I am finally joining the Tube Ranks!!!!

[picky]

Oh, Boy! It's the beginning of another potentially-expensive hobby.........

I am now the proud owner of potentially, one of the ugliest integrated tube amps I've seen!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=9702919022

An EICO ST-70 that I just won on EBAY. I've already talked with Craig (NOS Valves) about it and he said yeah, it's really ugly, but it ought to thump my Heresy III's pretty good! I'll be taking the amp to him for an overhaul after I receive it and mess around with it for a few of weeks. He'll have to add me to the queue once I decide if it's worth the expense. I'm pretty excited about it. I did want to get a Scott 299D or a Fisher X-200, but this one was such a bargain. I won it for only $185.40 and it even came with the manual!

[gonzp]

Congrats Glen, Another one that has "seen the light" I wish you years of happiness. PDG

[Colin]

beauty is in the eye of the bottle (tube) owner -

even ugly tube amps can make great music when refurbished-

maybe Craig could polish up the faceplate or replace the knobs with gold ones...[H]

[picky]

Thanks, guys! Don't get me wrong...I actually think it's a beautiful thing if it sings as good as Craig says it can. I guess it puts out over 30 watts per channels so that should sound excellent. I've been waiting for months to get a tube amp, so firing it up for the first time should prove to be pretty exciting. I should have it in about a week.

[Daddy Dee]

Yeh, a beauty it's not, but bet it sounds good.

BTW, I've done business with that Ebay seller and thought they were good people.

[lwhaples]

Congrats! On the intro to tubes. And Yes, it will get expensive from here. But worth the sound

they give.

Larry

[DizRotus]

Glenn-

Congratulations! Will we hear it make the H-IIIs sing at the party?

[dkp]

Glenn, I'd say you're doing alright. I mean, less than $200 for a tube amp and a brand new pair of HIIIs? Nice... Let us know what you think. I've heard the Heresy IIIs on SS and thought they were head and shoulders above the HIIs. I'd like to hear your impressions of them...

David

[SilverSport]

Picky, I think you will be surprizingly pleased with your Eico...I know I am! (Eico HF-81)...Bill

[Speedball]

That's not such a bad looking amp at all, a little (lot) bit of retro style maybe. A little elbow grease on the face plate and it may clean up real nice. You sure did get a good price on a tube integrated.

What kind of power does that thing have?

[picky]

Thanks everyone. The seller seems really nice. They said they would have it in the mail to me (UPS) by Wednesday night and send me a tracking number. It's coming to me here in Michigan from Minnesota.

The more I am finding out about this amp, the more I am getting excited about owning it. I read a very glowing review about it today on the AudioReview web site:

http://www.audioreview.com/mfr/eico/amplifiers/PRD_115778_1583crx.aspx

According to the EICO page below, the unit puts out 35 watts per channel which is terrific for my Heresy III's. The amp originaly sold for $99.95 in Kit form and $149.95 in wired form.

http://users.rcn.com/fiddler.interport/ST70.HTM

I do not know if mine was a kit or a wired model. Craig said it looked like it was wired right in it's photo. Either way, Craig will get it back into "fighting shape" for me in time for our Klipscher BBQ this summer (in late July). I will have this EICO powering our Heresey III's for everyone to check out. Craig said he'd bring his VRD's too! ....hmm...I'd better invite the neighbors so they can't complain about the volume! LOL

[DizRotus]

Glenn,

I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing the Eico and the H-IIIs; you and Verna too. Craig's VRDs would be a welcomed bonus.

Inviting the neighbors is a good idea. With the Eico and the H-IIIs you'll be be able to drown out the conversations at Dunleavey's. Craig's VRDs would expand your circle of influence into Monroe County.

[jacksonbart]

Is that like the French Foreign Legion?

[joshnich]

Dont know a lot about EICO but I happen to like very much amps that use the 7591 tube. I have a Scott 299D and Mac MC225s both of which use the same tube and I like them both very much. I bet youll be pleased as well. From what I understand, unlike a lot of other power tubes, the 7591 was developed specifically for Hi Fi.

Now I know why I have a set of EICO branded 7195s!

Josh

[NOSValves]

Picky,

Factory wired EICO will have a inspection stamp usually amongst the tubes on top of the chassis that stated inspected with a date and I believe an employee number. Its done in back with a rubber stamping type deal. They can be faded and hard to spot in a picture.

You BBQ sounds like it will be a blast. By the way the VRD's do not have to be played loud! They sound excellent at any level. How loud they go is the direct result of the nut behind the volume control[]

Craig

[mark1101]

Picky,

I won an old LK-72 on the bay a couple of years ago. It looked like someone threw it down a flight of stairs a few times. Still does.

Craig rebuilt it, and it is still ugly. But it is one fine sounding 7591 amp, and I still use it all the time for my center channel on my 2 Ch. system.

Nevermind about how your Eico looks, it's how it will sound. Craig will take care of that.

I'm sure he went over with you about using it prior to a rebuild. Be careful and enjoy. The best part is when it comes back rebuilt and sounds totally different.

Go "Deluxe Rebuild", and I recommend the JJ 7591s.

Enjoy.

[picky]

Wow! A week ago, I didn't even know what a 7591 was. Now, I am looking around at sites pricing the different brands of them! I'm afraid I am hooked. With all due respect to the SS ranks, of which I have been a proud member for years, this whole tube-thing is a lot like being a "gearhead" and working on your own car; you open the "hood" and poke around to see what you can do to make it run better. I'd never think of opening up my SS amps. Except maybe to vacuum them out once in a great while. Don't get me wrong, I still love my SS gear, but I predict this tube-thing is going to be a lot of fun. It's good to know the 7591 is considered a quality audio tube. Thanks for the info.

Craig: You're right: The VRD's don't have to be played loud. I'm sure we'll get lots of enjoyment out of them without the cops showing up.

I saw the 7591 JJ Small Bottle tubes offered in a quartet matched set for $87.80 at Torres Engineering on the web. I guess that's not such a bad price? I don't know the value of each tube yet, but I am learning. I will ask Craig to replace whichever tubes do not test well.

If one 7591 is bad, is it best to replace all 4 at the same time to maintain the same constants across all of the outputs? That sounds resonable to me from an engineering standpoint.

[NOSValves]

Picky,

For JJ 7591's call Doug at www.dougstubes.com tell him I sent you and I said to treat you right. I bet you get them for $70 to your door and he tested the sh!t out of them before shipment. He also stands behind them if a problem ever does arise(within reason). Great source for modern production tubes and deals with customer one at a time much like I do. I think your best bet is to wait until we get things tested out. If your lucky and your amp comes with a good quad of original 7591's they are the best! Don't be suprised if the amp needs very little in the way of tubes.

Craig

[Cal Blacksmith]

Congrats Picky!!!

Tubes are indeed a tinkerers delight! There is always the next tube to try (budget allowing) and the joy of just watching them in a dark room while sweet music floats around your head![][]

[picky]

Gosh, this whole tube thing is pretty seductive: I'm hooked and the dang thing hasn't even been shipped to me yet. That's supposed to happen sometime today so I should have the rig in about a week. I'm getting pretty excited about it. I've been looking up all sorts of web infomation on the rig and the tubes the last couple of days.

The first time I plug it in and fire it up, will be akin to going on a first date! Only, I already know she's UGLY! LOL It's her beautiful voice I can't wait to hear. Maybe I should name her Momma Cass? []

Thanks for the good word there, Craig. I will hold off on buying anything until after you've tested everything. I will contact your pal if need be. I do know I will need at least one knob or a knob insert as that right one on the end looks like the insert is missing.

Thanks, Cal! The first thing I plan to do is to give everything a careful cleaning after the rig arrives. However, before it does get here, the rest of this week is supposed to start warming up into the 60s, so I will most likey take the Heresey III's out of their boxes and hang them on the wall mount brackets I bought last weekend. I must design a way to secure them to the mounts without making any holes in the cabinets. I think I have an idea or two that will work with ease. I made sure to buy commercial-strength brackets rated at 100 lbs. load that will easily support the Heresey's 44 pounds. Once mounted, they will still have the ability to be swiveled side-to-side.