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Any Fisher console fans out there?

VinylHanger

VinylHanger

Navigaret ex ironia
I was cruising one of my thrift shops and just about passed up a typical looking console. I haphazardly looked at it thinking that it would be the typical Zenith/Magnavox SS crap. However, once I looked inside I saw the Fisher logo. Possible potential, around the back I go, whoo-hee...... There be 6BQ5's in there, a stereo set, yee-haw......10 bucks and ahome it goes. Haven't powered it up yet as I am looking for a variac..ain't we all. Anyway, the model number is E44, with a 440T tuner/pre section and a 440A amp section. Anyone have an idea how these should sound? I am assuming they are around 10-15 watts? Is there a stand alone model that coincides with these chassis numbers? I am thinking of gutting the case and putting the gear in a nice wall shelf, however, it is a nice splayed legged chassis that may clean up pretty nice. I know, I know, it is only a console......but I have been so busy lately that it is the only thing I have found, and the only time I have gone looking for a month or more. Oh, and I also found some sweet classic rock extended radio mix singles in minty shape. Yes-Owner of a Lonely Heart is awesome.
 
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The numbers aren't ringing any bells for me, it could be these componants came only in consoles and I am not up on my Tuner numbers.
Did you count the output transformers?
If you are anxious to warm this thing up you can string some light sockets parrallell on a board with an outlet at the end to plug the console into. The more bulbs lit the less current gets to the gear and you just unscrew lightbulbs every few hours.
I have never done this and do not know the wattage of the bulbs needed or how many sockets you need. Rob could well know. If you have a volt meter it would be easy. You start at 40V and go up 10V at intervals of 1 hour or more. You do the 40V thru 90V with the power tubes pulled, put the power tubes back in (with it turned off) do the hour of 90V over again and then up to the full power of your outlet.
This will of course reform the capacitors in the preamp, tuner and amp.
 
Thanks Thatch, when I get some time I'll give it a try. It has 2 output trasformers so I am assuming it is stereo. It should sound nice no matter what.
 
Well if you are already playing it you don't need the variac unless it has a hummmmmmmmmmmmm.........................
If it is humming it might be too late to reform the electrolitics. Enjoy it and check the number of 6BQ5s. There were a few pieces of SE gear made for/by Fisher that were it seems only for consoles. I have never heard any myself but it did seem to get pretty good prices on Ebay. I don't remember if it was 6BQ5s or not though.
I am looking forward to learning more about your find. One other question, do the componants have face plates and if so is it shining brass or champagne?
 
Well I got impatient. I was sitting here and it was taking up room..... So, of course i had to plug it in and turn it on. Wow, it is awesome. Everything works, even the phono illuminator and the on light which is a nice golden honeycomb looking dot at the bottom. The Garrard TT even works. It has seperate AM-FM tuning dials and a selector to run both am and fm tuners at the same time for early simulcast stereo broadcasts, also a fm-aux simulcast setting for a seperate tuner I assume. It has aux inputs as well. And the AM tuner is just amazing. I listened to a bit of a local minor league game and it sounded amazing, like I was there. Even though I have only listened for 15 minutes or so, this is now one of my favorite units. It will be my first complete restoration, which is good, considering that I am starting to have people wanting me to restore/clean gear for them. Everything from tabletop radio's to tubed Studebaker car radios. Good thing we are about to move into the new house, it has a whole room which my wife has forced me to take over as my radio room....Awwww, ain't she a sweetheart :D
The only thing I have noticed is that one tweeter is a bit weak, but it has a loose connection in the harness, so I will see what is up when I have a chance. I'll post some pics as well.
 
The separate FM input would be for a multiplexer. If you don't care about getting your FM in stereo don't bother.
The speaker drivers are probably built by Utah or Jensen and while they sound good in the console are probably the weak point. While both companies made lots of those smaller magnet alnico drivers they made few cabinets themselves. In any environment outside of the console the drivers would be liable not to sound as good as they do now.
I have a pair of 62 Fraziers that I think have Utahs. The numbers were painted over with a great blue!
 
VinylHanger,
I have one of these same consoles (at least the amp & tuner are the same) burried in my garage. Do you have any photos? I haven't fired mine up yet. It was missing a couple of tubes when I picked it up at the thrift store (someone had swiped them: The manager told me it was working perfectly when they picked it up:( ). I've since scored the appropriate tubes, but haven't installed them. I will be very interested in your restoration! I've had the same thoughts regarding the cabinetry. I doubt I'd use the Garrard TT or the speakers (I've got Cornwalls), but it would be painful to trash that nice wood!

I've been checking out this forum for a few months. You all sound like great folks. For reference, I spend a lot of time over at the Klipsch forum (another helpful site).

Cheers!
fini
 
Welcome fini

Let me extend a warm welcome to AudioKarma and for making your 1st post on the Tube forum. MikE
 
Thank you, Mike! I was hoping to have kept some photos of the amp & tuner, but it looks as though I only have shots of the speakers...

fini
 
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And, lastly, yes! It's the same model! Will this sound better than a 500C? I have one I've been meaning to send to Mike Zuccarro in San Diego.
 
Another ShutterBug

"Tell me if I'm posting too many pics." Personally, I love pixs and find that they can be very beneficial in additional to text. As long as Tim [webmaster] doesn't feel we're absorbing too much of our system resources I see no problem at all.

MikE
 
Glad I'm not (shutter) bugging you!

Thanks! I agree, especially with vintage equipment, a picture is worth...well, you know.

Gregg
 
Welcome Gregg,
I haven't had time to get any pics taken, though it looks just like mine. It sounds absolutely awesome. I have taken a bit of a reckless attitude towards thrift tube gear. I figure that most likely the guys in the back have tested it which means that they have already turned it on. So if it made a lot of racket, they would have trashed it. However, I add this caveat: I don't have a variac. When i get one, I will discard this reckless way of doing things audio and bring them up slowly. Also, if it would ever happen to be Marantz tube gear of some nice Mac gear, I would wait :D Garage sale gear is different, it may not have been turned on....so I wait till I can't wait anymore......Then and only then I turn it on..works so far ;) I'm hopin ghtat things slow down a bit in the next month or so and I can get started on it. The first thing to do though is put a nice dual in the TT shelf. Not original, but better on my vinyl. I agree, the wood is beautiful. My wife wants me to put it in the front room.......imagine that :eek:
 
I found a Fisher console that has a tuner/amp in it. Chassis 21-R, Model E-492, "Custom Electra". It is in a console which has doors that open to reveal speaker grills. The soft spots suggest a woofer, midrange and tweeter or 2 way. They have a Sony dual cassette lodged into and beside the tuner. Didn't check the turntable, was looking at the Fisher and the info. Looked into it and it has alot of full metal jacket tubes. They want $100.00, but I usually get special rates at this place, like the $50 Wharfedale W70C's I got for $25.00. What info does anyone have on this model, price/value, output, input, can it be removed and placed in a receiver shell? Should this be bought? It has a faceplate similar to the receivers. They also have a Fisher Metropolitan with a more vertical orientated dial, $10.
 
did you see what tubes it has in it? I usually find consoles at the thrifts for 10-25 bucks, I would be hard pressed to pay over 50 if it was very clean. Though sometimes a console can just call your name. I missed a Telefunkin console a couple weeks ago, which I would have layed down a couple hundered dollars for in a heart beat. However, the Tele consoles are in a whole different league. I will say that the little amp in my console is sooooo very sweet sounding. It may have a full chassied unit in there, and depending on which model it is, it may well be worth the money. Without pics, it is hard to tell, as there are a ton of different console models.
 
The stereo amp chassis was unigue to the consoles. Never offered as a separate power amp, sadly. The quality of the sound when these are cleaned up is easily equal to the better known Dyna ST-35 6bq5 based power amp and IMHO better in the build and bass. This is worth centering a good system around and should do excellent on the Cornwalls. The tuner/preamp is the same as a piece offered separately but, I can not remember which. The Fisher made some outstanding consoles, especially towards the end with the untis that included the auto-reverse Ampex reel to reel deck. Your's is well worth cleaning up. Too many are getting gutted.
 
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