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HELP!! Need to identify Fisher? console

R

racharon

New Member
HELP!! Need to identify Fisher? console
I recently purchased a console with an Ampex Monitor 970 reel to reel. I took the console apart sure I would find chassis ID numbers with a manufacturer's label but alas no joy.
The clues I found are the tubes all labeled "The Fisher" the AM antenna is printed "Fisher Radio Corporation" I have reviewed all the images of Fisher consoles presented here and not one from the fifties to the mid sixties match.
I have attached photos of the console cabinet along with pics of the chassis and one of the amps (also no manf. numbers). If anyone can help me ID this console it would be most appreciated. I collect and restore old radios but this is my first post 1950's (the reel to reel got me) and I love returning them to original condition but that means having the schematic and associated docs to do it right. I found all the docs on the reel to reel and am currently bringing it back to like new condition but need to find the chassis numbers to get the AM-FM side running right. If its any clue the FM Multiplexer is a G.E. MA-2G Ser. Number L210968. This is the only thing with a number on it.
Thanks again for your help
Arcee
 

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That does not look very Fisher to me, but I may be wrong. The Amp chassis does not to me either. How about a shot of the radio portion? There is always a chance the tubes came from another machine. John
 
Tom Bavis said:
The appearance of the amp says "Ampex" to me... I have few Ampex amp schematics with those tubes.
Click to expand...
I was stumped until I saw Tom's post. What you have there is a truly remarkable 1958 Ampex Crescendo stereophonic console. That's very early for a stereo console. And at $1,795 it was more expensive than the '58 Fisher Executive II at $1,595 but not quite in the stratospheric range of the '58 Fisher President II at $2,495. Please post a photo of the tuner which should be a 'The Fisher' if it's *hopefully* still original and complete. If AK had a 'Console of the Year' award you'd definitely be in the running, though the Commander's might be hard to beat and the South African team is putting out some surprisingly strong contenders.

AmpexCrescendoNov57.jpg

AmpexCrescendoNov57A.jpg
 
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Tom,
You Hit the nail square on the head!!! I have attached photos of the AM-FM chassis and one of the ampex recorder. Ive just got the recorder working perfectly replaced brakes caps tubes and various minor componets along with a through cleaning. Shes just humming along.
 

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NICE !

I'll bet the original TT was a Garrard (RC90 or similar) with a GE VR cart . . .

those amps look like a ^v^ version of the 6973 amps that came in my Ampex console :thmbsp:
 
markus said:
NICE !

I'll bet the original TT was a Garrard (RC90 or similar) with a GE VR cart . . .

those amps look like a ^v^ version of the 6973 amps that came in my Ampex console :thmbsp:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the inspiration markus. A search on the Garrard RC-90 yeilded this pictoral history of the record changer.

What a great site! (and nice resource for guys like me with stacks of console TT's in the boneyard in the garage)

Garrard RC-90.....:thmbsp:

garrc90.jpg
 
Recharon, could we see a photo of the back of that tuner? If that is a Fisher tuner it's not one I'm familiar with. Does it have any sort of a model number on the back? Also, it looks as if the faceplate is common to two different chassis - the tuner and the preamp. Is that the case?
 
TheRed1 said:
Recharon, could we see a photo of the back of that tuner? If that is a Fisher tuner it's not one I'm familiar with. Does it have any sort of a model number on the back? Also, it looks as if the faceplate is common to two different chassis - the tuner and the preamp. Is that the case?
Click to expand...

I don't think the tuner/preamp is fisher . . the greyish - tan paint on the faceplate screams Ampex . . .
 
What leads me to believe that it may be a Fisher tuner are its Fisher tube compliment, that its AM antenna has "Fisher Radio Corporation" printed on it and the that the ad copy mentions that the Crescendo has a "custom designed FISHER *FA-AM tuner" (*probably a typo for FM-AM). I'm thinking that Ampex subcontracted the tuner chassis portion of the console out to Fisher and used their own preamp and faceplate. Possibly a good photo of the back of the amp might reveal an unknown Fisher tuner.
 
Stand back Boys.....

TheRed1 said:
What leads me to believe that it may be a Fisher tuner are its Fisher tube compliment, that its AM antenna has "Fisher Radio Corporation" printed on it and the that the ad copy mentions that the Crescendo has a "custom designed FISHER *FA-AM tuner" (*probably a typo for FM-AM). I'm thinking that Ampex subcontracted the tuner chassis portion of the console out to Fisher and used their own preamp and faceplate. Possibly a good photo of the back of the amp might reveal an unknown Fisher tuner.
Click to expand...

Red's got the bit between his teeth...don't get in his way....:D
 
TheRed1 said:
I'm thinking that Ampex subcontracted the tuner chassis portion of the console out to Fisher and used their own preamp and faceplate. Possibly a good photo of the back of the amp might reveal an unknown Fisher tuner.
Click to expand...

AAAHHHHH! . . . I gotcha :yes:

wow . . so this could be an as-yet-discovered Fisher OEM tuner ? i
 
I agree with Red. Between the ad with "custom designed by FISHER Tuner", and the antenna, and tube compliment, I'm also tending to think it's a AMPEX Branded Fisher built preamp/Tuner. I'd like to see a couple pics of the top and underneath of the tuner for parts compliment. I wouldn't think AMPEX would put "THE FISHER" on the DIAL Glass tho. But the lettering on the dial Glass is damned close to late 50's Fisher numbering font.

Kinda like some Realistic Re-Branded Pioneer stuff 20 some odd years later. Not obviously PIONEER but there were subtle clues.

Red: Have you noticed that Fisher used a lot of GERMAN made PIO caps in their tube stuff. Lots of them in the 49A/T and 59A/T's. Something to look for here too.

Larry
 
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Ampex Crescendo

I have attached a photo of the rear of the chassis and the am antenna. Yes red the dial cover extents over to what appears to be a pre-amp and switching box. These appear to have the same finish as the tuner so I suspect the tuner and the pre-amp switcher are made by the same company. I have confirmed outputs for exterior speakers and a TV out as per the ad. It has JBL speakers the bass being a MODel LE-10 and the high end being an LE-30 with an LX-3 adjustable cross over. There is also a General Electric Model MA-2G Multiplex adaptor for the FM. But I believe this was added later by the original owner. Since you found out for me what it is I done some more research and think that the Mono blocks are indeed Ampex. I strongly suspect they are Ampex Model 2010's 10 watt.
If you go to the Vintage Solid State forum I through stupidity posted this thread in there and was redirected by one of the members of that forum. It has attached several more photos as of the chassis top and bottom with the cover off. Please note the three RCA plugs you see on the back of the chassis are NOT wired from the factory. Only the "Main Output" and "Multiplex" are used. I hope we can fiqure this out I would really like to find a schematic for all of it.
Anymore ya need let me know
Thanks
Arcee
 

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Racheron, thank you for posting the excellent photo essay on the Crescendo. I just spent the better part of an hour perusing it. I was glad to see that the louvered speaker covers open up. I can't imagine it would sound very good with them closed.

It definitely looks like a variant of Fisher's 80-R, Tom. Both have 13 tubes but the tube types are not an exact match. Recharon's tuner doesn't appear to have any ID markings on it at all. Finding that specific schematic may be quite a quest.
FisherConsole-AM-FM-BareDialFace.jpg


A photo of the 80-R from the Fisher Doc's website for comparison:
fisher80.jpg
 
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