Ah yes, the original Van Alstine Audio Systems units - later know as VA Systems.
The short version of the long sad story is that I went into business with three partners back in the late 1960s. I quickly realized I was wanted mostly for the promotional value of my name, such as it was. I was finally just outvoted 3 to 1 on most issues. I saw this was going no place and sold my stock back to them and got out, with the provisions that my name was supposed to come off of the products and that I be supplied with samples and service data on the models as they came out. These conditions never happened and the company just faded away a few years later leaving a string of unpaid bills. I went back to running my own Jensens Stereo Shop, changing the name later to Audio by Van Alstine after getting far too many calls late at night to do while you wait warranty repairs on dingbats' Jensen car radios and them being pissed off when I declined.
The Model Two was the last unit built while I still had something to do with the company. It takes some things from my earlier Double 400 (very highly modified Dyna 400, later lifted in whole by Dynaco and renamed the Dyna 416 - no thanks or credit to me). Yes, Wade Burns of Dyna did the 16 output transistor output stage design and let me use it, but I took it from drawings to actual product and a whole lot more- like noting and fixing a really screwed up slave output driver design.
Anyway, the VA Systems Model Two was an outstanding amplifier for its time, but its time was nearly 40 years ago. There are a whole lot of unobtainium parts in it, such as the power supply capacitors which were in a special ordered size to be act as the hold-up brackets for the audio boards as well as basic supply caps. We have no service data on it at all and cannot cost effectively repair it. By cost effective, I mean that almost always a bung one will be less expensive to replace than repair.
A good working one might still be a nifty thing to have, assuming it really is a good working one. One boxed away for years MUST be brought up very very slowly (12 hours or more) on an AC variac to protect and reform the electrolytic capacitors or they are sure to fail. And remember that if it poops out, your investment likely has too.
We would suggest that anything later that we have produced, either in our own chassis, or Dyna or Hafler rebuilds (in the Jensens Stereo Shop or Audio by Van Alstine name), are probably safer used purchases. First of all we will still service them. Second, they are all likely to be a bit or a lot newer. Third we built them to be as bulletproof as possible, and with the Hitachi power mos-fet output circuits they proved out to be bulletproof long term. Oh yes, we still have a good supply of Hitachi mos-fets in stock for the infrequent repairs of our old equipment and we want to keep them running.
Regards,
Frank Van Alstine
P.S. The original VA Systems Model One preamp is even a poorer risk for service now. All the active circuits were done in now unserviceable potted modules against my advice.
