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This pre is coming up for auction locally and I'm thinking about taking a run at it but a couple of things concern me. It's an estate auction so the original owner isn't available.
There are extra screw holes punch into the rear panel in three spots, which is baffling. In most cases, the original holes are used but the new holes near the phono stage are instead being used, and one of the screws seems to be positioned so that the interconnect would actually touch it, if not be impeded by it.
Is this just a random DIY mystery, or can any C-J owners offer a reason why this was done?
Also, is the "Equipped for MC cartridge" sticker a C-J sticker, and does that mean it's MC only? Thanks for any help.
Follow Ups:
While nice there was too kuch gain and therefore noise when connected to my two MF series sensitive hi z ss amps. On yourscit looks like someone just changed, broke or modded the RCA jacks. The originsl are old and kinda sucked when they were new. On mine I replaced phono, aux and the output RCAs with excellent results. Just 10-15$ a pair Vampries as I recall. I left the originals in place and drilledcnew holes above them.As to the phono Id say yes it has been modded for MC so low z input and probably more gain. Email them if you get it and they can probably tell you. I also wouldnt pay more than 200,300 tops working or not. Recap it and upgrade the PS.
ET
"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936
Edits: 08/03/16
nt
One just sold on eBay for 511.00 and it was just a PV-2 not a 2AR. You should do some research before you spout off dumb shit like that. You have now been schooled.
ET
"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936
Edits: 08/03/16
please don't call me out unless you have the honesty to admit that you changed your post. Time to man up.FYI, I have had two of them and $350.00 to $500.00 is about right, but that's not what you said. Is it?
Edits: 08/03/16
It said 2,300 and was a typo that was meant to say 2-300. I probably would have come clean if you didnt get snarky in your subject line. Youll get over it. I hate this little tablet.
ET
"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936
Here's a shot of a stock PV2 (not mine)
The rca boards on yours look original but with extra screw holes in the case and the fasteners at the phono inputs.
Notice that there is foam or felt added between the upper and lower case. I also did that on my PV4. It stops the crappy case from buzzing.
As a former CJ owner I don't believe they are as wonderful sounding as many think. I rolled tubes, tried different systems etc to no avail. You could DIY a much better pre or buy a better one for similar cash unless you're looking to do a specific vintage set up.
just my 2 cents.
Edits: 08/03/16
I've decided not to pursue this. I've always been curious about C-J preamps but I'd not really in a gambling mood. I appreciate all of the input, however.
Just bet with your head. Do a search on recent or near recent sales of the same or similar CV preamps. Get an idea of price and discount it for being modified in an unknown way and DON'T offer above that.Your first feeling is usually the right one. Don't try and talk yourself into something.
I have the CJ classic 2SE and I like it. However like most newer preamps it eats tubes at an astonishing rate. I go through 6922 tubes every 6 to 9 months.
If you are looking of a good tubed preamp in that price range then look into VTA's preamp kits.
charles
Edits: 08/03/16
However like most newer preamps it eats tubes at an astonishing rate. I go through 6922 tubes every 6 to 9 months.Do you keep yours powered up 24/7? What indication do you get they need to be replaced?
I used to get several years of service with my last ARC preamp using 7308s. My current SP20 uses even more durable 6H30s.
Edits: 08/03/16
my CJ has light use. A few hours a day - every other month. So we are talking about (again this is ABOUT) 500 hours or less.
What happens is the tube gets noisy. It starts out like something is running outside. Then the hiss gets continually louder as the days on.
I've had this unit for a smidge over a year and I'm on my third tube. Luckily for me I've been moving so the CJ has been sitting in storage for the last 3 months. BTW tomorrow I get it back!!!!
Not all manufacturers run the tubes that hard.
In all honestly if I knew it eat tubes at this rate I would have looked elsewhere.
charles
Theres no reason you should be going through tubes like that. Somethings wrong. Have you contacted CJ? If so what did they say.
ET
"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936
Good idea I'll email them next week.
thanks
charles
Can you get the serial numbers? If so call CJ. They keep records.
According to the website it had two phonos.
I'd only buy it if you can get it cheap, that way you can send it in to CJ or put some work and parts in to it.
My c-j PV4 has the same sticker on the back indicating it is for a MC input. There are two small step up transformers inside the back panel that are easily bypassed by a piece of wire as long as you have a soldering iron.
While the installation of the input panel jacks looks too crude to be done by c-j, it is also possible that the old RCA jacks were too loose to be useful (mine are becoming that way) and that the panel was replaced. It would be doubtful that the same size panel is still available from c-j so maybe the original owner bought new panels from c-j and installed them himself.
Jeffrey, it's too bad that we can't see the front. If it has champagne knobs it has been upgraded to PV2AR status. If the knobs are black, it is an original PV2AR, made that way from the factory. Provided that the factory did the upgrade there is no real sonic penalty in having a champagne knob upgraded version, it only moves the ball monetarily.I would agree that the phono mod, a completely different issue than the AR mod, is not factory, though being identified on a type written adhesive label it does appear to have been done back in the day. It would be simple enough to change out the bolt to get access to the phono stage. A bit of sloppy work here that may presage some other problems down the line. My take is that someone that goes to the trouble to put on the sticker would not put that bolt there, so my theory would be that at least two people have worked on the preamp.
But my perspective is completely different. There is lots of gear from the 1970s that has been worked on at this juncture. With various degrees of skill of course. This is a very simple preamp to work on and, provided that it is in working condition, I would not hesitate to purchase it if the price was right. And by right $250.00 would seem a fair price, though I might go as high as $350.00.
Edits: 08/02/16 08/02/16
Here's a link to the auction page. Same auction has a Dyna 70, EICO and some Vandersteens.
Bidding for the C-J is already up to $85 on day one, and if it follows the usual EBTH pattern it will exceed its worth eventually.
This was a great site early on and I scored piles of records for pennies each and occasional mass market SS gear that I'd buy for gifts. Now, as soon as someone sees a Beatles record in crap condition the auctions go nuts.
Vintage gear is fairly rare and usually in other cities but EBTH's insane shipping charges preclude me from going that route.
It looks like the OEM phono I/P jacks were (for whatever reason) replaced. IF the unit is in good working order, I would not let that stop you from bidding. JMO, a complete jack set replacement using gold plated parts is needed.Touch base with C/J. My hunch is that the LOMC option is all or nothing.
BTW, can you provide a link to a photo of the innards?
Eli D.
Edits: 08/02/16
There isn't a top-down photo available. The auction site, Everything But the House, rarely does anything smart when it comes to audio equipment or software. Their information sections, at best, will say "Turned on, untested" and this sale, to make things worse, has no preview.
The vast majority of loudspeaker photos are with grills on so you can't see the condition of the surrounds, and LPs are often photographed in stacks with only three or four covers visible and the rest ignored. I've complained three or four times to no avail.
C-J's info for the PV2 series of preamps says nothing about a moving coil phono stage so I'm wondering if all the bonus holes are somehow related to an after-market modification.
that is not a factory mod. Might be good sounding, but that job looks shoddy.
Why drill new holes for the rightmost mounting and leave the originals open using screws that don't match anything else!
Yeah, it's almost more worrisome especially because it seems pointless. Without the owner available for an explanation, my gut says I'd be asking for trouble if I bought it.
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