Restore my MC240?

[luddite]

I have acquired a MC 240 in original condition, from its original owner.  It has been sitting in a closet for years.  When I hooked it up to my Khorns, it seemed to be working as it should.  BUT, it is pretty banged up.  The chassis has some pitting and a couple of areas of surface rust.  The transformers have some wear and scratching of the black paint.  The graphics for controls are worn off.  The tubes , if not original, are pretty old.  I have talked with the guys at Audio Classics about restoration.  They recommended getting the amp up to specs, but not a full on cosmetic restoration.  It seems replacing the chassis, repainting, etc, can actually decrease the value of the amp.  I plan on keeping it (not flipping it), so having a well-running, not so pretty amp suits me fine.  What experiences have others had with keeping old amps as original as possible?  And, can 50 year old tubes still be functional?

[derrickdj1]

Restoration, even partial can get expensive but, it can definitely bring life back into it.  I'm not sure of not doing a little work on the case to make it  look better.  Pic's would help the forum guide you a bit better.  As far as decrease the value, it depends on what you paid and your desires.  If you plan on keeping for a while, do what you want with it.  The old tubes should be tested  to see if they are good or replaced. As long as the integrity  of the tube is good, they can last a long time and may have some decent value.

[dirtmudd]

1 hour ago, luddite said:

I have acquired a MC 240 in original condition, from its original owner.  It has been sitting in a closet for years.  When I hooked it up to my Khorns, it seemed to be working as it should.  BUT, it is pretty banged up.  The chassis has some pitting and a couple of areas of surface rust.  The transformers have some wear and scratching of the black paint.  The graphics for controls are worn off.  The tubes , if not original, are pretty old.  I have talked with the guys at Audio Classics about restoration.  They recommended getting the amp up to specs, but not a full on cosmetic restoration.  It seems replacing the chassis, repainting, etc, can actually decrease the value of the amp.  I plan on keeping it (not flipping it), so having a well-running, not so pretty amp suits me fine.  What experiences have others had with keeping old amps as original as possible?  And, can 50 year old tubes still be functional?

try this place...audio classic's knows their stuff...but it will cost a arm,leg,eyes,& a small countries annual gross gdp for a year..

 

http://www.vintagevacuumaudio.com/restoration-services/

[jimjimbo]

Vintage vacuum audio does not do MC240s. I would recommend Terry Dewick at McIntosh audio.com to restore your 240. Give them a call and see what you can find out.  Terry will help you make very informed decisions about what to do with your amp.

 

And yes, 50-year-old tubes can still be highly functional.

[Travis In Austin]

Give Terry DeWick a call for a second opinion and Craig at  @NOS Valves

 

I have personal experience with each of them, and both are top notch.

 

 

[Travis In Austin]

What brand are the tubeso?  You can, in many cases tell from that whether they are original or not.