TheRed1
Console Conservationist
A month or so ago AK member Snade passed some outstanding audio karma my way by putting me in touch with a guy from somewhere in Virginia who had contacted him seeking information on what he identified as a Fisher console. Snade forwarded the e-mail he had received which included a description and photos. The components listed were: a Fisher 800C, Sony TC-600 reel-to-reel, and unidentified turntable and speakers.
Despite being the “Fisher console guru” I wasn’t able to ID this one. It appeared to be the functional equivalent of a 1963 Fisher Executive VIII but with separate speaker enclosures. So, more out of curiosity than anything else, I contacted the guy. As fate would have it he lived not far away and we arranged for me to go take a look. He met me at the door and he led me down into the finished basement where he introduced me to “The Commander”, the console’s original owner. And there it was.
Immediately I knew I was in trouble. I tried to remain calm but I could feel my heart rate jump. They had it hooked up and turned on, tuned to some radio station and sounding pretty good. They told me to feel free to mess with the controls and I was astounded at how smooth and crackle-free they were. I set the tone controls to their neutral setting (they’d been turned all the way down) and found a stronger station. I doubt I can fully convey just how showroom new this 800C looks, feels and sounds.
The console was pulled out from the wall so access to the back was easy. There I found bi-fold doors with hidden ball-and-spring latches framed in wood with screen inserts for ventilation protecting the electronics and wiring. Inside were shiny and dust-free chassis and an insane number of unusually high-quality 1960s era cables. The cabinetry was definitely Fisher quality with just a few minor dings and scrapes (resulting, no doubt, from the immense number of miles it has traveled). They happily took out the dozen or so screws to remove the tightly fitting back panel of one of the speakers revealing a monstrous 12” Wharfedale coaxial inside a very nicely insulated ported cabinet.
As I was being overwhelmed by this amazing console, “The Commander”, who, of course was a naval commander, related the story of how in late 1963 he and his wife flew from their home on Guam, to Japan, bought the components and had the Yokohama Hi-Fi Cabinet Maker Company build this custom console based on the Commander’s sketches. A couple of months later, at just about the same time I was born, it was completed and flown back to Guam where it was certainly the finest Hi-Fi on the island. He also shared some stories of his naval career as one of the first typhoon/hurricane chasers which I found equally fascinating.
I asked and obtained permission to photograph the console thinking I would probably never see anything like it again in my lifetime. Following is a sampling. Then I told them the sad truth about consoles and how they are generally worth more parted out and sold piecemeal than as a whole. I also tried to convey the magnitude of the tragedy it would be in this instance. Not being a terribly wealthy person I made an offer which I told them I honesty believed to be less than half of its value if parted out but which was still more than twice what I have ever paid for a console. They very politely told me that they were really looking for as much as they could get for it. I was actually somewhat relieved as I had no place to put it and am very happy with the Fisher Premiere console I already have.
Despite being the “Fisher console guru” I wasn’t able to ID this one. It appeared to be the functional equivalent of a 1963 Fisher Executive VIII but with separate speaker enclosures. So, more out of curiosity than anything else, I contacted the guy. As fate would have it he lived not far away and we arranged for me to go take a look. He met me at the door and he led me down into the finished basement where he introduced me to “The Commander”, the console’s original owner. And there it was.
Immediately I knew I was in trouble. I tried to remain calm but I could feel my heart rate jump. They had it hooked up and turned on, tuned to some radio station and sounding pretty good. They told me to feel free to mess with the controls and I was astounded at how smooth and crackle-free they were. I set the tone controls to their neutral setting (they’d been turned all the way down) and found a stronger station. I doubt I can fully convey just how showroom new this 800C looks, feels and sounds.
The console was pulled out from the wall so access to the back was easy. There I found bi-fold doors with hidden ball-and-spring latches framed in wood with screen inserts for ventilation protecting the electronics and wiring. Inside were shiny and dust-free chassis and an insane number of unusually high-quality 1960s era cables. The cabinetry was definitely Fisher quality with just a few minor dings and scrapes (resulting, no doubt, from the immense number of miles it has traveled). They happily took out the dozen or so screws to remove the tightly fitting back panel of one of the speakers revealing a monstrous 12” Wharfedale coaxial inside a very nicely insulated ported cabinet.
As I was being overwhelmed by this amazing console, “The Commander”, who, of course was a naval commander, related the story of how in late 1963 he and his wife flew from their home on Guam, to Japan, bought the components and had the Yokohama Hi-Fi Cabinet Maker Company build this custom console based on the Commander’s sketches. A couple of months later, at just about the same time I was born, it was completed and flown back to Guam where it was certainly the finest Hi-Fi on the island. He also shared some stories of his naval career as one of the first typhoon/hurricane chasers which I found equally fascinating.
I asked and obtained permission to photograph the console thinking I would probably never see anything like it again in my lifetime. Following is a sampling. Then I told them the sad truth about consoles and how they are generally worth more parted out and sold piecemeal than as a whole. I also tried to convey the magnitude of the tragedy it would be in this instance. Not being a terribly wealthy person I made an offer which I told them I honesty believed to be less than half of its value if parted out but which was still more than twice what I have ever paid for a console. They very politely told me that they were really looking for as much as they could get for it. I was actually somewhat relieved as I had no place to put it and am very happy with the Fisher Premiere console I already have.
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