Thanks to VA for advice and here's my re-furbished HW-19 MK IV (pix)

Posted by amioutaline? on January 3, 2010 at 19:31:58

I decided after much deliberation to do nothing irreversible; I refinished the frame, removed the 10-32 T-nuts (I hate T-nuts) and replaced them with 1/4-20 threaded inserts so proper spikes could be installed, tweaked the springs and "D&C'd" the bearing.

The frame had some significant dings from the first 2 owners, although not too deep to sand out. When I tried to apply a lacquer top-coat I was greeted by extreme "fish-eye" from a decade and a half of the uninformed using silicone based polish. So I applied de-waxed shellac as a top-coat which had the happy result of allowing me to restore my music today!

Rather than remove the springs and go suspension-less, I cranked the springs down hard to the frame, thinking that removing one lossy dimension would make a difference, for good or ill. Finally, I took the advice I found in the archives to remove the bottom of the bearing, flush out the thick grease with mineral spirits and lubricate with Mobil One 10W-40. A job like this doesn't lend itself to doing one mod at a time so I can't say whether it was the spikes, the tight springs or the re-lube but my MK IV sounds entirely different.

Just because it's been mentioned recently due to it's re-mastering, I first played Dire Straits, Side One, the side nobody listens to because Sultans is on 2. Although unfamiliar, I knew from being able to boost the volume w/o distortion and hearing the individual instruments so clearly that something was quite different. I next played something most familiar: Side Three of Brothers In Arms. The HW-19 was giving me clarity I hadn't heard before, from the deepest bass to the highest treble. The flute was spookier, the bass more clearly de-lineated and all the little half-hidden riffs and nuances a little further forward in the mix. Listened to someof Count Basie and Mozart as well and all the above impressions were reinforced.

This table now sounds more in the league of the newer high-mass units I've heard for details of texture but retains the warmer, more comfortable tone of a suspension. I embarked on this job because the before got easily confused with complex passages and didn't show off the mid-range of the Sonata that I knew was there. I'm really happy with the after. It looks great, sounds great and I couldn't 'a done it without you guys.

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Topic - Thanks to VA for advice and here's my re-furbished HW-19 MK IV (pix) - amioutaline? 19:31:58 01/03/10 (12)

Most excellent....gotta love the wood on these tables. - tubesforever 07:16:31 01/04/10 (0)

I have been wanting to tear my Mk. IV down and have the bearing worked on - Muzikmike 06:59:10 01/04/10 (0)

Beautiful! I wish my Scout looked half as good. - JimK 05:43:58 01/04/10 (0)

Nice! Gonna have to drag out my Clarinet line stage to go with the Cornet 2. - Opus 104 05:15:34 01/04/10 (2)

RE: What are those ST bottle rectifiers? nt - amioutaline? 05:30:28 01/04/10 (1)

NOS Mazda 5Y3GBs. Best I've heard on Hagerman gear. /nt\ - Opus 104 08:45:15 01/04/10 (0)

Vewy , vewy nice..... - Marc Bratton 21:30:42 01/03/10 (0)

Nice work. Congrats, and enjoy! nt - Rick W 21:11:08 01/03/10 (0)

RE: here's my re-furbished HW-19 MK IV (pix) - macster 20:09:33 01/03/10 (1)

RE: here's my re-furbished HW-19 MK IV (pix) - amioutaline? 04:35:43 01/04/10 (0)

RE: Thanks to VA for advice and here's my re-furbished HW-19 MK IV (pix) - HW 20:08:12 01/03/10 (1)

RE: Wow! Thanks Harry. - amioutaline? 05:36:12 01/04/10 (0)

Thanks to VA for advice and here's my re-furbished HW-19 MK IV (pix)

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