New addition to the family, 60 CG

[Hydrolastic]

Hello Guys, After months in transport. It finally arrived. Super happy with it condition and sound. Its a Beast, actually rattles the windows! Photo's in two posts. Hydro

[Hydrolastic]

A few more photo's

[TC Chris]

What a handsome device, and all those tubes! Better than a fireplace for a cold winter's night!

Chris Campbell

[chazglenn3]

Beautiful instrument! If only my Concert Grand was in that cabinet!

[Firedome]

Impressive back shot. Are these CG amps PPP 6V6gt? if so one wonders if it would have simpler/cheaper/more compact and just as effective to use a PP 6L6gc or 6CA7 configuration. By 1960 6BQ5 tubes had replaced 6V6 in most makes, and many observers comment on the "sweet sound" of that particular tube. What's the CG speaker lineup and configuration?

[William]

Beautiful! Where did you end up finding it? I notice your other CG in the background so you are now the proud owner of two CG's. I can't get over how clean the new one is. You really found a gem.

Bill

[electra225]

Congratulations! Everybody who collects Magnavox should own a CG. I wonder it the MPX is factory. It's mounted in a different spot from mine. Beautiful instrument!

[Hydrolastic]

Thank you guy's, It was kind of a spur of the moment decision to buy it and i had to negotiate the price with transport in mind (cross country) He described it as "Nicest one you will see" which leaves a ton of room for interpretation. That said however, I am not disappointed! This is the first stereo i have had where it has a 11 position. Its as loud as I can stand and it's not at full volume yet. Prolly around 9. I went out side and the window was rattling as CSNY wooden ships was finishing up. The start up was the actual first time i heard it was on the video. The preamp does seem to need a tuneup as it seems vague and distant. Record player doesn't work. He did say he redid the capacitors but I suspect just the amps.
There is one issue i have and it is with the MPX adapter it looks almost like its on fire underneath the chassis. Photo. depending on angle the brightness is concerning Let me know if it's normal if not i can just take it out of line. I rarely listen to FM anymore but i would like everything to work. Hydro

[electra225]

Yep, that's normal. There is a little doodad (whose name escapes me just now) that glows when it runs. Mine didn't come from the factory with an MPX. They are supposed to be mounted on the cabinet back, which would present a servicing nightmare. I mounted mine in the correct position, but mounted to the cabinet rather than the cabinet back. The reason I mention this is that I notice yours has the S-600 changer. The 1959-'60 models came with the Conquest changer. There is a solenoid on the Conquest changer on mine that prevents mounting the MPX where yours is.

[danrclem]

It looks great! Maybe I'll find one some day.

[hermitcrab]

Yes Greg is right ... for what ever reason... there is a neon bulb inside the MPX chassis that makes it look like it has something burning... what it's purpose is , I have never investigated as to what it does

[Moto_TJ]

Yes Greg is right ... for what ever reason... there is a neon bulb inside the MPX chassis that makes it look like it has something burning... what it's purpose is , I have never investigated as to what it does

If I remember correctly, I believe the neon light is used as a voltage regulator.

[Hydrolastic]

Hello again, Kind of getting into the details of this console. I am trying to figure out what record player would be in this console and i found a photo of a CG on eBay last summer that shows a Imperial changer with a black platter mat with circular grooves and the black arm. (photo) I also found a CG on the museum site. https://www.fwhistorycenter.org/virtual ... 954135.htm This shows a 61 with the same changer as in my console. It also has the eye tube so its still not the later preamp with the meter. So could it have been either way? depending on manufacture date? Hydro

[electra225]

We re talking about Magnavox, and there is seldom anything absolute with them, but....

The 1959-'60 models, the ones with eye tubes, should have the Conquest changer, the one on the bottom in your pictures you posted. The 1961-up models, the ones with a tuning meter, should have the S-600 "Imperial Micromatic" changer like the one on top. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, the Conquest changer in my 1960 CG has a solenoid that prevents mounting the MPX where yours is. Does the changer in your CG have all the functionality it is supposed to have, or is it the more common changer found in non-CG stereos?

[Hydrolastic]

Hello Greg, This is the direction i will go. To get the correct changer. I am sure they are rare but i saw a local guy scrap a super nice CG last spring I saw a photo of it complete and a month later he was selling bits. I have the power supply, woofers and horns from that one. Idk if i have the solenoid on the changer here is a photo of the bottom of it. It was a hassle to get it out because the toggle fastener is right where the MPX unit is as well. Hydro

[electra225]

It doesn't appear to me that you have enough wires on that changer. There should be a reject solenoid on it. That device should be on the reject arm somewhere. I don't remember what the solenoid does on mine that is in the way of mounting the MPX where yours is. You should have at least three sets of wires. One set from the cartridge to the tuner (amp), one set of wires to the power switch for the changer and one set of wires for the remote control to operate the changer. Then perhaps a small sub-harness that goes to the off-on solenoid and one that goes to the reject solenoid. It's been so long since I had mine apart, I had to stop and study for a minute. You may have to move the MPX if you get the right changer in it. I have a picture around here somewhere how I mounted mine. Factory mounting is on the cabinet back. I mounted mine across the cabinet, just above the tuner power supply chassis, so it gets lots of heat. Magnavox mounted the MPX in the hottest part of the cabinet, preferably right on top of output tubes.....

Hydro, between you and me, I wouldn't worry too much about what changer is in it, unless you intend to use the remote control. I have never used mine. The remote control uses an expensive battery that i am too cheap to spring for. I don't know whether my remote control works or not, don't really care. I show the remote along with as much factory literature as I have, and the demonstration record. I have the original, correct changer in mine that does not work. I'd be better off with a changer like you have that works. Just my two cents. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Hydrolastic]

Hello Greg I am not worried at all. I have you and the combined knowledge of this message board. A 60 year old console has had to have some work done to it over the years. I do intend to get this to the next level. But over the next 2 or 3 years all of the consoles will get running and brought back to original or better shape. Except possibly the Imperial 1961 French provincial. Just not feeling it on that one.....

[electra225]

I consider my Imperial my prettiest Magnavox stereo. And I have a soft spot for mahogany. If I had to get rid of them all but one, I'd probably keep the Symphony or the Stereo Theater. It's hard to beat the sweet sound of the 93 series amp. I like the more formal cabinet styles, personally, but I realize I'm in the minority. I also started my Lawrence Welk record collection when I was 9, and never had loud mufflers on my car. I've always danced to a different fiddler than most people.

You'll have a ball with your new CG and have plenty of time to find the right changer, if you'd like, and put everything back right. It seems like something on one of mine needs attention frequently. I don't run mine enough. It's a lot of work and time trying to keep everything running like it should. We have to remember these things have outlived their designed in life by about ten times. They were never intended to be running 60 or more years after they were built.

[Firedome]

It's just like old cars, they need to be used regularly. I cut my car collection down to 2 when I realized I couldn't keep up with using them as much as they needed, and didn't have to keep them just to be able to say I own them, or just to be able to look at them occasionally, that's what pictures are for. Sometimes less really is more.

[chazglenn3]

I don't play my Concert Grand as often as I should. I will try to do better. It works so well and I want it to stay that way!