1958 Fisher Stereo console find

Marlin Mackley

Active Member
Hi folks! I have been away from the chat group for a while, and normally haunt the tv section of AK but I found a goodie recently and wanted to share it with ya'll. This is a 1958 Fisher Stereo console, modern walnut cabinet, that was supposedly bought for around $1000 in early 1959. That might be an exaggeration as the guy who gave it to me acted like it would outpower a rock and roll band and probably was overly excited about the value too. Anyway it works great, uses the 9 pin output tubes for a massive 12 watts per channel, and I have to say it really rocks this place with that output! It features a Garrard turntable with two cart heads, one with the variable reluctance (is that right?) 78 cart still mounted. I have not played records on it yet as I had to cut some cables to remove the turntable when moving it. It had to go on its end to get it out of where it was so I stripped all the electronicals for the relocation. Anyhow the really impressive thing to me is the tuner. The AM has a broad/narrow bandwidth selector, and the FM section has the best selectivity I have ever seen. I probably own 40 FM radios, from my 1975 Kenwood tuner to a series of Armstrong Zeniths and the only other set I have that will pick up two favorite but faint stations is a Nordmende German job, and it is noisy. The Fisher sucks those stations in like a vacuum, and clear and clean. As with most early tuners it has seperate sections for AM and FM, with seperate bar type "tuning eye" tubes, and seperate knobs. Great for presetting my fav AM and FM stations. I forgot to check the chassis for model #s before I shoved it against a wall and put things on top of it so don't have those details right now. This is my every day listener!
Regards,
Marlin
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Wow, that is a really nice piece! Good find!

And what kind of synth is that on top?
 
It could stand a little cleaning & TLC, & I'm not too crazy about the light colored fabric on the speakers, but otherwise looks like a darn nice score ! Congrats ! -Sandy G.
 
There's one Fisher console...

that uses PPP 6A3 output tubes and a separate power supply chassis. I keep dreaming I'll find one around here. I just really like the looks of the electronics on that one. But yours is STEREO, very very cool. Model number? Give us the lowdown on the amp. Output tubes??? 6L6?
 
Saaaa-wheet. I am becoming a console junkie, to the chagrin of my wife. However, she did clue me into my latest Curtis Mathis console. It has a seperate power supply section. I'll post pics on another thread. I have a Fisher console from a few years later that rocks. I wood pull the electronics, but it is too nice to destroy, and has a soft spot in my heart as my first console. I now have three, and am on the look out for a nice Telefunkin :)
I see yours has befallen the console delima, lots of space for stuff on top. Luckily mine haven't yet, except for the Fisher which holds up the Mancave system. I play them for a full day, and if they survive without going snap, crackle, pop......... I figure they are good to go. Try listening to a local ball game on the AM, nothing better.
 
That amp should have 6BQ5's in it, probably around 15 w/ch. It's in the X-101 family, although there were different model numbers used when the amp was sold installed in a console versus sold as a separate unit.

Btw, I would take the time to pull it out and take a look at the model number. If it's an X-1000 (no, NOT the 7591 version), one just sold on ebay for $700. I think that's way too much, but that's what it drew.

I'm not surprised you like the sound. With that tuner it's a very, very sweet combo.

What a find!!
Clay :banana:
 
An old Fisher I picked up last year had a 30A monoblock for the second channel (sweet amp!) and the original "hot dog" Jensen pr10 woofers.

Pete
 
6BQ5's it is, and based on a slightly older Fisher HIFI I have with the same pair it would be doing 12 watts per channel. Justen - the synth is one of the earliest Minimoogs. Check out my web site for more info: http://www.studio4-17.com. Fisherdude, you have my curiosity aroused now, but diggin' it out will have to wait 'till after my turkey eatin' trip. It would explain why a guy just offered me $500 for it. It is good but I thought he was nuts! Vinylhanger - at least it does not have top lids to open! I have a German Nordmende that I can't put anything on at all! Nitrous - yeah, but I got the building REAL cheap! It is an old church that was converted to a Gym in the 1950's. And hey, I ain't much into sweepin'!
Marlin
 
Clay, that Ebay link DID get my interest way up so I drug it away from the wall and took the attached photo. :beerchug: Tis indeed the X-1000! I wonder what the tuner is worth, or the whole console? Shame they are so big and heavy as it is tempting to part 'em out.
Marlin
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Hi Marlin, that's the most beautifull console I've ever seen to this date!

and btw, that's no less then a MOOG sitting on top! Are they hooked up together?
 
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Hi Marlin,

Just checking back in after a few days.

Most consoles are not considered particularly collectable, except by guys with lots of room and understanding wives! Unfortunately, most fall in the "I'll charge you $25 to haul it away" category, especially anything newer than the middle-late '60's, which usually has totally ordinary SS stuff in it. The second main problem is shipping costs. Unless you live close enough to pick it up, shipping could easily be $200+ depending on destination. Kind of a deal-killer.

The exceptions are consoles like yours, which essentially were custom cabinetry designed to hold "normal" stereo/hi-fi components which were also sold as separate units. The desirability is based on the components inside, and not on the fact it's a console.

Your amp is a renumbered Fisher X-101-ST. If you're looking for a schematic, that's the model to look for. When it was installed in a console, it was given the X-1000 model number. On average, $300 or so. Exceptionally clean, $600-700.

Just from looking at the front panel I'm guessing the tuner is a 100-R. These are very nice tuners, but don't usually draw big sales prices since they're mono unless you add an outboard MPX converter. On average, $100-150, max.

Finally, no surprise here, cosmetics play a huge part in determining value. On these Fishers, the finish and silkscreening on the front panel is critical. Any damage is not repairable. Yours has lots of smudges showing. If that's just old fingerprints and grime, it will clean off well. Be careful! If the finish has deteriorated to the point where the brass finish is permanently marred, the value will be impacted.

Trust me, though. If you hook that amp up to a nice CDP or turntable, and some quality speakers, one listen and you ain't never sellin' it! It's a real sweetheart. A classic, musical 6BQ5 amp.

Clay
 
Hello again guys, just back fron my Turkey trip. Clay - the amp front is just about mint, the photo was taken without dusting it off. There are a couple of spots where finger dirt has built up, but it is not over the silk screening. Regarding the cabinet, when I had it up side down, I found a label that said made by Widdicomb, Grand Rapids, from which I assumed it was at least farmed out by Fisher. Don't worry, I'm keeping it! It sounds mighty good with a cd, even with its own speakers. Haven't tried hooking it up to my main system's Altecs yet but I am not expecting to be disappointed! Regarding the MiniMoog, which is SN 1026 out of about 13,000, I have considered trying it through the Fisher but so far it is just displayed on top of it, and normally plays through a nuthin' special Fender keyboard amp. Regarding 'understanding wives', well, lets just say been there, done that! Singledom hath its bennies!
Marlin
 
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