed FINALY!! it pulls in FM/AM and it seems to work. Now I got to put it back in the console. If it works really well,,, then I am done with it and will use it daily. As I need to recap my Concert Grand and rethread my tuner in my theatre.... I am going to enjoy this console. I now got to work on my Diplomat TT. sounds like hell,,, and need to relube it I guess. I am stoked that the tuner is working and freed. Never ever in my life had a tuner that was froze. I may have the console refinished. Nothing really wrong with it,,, just has 43 years of age on it.
 
I am thinking about listening to the Royal Electra,, How does it sound compaired to the diplomat?? Does it have a lot of low end? I got the tuner installed (console is still in the storage lockup) The tuner is freed and I tested the tuner to see if it brings in stations and the meter responds. I wonder if it is worth moving into the place I am living in right now. Stairs no one to help that sort of thing. Thanks
 
I got the my console working, FM tuner is a little low in volume and when I tap the chassis it crackles and makes a loud low bassy sound. I think something is loose. The sound is wonderful. Bass is much more than I ever would expect. and it sounds great with the TT and the aux in. I need to find out what is loose. Sometimes the FM comes in loud and clear other times I get a lot of bass I mean a lot. then nothing. Tap tap then it comes in again I also have to install fabric behind the metal grill. The owner installed purple curtain like things in front . Looks kinda good with the brown cabinet. I also can't beleive how heavy this thing is. My God this thing almost broke me getting it in the house.
 
Does anybody know how to get to the speaker bafffles on this console" the cloth is in real bad shape, Cant figure out how to get to it to replace it. anyone have any ideas? Thanks.
 
Been a couple years and more baffles than I can remember but IIRC, Open up the back. Along the speaker baffle perimeter you'll remove the screws. Then remove the baffle assy from the front.
 
cool!!!! I will give that a try. The only other proble is that I have low reception and when I tap on tbhe tuning gang, I get a real loud pop. Something must be loose. But the turntable and the aux in sounds wonderful.
 
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