Need Help Identifying Vintage Tubed Console

michael_w

Well I was talking to my friend and he mentioned he had this turntable he needed to get rid of. I asked about it and turns out it is a big console. On the front it says "Fleetwood Stereo Hi Fi" if I remember correctly. The thing looks pretty damn mint but I'm not sure on the operational condition. I wasn't too excited about it until I took a look at the electronics in it and turns out the receiver had two tubes. I wasn't really able to get a good look because I think to remove it you have to take out many screws and remove the back panel. The tag on the back mentions something about Electrical Products Mfg. Co. in Montr

madmax

Can't help you other than to say a lot of those things had a big full sound. Great synergy. If nothing else it might be cool to start a 45 and 78 rpm collection to play on it.
madmax

mhardy6647

Cannot tell you anything about it except:

1) If it has not been used recently, find someone with a Variac (assuming you don't have one) and bring it up to AC mains voltage slowly. Doing otherwise risks damaging the power supply electrolytics (which'll likely re-form and be just fine if brought up slowly) and/or other p/s components... it's cheap insurance.

2) Too bad there are no 'tape' inputs back there... but the phonograph almost certainly has a ceramic cartridge, so the phono inputs can be used for a line-level input. You can hook a CDP up in place of the phono and enjoy it.

Pablo

I recently almost picked up one of those, but after a bit of research, it didn't seem like it was worth much. I got lucky and the manual, schematics, and receipt were still with it so I was able to find similar models on e-bay. If I had the room I would have taken it (it's my wife's grandmother's sister's). Never got a chance to listen to it though, so I can't tell you how it sounded, but from what I remember it had some wattage.

michael_w

Thanks for the replies. Aparently when they got the thing about 5 years ago they plugged it in and tried running it and the tt itself started to smoke Say it isn't worth much --- I know it is kind of wrong to do it but is it possible and would it be worth it to strip it of the receiver and ditch the rest? The cabinet is immaculate but I don't really see me or my friend putting the time and money into it. (Plus the thing is freakin huge and neither of us really have the room for it)

Any ideas where I could borrow a Variac?

michael_w

one last bump... I'm going to see if my dad will let me take it but otherwise I'm going to strip it for what I can because they HAVE to get rid of it in the next little while. Thanks again to those who have already thrown out ideas.