Second tube experience: General Electric "Stereo Classic" integrated amp.

WOW!!!!

I returned the little blue amp to my friend, telling him something was definitely wrong with the bass. He said it could be, since he didn't really try it with low impedance speakers.

Anyway, he loaned me a GE Stereo Classic amp, from 1959. Here's a pic.



The amp is way beyond well conserved. It's perfect. It has every knob, every logo, everything. Other than some minor scratches on the upper cabinet, it's absolutely immaculate.

I took it home. It uses four 6973 bulbs, and delivers 24W RMS per channel.

The sound is absolutely unreal. I have compared it to my Margules ACRH-1 hybrid integrated, to my Bottlehead / Rotel RB-1070 combo, and it more than holds its own... the midrange is stunning...magical. The bass, my other amp's weakness is perfectly portrayed here. The dynamics are amazing - not as powerful as my SS amps, but quite close.

But the main thing is - this thing does music *right*. I have listened to it for 2 or 3 hours now, and it never fails me to impress. From the total absence of noise and hum, to the most seductive midrange I've ever heard... WOW.

Now, the bad part.

The amp uses 6973 tubes. Apparently, there are no such tubes left. ACK! It seems the only substitutes are the 6CZ5 and the 6EMS.

I don't know exactly what to do at this point. I could exchange my amp for an EL-84 powered one, but I know those tubes are not powerful enough. I could keep the GE and pay $100 or more for a set of 6973, or stock up on 6EMS tubes (even though those are not up to a 6973, apparently)...

What would you do? I still have no clue as to how they work. I assume owning this amp could be a bit troublesome in the future...

But it's so beautiful and nice looking... how about using the substitute tubes? Could this work?

 

How about having your friend (eventually, not now!) rig it up for a more common tube? It'd probably not involve much more than changing a couple resistors and in the worst of cases the tube sockets.

Just an idea..

 

If you're sure that you love the sound, $100 for a quad set of output tubes seems reasonable enough to me. If the current tubes in the amp are the original set, then you know the tubes will last a long time. Are the replacement tubes the same brand, etc.? This could make a difference in the sound.

 

kEEP IT!!!

 

KEEP IT!!! ....or give it to me!

 

Me FIRST!!!

Dean gets everything......

 

I got it!

All tubes and caps are brand new. They are GE's. I would not expect them to last a long time after reading about the 6973 tube, but then again, I don't expect to be able to listen to this amp for more than 1 hour a week (if at all... ) So it all works out.

Well, I got it and 4 6973 tubes. I think I'll buy substitutes (10W RMS each) for $14 later on

 

I'll put on my flameproof suit (no pun intended) and suggest you unplug it when you're done listening for the day, .. at least until you've had it for some time. Old gear, you know..

 

Damián, I don't know anything about tubes, so your comment is greatly appreciated. Yeah, I'll unplug it. It's way better to be safe than sorry.

As it is, though, I'm happy about my new toy. Owning vintage equipment is truly an experience. From the weird glow of the lights inside, to the feel of the pots, to the sound... I feel as if I was listening to my grandfather telling stories of his youth... which is kinda what this thing does best. Hmm. I wonder how my Miles Davis SACD might sound there...

 

For great tube advice, try Andy at Vintage Tube Services. He has website but doesn't respond to email. Call him using phone # listed on website.

- Ken

 

I bought some tubes from this guy in the past.
It is a little bit expesive but he could have GE 6973 that you need
http://store.yahoo.com/thetubestore/nos-6973.html

Mikhail

 

My preamp is vintage. It is an Eico HF85. It was manufactured from 1958 to around 1965 or so. It is probably the best sounding preamp I have ever heard! It uses 5 12AX7 tubes. Two in the phono, 2 in the line, and one in the tone control stage. It really has good sound. Very good bass, silky smoooooooooth mids and clear and refined upper range. It is also very quiet. It has a 3v RMS (this is rather conservatively rated, IMO) output, so it will drive any amp very well. It really adds that warm, tube flavor to any solid state amp. You can pick up one of these one Ebay pretty cheaply. I would replace the coupling capacitors (I did) the stock ones are usually leaky, or the values have drifted a bit. Also, replacing the selector knob and the volume control is a good idea too, they can be noisy, especially the selector. Other than these minor things, these preamps have aged very very well. Feed them with new tubes every couple of years, and it will serve you for life! Below is a pic of the HF85

(I stole the pic off ebay, I don't have a pic handy of mine, I should get a digital camera!)

 

Joe,

If your unit looks like photo. It's in amazing condition for 45 year old unit.

- Ken

 

It does indeed! The paint on mine is a few shades lighter, the paint Eico used varied over the years. It sounds as good as it looks! I only paid 250 bucks for mine! These units hold up well, when taken care of. They also polish up very well. The paint is just like toy model paint. I use car wax, and this gives the unit a nice shine. There was a walnut shell option for it too. With the walnut shell, the unit looks stunning! But on the downside, there are a lot of these units out there that look terrible, because they were in a damp environment, and in the dampness, the finish gets ruined, but on the bright side, it can be restored.

 

Come on, BE A MAN! Get a TUBE CAMERA.

 

Ha ha, very funny!! I really dislike digital photography. Photography is my other hobby, and all I use is film, both black and white, and color. The only reason I want a digital camera is so I can share pics with people here, and on my website.

 

.

 

The ST40 and ST70 are so good! You get the sound of the HF85 preamp with 20 watts RMS per channel in the ST40 or 35 watts RMS per channel in the ST70 of prue tube sound. These things sound so good. They are truly the best integrated amps I have ever heard. They have huge output transformers. Visit this website http://users.rcn.com/fiddler.interport/eico.htm for specs on all of the Eico gear.

 

What was that thread... You know you spend too much time on this forum when...

 

I used that exact same excuse to get my GE.

To be fair - some people have 1 TV per room. I don't like watching TV. I should be entitled to have 1 stereo system per room. That's what I told my wife, and that's when my wife told me to go... watch TV.