Audio Flynn Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 I was thinking when I had to replace the origonal fuse in the LK-48 that trashing the 40 year old fuse was not going to hurt the value of the amp. Why the guy that rebuilt it never replaced it is a mystery to me. But If I am going to keep it what next? What would a high end integrated PP amp like a CJ or BAT or other have on the LK_48? In terms of new technology maybe a stepped attenuator would be a qulaity level up. But would it improve the sound? It would seem even the venerable Marantz tube amps would need a freshening of conponents 40 years later. Craig has me convinced at this time I cannot hear speaker wire binding posts. But attenuator....? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 You could probably expect exponential cost increases for further incremental improvements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 On second thought, why not upgrade your speakers instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 Rick, You are to quick to blame the Fuses age for blowing chances are that something else caused it to blow the fuse !! These are not SS amps !! Did you do what I asked you to do after the new fuse was installed ??? If you haven't your acting at your own risk here ! Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 mdeneen, many vintage units have old and failing parts that need replacing and many mods replace and improve parts with ones that are better.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 One other thing that noone has mentioned. Safety. Many of these amps haven't experienced the use that we are now putting on them for many years. I don't want to have to baby sit the thing because it's 50 years old. I want it to be reliable and not burn my house down. That would suck. If that means changing some parts that modestly effect the sound so I can leave it on for a weekend or more and not worry, well them I'm all for it. Should I turn it off if I go to the lake or the mall? Craig replaced all the cans because they were bad and were patched with under chassis singles anyhow. I agree the vintage sound can be compromised but I had my 2 Scotts sent to my house from the seller and played both for a few weeks before sending to Craig. The sound definitely changed. I would describe the change, however, as "more of the same". Not a move away from vintage. I'm not that much of a fanatic to mount the thing in a museum glass cabinet on a rotating turet for guests to see and hear that perfectly restored vintage sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 I agree Colin, but then you start replacing the bad parts with better quality or different type materials, the original voicing of the vintage amp can be lost. (As Mark points out.) I guess you could try to replace the bad passive components with good, trying to use the same materials as original. But, I'm not thrilled with ceramics for coupling caps. The Maggotbox PP I have, had ceramics. While it had a decent overall response, it had that edgy, sibby, kind of sound. Then only thing I changed, is the coupling caps. It's nice and quiet, sounds fine. It's just one tube has +1.55 volts on the grid, so it's resting. I wouldn't leave any tube gear on to go to the Lake or the Mall, New or Vintage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 The positive on the speaker binding posts are the much greater contact area and the ability to handle spade type connections. I personally think you can hear some of these differences but not all are woth the trouble or expense. Good terminal strips do a fine job but sometimes dont provide a lot of contact area. I prefer the good 5-way posts for the contact and ability to tighten. Many of the 5 way plastic jobs STRIP like a bastard, however. The better ones are all metal. As for updates, sometimes your system wont reveal these differences. The more refined your system and setup, the more some of these things matter. At least that is what I have found in my experience with mods. I had a very nice Noble volume POT in one of my Cary Preamps. This is a very highly rated volume pot in its own right. In my other Cary, I had installed a TKD Stepped Attenuator which was substantially more expensive. Difference? YES, in my system it was worth it. I have found most quality stepped attenuators to be better than wiper standard volume pots. AGain, it might not be much difference depending on the rest of your piece. This was in a piece of gear that was already pretty damn revealing. Would I put that TKD in my EICO? Nope. In this case, the parameter change a bit and I would opt not to attempt this. Besides, the damn thing wouldnt fit. And I generally feel differently about vintage pieces and mods. Some mods DO enhance things, others are not so definite. Many are subtle changes that might not be realized unless other weaknesses are addressed. And some mods will out and out ruin the synergy, even if the peice is supposedly FAR superior. Putting 50 series Dunlop SP-9000 rubber on a Galaxy 500 does not bring Lotus Elan handling... It makes for a a funky 500 too... kh ps As for Mdeneen's comments, I have been saying this as well. One has to be VERY careful in changing vintage with modern parts as the sound WILL change and sometimes for the worst. Where I DONT agree is the idea of differing sound with new parts that have the same value. I think there IS difference in modern parts with the same values but a different makeup and type of construction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 When I rebuild a Scott, EICO or whatever everyone here seems to think I do some serious Mods. To be completely Honest I do very little modding the only Mod I do is the Bias adjust mod ! Everything else is just bring up to ACTAUL spec !! I sometimes will up the PS filtering for customers that want more bottom end control ! But for the most part my tweaks are very small ! Its the combination of parts that does the trick ! I think when done they sound like they may have when they came from the factory with maybe a little more detail and percision from better quality caps and a perfectly balnced output section which also helps in the noise floor ! Now Vintage power amps I go hog wild on !! Especially Dynacos !! Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 Kelly, What really amazes me is that you seem to think that when you pull one of these vintages amps from some dusty closet that they have sat in for maybe 20 years bring them up on a variac and think your listening to what they sounded like brand new ! What a HF81/scott or whatever in the best storage condition and either used constantly or used very little sounds nothing like it would of back in the day it was made. The caps and resistors all absorb moisture or on the other end of the spectrum dry out with age and use or no use ! There is no 40 year old amps that sound exactly like they did new no way no how ! You will never get the exact historic vintage sound out of these pieces so why not make them sound as best as they can ? Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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