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McIntosh MC-75 in unknown condition, what do I do?

OK, I hope people don't hate me for this, I found a McIntosh MC-75 that was getting thrown out with a bunch of old electrical test equipment. I have no idea why it was getting dumped but it was there and I am attempting to recycle it.

Of course this isn't a process with out a few hang ups. First, I only have one amp and these are mono-blocks, normally sold as a pair. As such I don't know how much I should expect to pay for 1 additional amp so I can have a pair of the things. Heck, I'm not sure I even know where to find a single MC-75! Well aside from in a pile of junk test equipment.

Second, I haven't even plugged the thing in yet. I don't want to find out that something is wrong with it and I did more damage by powering it up without checking first. Any suggestions as to what I might check before I plug it in and what I might do after I plug it in?

Finally, any suggested resources for this amp? I admit I haven't searched much but if anyone has any recommendations off the top of the head I would appreciate it.
nikkidanjo

Showing 3 responses by nsgarch

nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
Nikki, it wont't cost you anything but patience and vigilance before you come up with a second one at a reasonable cost (or no cost!) It's just a matter of time and watchfulness. At that point (and it WILL happen) I bet your speculation about what to do will take on a whole new complexion! In the meantime, remember, there's someone out there in exactly the same situation as you -- just waiting for YOU to give up first !!
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nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
Nikki, with all due respect to Almarg, you don't want to operate it AT ALL! The electrolytic caps are probably shot, and even if they aren't, they have to be brought up to power slowly with a Variac. Don't even worry about the tubes at this point!

The best person to put this little gem back in shape for you is Terry DeWick in Knoxville TN.
http://www.mcintoshaudio.com/dewick_repairs.htm
Terry is a McIntosh wizard and does most of the important McIntosh repair and/or restoration for owners all over the country (including me!)

As for another one, singles often come up here on Agon, on eBay, and you can ask Terry as well. He can give you tips on cleaning the chrome and other info, so don't hesitate to call him. Also, if your amp has a pair of ORIGINAL KT-88's (made in the UK) and they have good getters (still fairly silvery on the top and both sides of the tube) those alone are worth $200 to $500 a pair!

Definitely a keeper ;-)
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nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
Nikki, for cleaning tubes I always use Ronsonal lighter fluid (naptha - the same solvent drycleaners use.) It will amazingly NOT hurt even the fragile white chalky printing on a lot of European tubes like Telefunkens! Whereas anything with water in it will take the labels right off! The labels on the KT-88's are fairly durable. They are probably Gold Lions, correct? -- that's what McIntosh used quite a lot as their OEM KT88's back in the day. Though used, they're probably still stronger than current KT88's are new -- I have a few and they all test better than the new stuff!

If the lettering on the chrome chassis is 80% intact or more, then it's worth bending over backward to save; so I'd caution against using any kind of abrasive cleaner or pad because it will remove the lettering if it's even in the same room! ;-) Terry recommends something that comes as cotton wad impregnated with some chemical that won't wipe the lettering off -- you'll have to ask him.

If you go to his site, you'll see some unbelievable restoration jobs -- amps that have been through fires, etc.
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