Vintage McIntosh Question

[pwhartman]

I have a colleague that may be selling some vintage Mc; specifically MC-2505 amp, C-28 preamp and a MR-74 tuner. He has had them in storage in the original boxes for about 15 years now and he is the original owner.

I don't really have a need for these units, but having some vintage equipment is very appealing. What restoration will be likely (I would have Terry do the work)? Have these been solid units or do they have a history of being problematic or parts hard to find? I have heard that the C-28 volume control is often replaced but getting hard to find.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Paul

[audiosoul]

Sorry, I cant answer your question. I am getting a C-28 and a MC-2100
that I am sure will need some work at some point. Who is this Terry that you speak of? Thanks, David

[pwhartman]

Terry DeWick, he is a member here and a link to his site is below.

Paul

[homebrew]

The first thing to do would be to bring up each piece of equipment up slowly using a variac, rather than just turning them on. I realize not everyone has a variac laying around so you'll have to take the stuff to a repair shop. Likely they'll power up fine, but why take the chance?

Once you do get them up and running, you'll probably find some dial lights out. Replacement is fairly easy and the lamps should run less than $2.00-$3.00 each for most of them. If the controls have some static when you operate them, a good cleaning with Deoxit 5 followed by Fader Lube will cure that problem. I'd also consider a tuner alignment for best FM performance.

[pwhartman]

Originally Posted by homebrew

The first thing to do would be to bring up each piece of equipment up slowly using a variac, rather than just turning them on. I realize not everyone has a variac laying around so you'll have to take the stuff to a repair shop. Likely they'll power up fine, but why take the chance?

Once you do get them up and running, you'll probably find some dial lights out. Replacement is fairly easy and the lamps should run less than $2.00-$3.00 each for most of them. If the controls have some static when you operate them, a good cleaning with Deoxit 5 followed by Fader Lube will cure that problem. I'd also consider a tuner alignment for best FM performance.

Thanks - If it is simpler stuff like bulb replacement then I could probably handle that. Re-capping, re-flowing/re-soldering cracked solder joints, etc. are likely things I might not tackle. I'm not sure what is involved in tuner alignment.

[US Blues]

Maybe shoot Terry a PM and get his input. Anything sitting in boxes is likely to be in very fine shape cosmetically- for the right price plus proper servicing this gear would make a great system. Best of luck!

[pwhartman]

Originally Posted by US Blues

Maybe shoot Terry a PM and get his input. Anything sitting in boxes is likely to be in very fine shape cosmetically- for the right price plus proper servicing this gear would make a great system. Best of luck!

Yeah, I was getting around to that - just wanted to see what other folks thought. The Mc community is great for sharing ideas and experiences (see Greg's recent threads on restoring his MC2505).

Paul

[Tranquil]

Paul - The C28 and Mc2505 is a nice vintage system. I have owned both units for quite some time now and still enjoy them. My Mc2505 is a good trouble free amp. and it has a rich solid sound. My C28 started giving some problems. I sent it into Terry for an upgrade and he did an excellent job.
It's always fun to have a vintage MAC system around.
Good Luck
Anthony

[Gregory]

Originally Posted by pwhartman

Yeah, I was getting around to that - just wanted to see what other folks thought. The Mc community is great for sharing ideas and experiences (see Greg's recent threads on restoring his MC2505).

Paul

That's 2205, Paul.

I also have a 2505 and it sounds a bit constrained when compared to the 2205, but probably needs a thorough going over and new caps installed, etc. Agree that it's reliable and trouble free. Units of the 2105 and 2505 vintage are going to start developing conditions of rust, pitting and corrosion. Have you been able to check it over? especially the rear chrome chassis? It will still sound ok once properly serviced. Polishing the chrome and sheet metal surfaces of these older units is a good idea to protect the metal and keep them looking new.

-Gregory

[Sproink]

Originally Posted by audiosoul

Sorry, I cant answer your question. I am getting a C-28 and a MC-2100
that I am sure will need some work at some point. Who is this Terry that you speak of? Thanks, David

Terry does excellent work, and it's worth it to have vintage equipment (especially stored for longterm) properly restored and adjusted--it'll last for another 30 or 40 years!