Vintage Asylum

One 500-C on route from Fisher Doctor.(I hope)

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In Reply to: List your vintage collection !! posted by Ross on March 12, 2001 at 14:14:04:

He wrote Feb.23rd to say it was done.
I sent a check the next day. The check had not been cashed as of Friday March 9th.
He has not returned my call or e-mails.
On the 16th he will have had it for 17 months.
Guess the total cost of: General Restoration
$63 in extra parts + labor
and total retubing w/nos tubes
Fred Griffith

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Re: One 500-C on route from Fisher Doctor.(I hope) Brian 14:40:19 03/14/01 (8)
Was this a frame off restoration or just an upgrade?
Is this a misprint? 17 months?! Wait 1 month more and you could have 2 children.
Actually, I tried to speak with him a few times and never get an answer. I'm looking for a set of the brass caps or knob sets. I was thinking about a rebuild (caps and resistors) or possibly a frame off restoration. I'm not sure I could be either patient enough or live without my 500-C that long. Maybe I need to get a second unit.
- 17 (seventeen) Months - Not a misprint... fred g 20:45:25 03/14/01 (0)
  ...and it ain't over yet.
  Fred
- How hard is it to get brass caps for the knobs? phenderson 19:08:12 03/14/01 (6)
  I'm thinking of buying a '60s Fisher on ebay (eventually) and as you know most of them are missing the caps that go on the knobs and they say "just buy from the Fisher Doctor" but now I am worried ...
  - No sweat Brian Charlie K 07:25:13 03/15/01 (2)
    I got mine within two weeks. Give Al a ring on Thursday or Friday around 12:00-1:00 PM. Just after feeding time for his wee one. Seems to be the best time to catch him. Apparently he has Thurs and Fri eves of from work so keep trying if you don't get through. What are you looking for, turn-key or fixer?
    - Re: No sweat Brian Brian 20:25:06 03/23/01 (0)
      I'd probably want a turn key amp and tuner, preferably the X202 and FM200. It would wet my appetite and allow me to get the 500 rebuilt, then I could get the separates rebuilt.
    - Thanks, turn-key phenderson 22:37:55 03/16/01 (0)
      Thanks for the useful info!
      One day I hope to be a fixer-upper but no time to learn right now. Looking to recreate nostalgic boyhood system (which also happened to sound pretty good!) Now that I am an Ebay peruser and know that the stuff is out there I don't feel I need to jump on the first unit I see, but what I hope to get eventually is probably a Fisher X100B or C -- it's what we had, I think. It's an integrated, rated at 25 wpc ("IHF Music Power")and sold for $169.95 at Korvettes around 1962 or 3. No knobs in upper row, six knobs across bottom, no flip-down knob-cover. Some of the controls were functionally double-ganged, all looked double-ganged i.e. same shape even though the two sections did not turn independently. I lost an auction on one a while back, but it was nice to know they are still out there. Other Fisher models could interest me too, like the S100 poweramp; it's just a question of how much money and space I have at a given time. (Not so much at the moment.) I also like the Scott 299C and the matching tuner. I also like the earlier Scotts with the funky brown metal knobs and even the later Scotts with plastic knobs that looked like Fisher knobs. Then there's Eico and H-K, but lets say I'm a long way from my first million and already out of shelf space. But if you hear of an integrated as described, you are welcome to drop me an email at phenderson@snl.com
  - Re: How hard is it to get brass caps for the knobs? Brian 20:27:50 03/14/01 (2)
    The Doc is supposed to have reproduced the caps and knobs. I see the same comment and once in a while someone notes he acquired a set. For my 500-C a complete set is supposed to be in the range of about $35. I really am not all that concerned. Knobs don't improve sound (Hmm interesting thought, I wonder if you change the harmonics of a volume control shaft, will the sound change?)
    Mine had 1 missing when I bought it and over the years has lost 2 more. I really love the sound of the 500-C and others I know love the 400. Their tuners and integrated amps were some of the better made in their day and well worth acquiring and using even today. GO FOR IT.
    - By George, you've got it! phenderson 22:44:53 03/16/01 (1)
      I think you've hit on a tweak and are about to get rich! Knobs tuned to the frequency of Buddhist monastery bells. Advertise in Stereophile or on Audio Advisor!
      Seriously, I confess to wanting the unit to look nice. I'm already convinced of the sound, since I remember how nice it sounded. I wouldn't even want fake Fisher knobs unless they were exactly the same.
      I get the impression this Doc has been affected by the HMO thing like so many others. Delays, confusion, etc.
      - Re: By George, you've got it! Biran 20:30:32 03/23/01 (0)
        
        In Reply to: By George, you've got it! posted by phenderson on March 16, 2001 at 22:44:53:
        
        I too like the units to look good but I am not an addict. I would not change my knobs for a series that did not go with the unit but they need not be NOS. I would make sure I retained the originals. I made the mistake of replacing the front panel of my FM-3 during a rebuild with 1 from Sound Values (flat plate with no raised edge). I forgot to get the original back and when I realized the error, the repair person had died (less than 2 weeks after giving the unit back) and the widow had closed his repair area, hence never got it back and now it does eat at me a bit since it does not match my SCA35 amp.

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