Hi, Mark!
Thank you for the VERY kind words. I'm pretty sure I don't deserve such high praise, but I humbly thank you. Your praise for Frank Van Alstine, however. is right on the money! Frank has been unselfishly "giving back" to the audio community for DECADES. His knowledge and his patience with "newbies" is legendary! F.Y.I., I have a project "upcoming" very soon that I hope will "tickle your fancy." (More on that to come.) Unfortunately, I still have some "loose ends" to tie up with two ongoing projects, as well as a Stereo 70 restoration that will follow next. I just wish I had more time to devote to this stuff.
We have a great advantage here compared with articles in magazines like AudioXpress. We aren't limited to three or four pages and five or six photographs, so we can go into a bit more detail. My biggest limiting factor this year seems to be the weather. I shoot all the photos using sunlight, but sunlight has been in somewhat short supply lately. I'm hoping that tomorrow will be nicer so I can snap the "wrap-up" photos of the H. H. Scott 121-C preamplifier. During the next few days, I *hope* to wrap up the LONG-running project on the FM-3 tuner. Both projects are right on the "cusp" of being complete.
My goal with ALL of these projects is pretty simple. I've always been a BIG fan of Dynaco. No, Dynaco equipment isn't the BEST out there, but for the money, there is NOTHING that even comes close. Their "genius" was cutting cost to the bone while still maintaining VERY high quality sound. No other manufacturer managed to do this as successfully as Dynaco did. In rebuilding these old Dynaco units, we have the advantage of "upgrading" the parts quality significantly due to the improved quality of modern components. We can also "correct" a few *teensy* little "goofs" that popped up in the original designs, without significantly changing the character of the original units. It is also possible to modify the units to better serve today's needs. For example, the PAS preamps have three low-level inputs, but most of today's sources are line-level. By reconfiguring the selector switch, we can convert two of those low-level Inputs into Line level Inputs.
Each one of these rebuild/restoration "projects" is a labor of love for me. I acquired quite a few Dynaco units back in the 90's. As I go sliding into "Geezerhood", I find it's time to reduce the quantity of "stuff" I have in storage. But it would be a TRAVESTY to just "dump" these old, tired, worn-out units "as-is" onto an unsuspecting new owner. By restoring them, I'm trying to give a few people the opportunity to enjoy the "Dynaco Experience" for themselves WITHOUT having to worry that their amplifier, preamplifier or tuner is going to melt down in a few months.
Of course, all of this takes time. TOO much time, I'm afraid. But by publishing these rebuild/restoration "Chronicles", I hope to show people that they too can get a new "lifetime of use" from their old worn out units as well.
Back in the day, it was no big deal to slap together a Stereo 70 in an evening, or build a PAS preamplifier over the course of a few evenings. These "restoration/rebuilds" usually take a LOT longer to accomplish. First, we have to "un-build" the existing unit. Then we have to attempt to clean up the existing parts and metalwork that we will be re-using. This stage alone can account for several WEEKS worth of "evenings" before we're ready to even BEGIN reassembly. But the rewards are WELL worth the effort. Upon completion, we wind up with a unit that will (hopefully) operate flawlessly for YEARS. The extra effort spent on the "cosmetics" means that we won't have to "hide" the results when friends stop by to listen to some "tunes."
If these articles help others successfully tackle their own restorations, then I feel my personal goals in writing them have been met. I'm SO glad to hear that you enjoyed the article on the SCA-35. My very first Dynaco unit was an SCA-35 that I built when I was 15. It served me well into the 80's when it was destroyed in a warehouse fire, along with my FM-3 tuner. There is something *quite* special about the sound of an EL84-based amplifier. It might not be a "powerhouse", but within its capabilities, it REALLY shines!
I had *hoped* to have all the "loose ends" all tied up by now, but unfortunately, "life" has been getting in the way during the past few months. (It has a way of doing that sometimes.) But we'll be wrapping up the H. H. Scott 121-C preamplifier during the next few days. (I'm waiting on the arrival of ONE missing tube.)
Again, thanks for the gracious post, Mark. It is DEEPLY appreciated!
Sincerely,
Bill Thomas
