Clipped and Shorn Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 It is the higher cost of New which inspires DIY. I am now inspired to upgrade those Dynaco Mark III monoblocks I bought a couple of years ago before the inevitable escalation of even the used prices. I think the pair (virtually mint) were between $500-600. I still have the Triode Electronics upgrade kit which I purchased around that time as well and a handful of nos tubes to go with it. I am always nervous about getting into these projects, but if I can do it so could you. You just have to go slow, be cautious, ask alot of questions, do alot of online googling research, etc. The $ you save is the motivation for all of this, and it is hobby involvement you will later be proud of. Recently I put together my ham radio station, also along these same bargain and vintage lines. In the course of doing this I discovered an outfit which sells videos on how to maintain and upgrade and operate vintage equipment. In this case my Collins 30L-1 linear amplifier. Hey now there is an enterprise just waiting for the audio hobby. Can you imagine how helpful it would be to have a video you could watch which would coach you through trouble shooting and upgrading your old Eicos , Dynacos, and Scott gear and even show the newbie how to do the basic bench skills and basic equiment needed. How about a video on upgrading heritiage Klipsch, from damping techniques to crossover upgrading to refinishing tricks of the trade....? C&S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 "It is the higher cost of New which inspires DIY." Yeah, I'll never afford new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 Yep, I've been feeling inspired lately, too. Just haven't done anything about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 Go slow with DIY is great advice. This last winter I had to pay an auto mechanic $100 plus to handle a heater problem I was having. Turned out when I DIY'd a thermostat change I actually (can you belive this) installed the darn thing backwords. Auto mechanic 101 and I flunked bad. On an audio note my first attempt at building an acrylic case cover for my cd transport turned out only so, so due to not taking it slow and measuring twice. Re your ham radio my brother-in-law has a box of tubes from his grandfather's ham setup. If your strapped for a tube PM me and I'll see if he's got what yo need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale W Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 C&S : Yes and no i guess , not everyone has the most important component of all " time " . Then again i've seen some fairly novise soldering thats caused problem all it's own . Skill level has to play a big part as well as being set up and having a few basic tools and a place that undisturbed to work ( meaning you can just walk away and come back a day later and nothings moved ) kids an wives are bad for this department. Good luck on those mark III's , mine are played daily and have no lack of kick , if thats what you into. DIY projects can be very expensive as well , good iron good tubes good parts and good chassis can add up in a hurry . More then one person has found out it would have been cheaper in the end just to buy the rig right from the start . But the old pride factor can't be beat , hope you enjoy your new project . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschfoot Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 ---------------- It is the higher cost of New which inspires DIY. I am now inspired to upgrade those Dynaco Mark III monoblocks I bought a couple of years ago before the inevitable escalation of even the used prices. I think the pair (virtually mint) were between $500-600... ---------------- I saw this this morning on eBay. This could let one know at least what this reseller thinks of his "technician's" worth. (Personally, I would have sold those rust buckets as-is, but to each his own.) He is really pushing the limits on salesmanship but I guess the adage "whatever the market will bear" hold true for old audio. The seller makes the point about the value of audio, though I cannot agree with all that work done without refurbishing the chassis also. I guess after seeing GaryMD's NOSed Mark IIIs, these on eBay leave a lot to be desired in the cosemetic department. Good thing he provides a warranty. He sounds pretty confident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 C&S, Here's an example of a DIY/Tweaker project. My idea of "Value" amplifiers. A long way from... Further detail can be found here; http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstube&1091541569 Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arco Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 I think Dual Woofers said it: The pride factor is very important for a DIYer, although this means that the project (or mod, for that matter...) has been successful. Now, "successful" is a very tricky word indeed. I have met DIYers who have built electrically correct i.e. working, noiseless gear which sounded rather awful, for some reason. They, then, tried to persuade themselves for some time at least, that this was the best thing since white bread! I have also met many others who, liking a certain vintage component, modified it so much with audiophile components, that the poor thing lost its soul and became something else altogether (at great cost...)! To cut a long story short, DIY is something for people who are curious, like to do things with their hands and - last but not least - are psychologically ready to take the risk of failure and scrap the thing altogether. Or make a cheap first attempt, before seriously indulging in the construction of a project. That's exactly what I did with a tubed phono stage I built lately (see attachment. For more, go to: http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/viewtopic.php?t=10530). Finally, a good DIY project is carefully planned and executed over a rather extended period of time. This, IMHO, is a big part of the pleasure also permitting to avoid mistakes and also to spread the total cost into smaller increments. At the end, an - eventually - expensive - project seems less so. Especially if it provides the joy it is meant to! Just my 2c... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted June 12, 2004 Author Share Posted June 12, 2004 Jazman, Those Dynacos look pretty nice. If they sound good, they would be a good deal for someone since diy-ers rarely are able to get back nearly the investment in materials and time. I definitely need to turn on my system tonight, it has been too long a distraction from music, also a good night for FM radio ala kpfa. After not listening for awhile, I am always aware that the ability (learned or otherwise) to appreciate good jazz is a great gift. The enjoyment level is so high, involved, and deep......it is time to dig into the collection.....but where to start....I am sure I will think of something......and then it is stream of conscious from one album to the next....... "Mode For Joe" as good a place as any to start...tnx. Arco, good points. about curiosity and willingness to encounter some disappointment. Also there is a false economy involved and you end up putting as much into a diy project as you might almost spend buying new.....even knowing this I still find it hard to spend the big bucks for new..... I have to seriously unload (eBay selling?) an accumulation of "mistakes" and learning projects,....a good winter project..... C&S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted June 12, 2004 Share Posted June 12, 2004 Arco, what are those wthite things atop your tubes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elan120 Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 This is the DIY amp that I started two weekends ago... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arco Posted June 13, 2004 Share Posted June 13, 2004 C&S, There's much instinct involved in choosing, planning and executing a DIY project. I don't say that following one's instinct always leads to success. This is a quite complicated issue in which previous experience and general knowledge of the market (and oneself...) are also involved. Still, it is a sure thing that if a DIY project is successful, you can enjoy the same or even superior performance (rare!) of - equally successful - commercially available items, costing 2-3 times the price of your building blocks. The time you spend on it is not accounted for, of course! Colin, The white things on the capacitors are just felt pads. By the time this photo was taken, I was still voicing the thing, so I had to turn it many times upside-down. The felt pads were installed for scratch protection... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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