A fine C26 specimen

[Gregory]

Roger Russell would like to see this immaculate unit!!

I've owned the following C26 for over 30 years. It belonged to the owner of the McIntosh dealer in Springfield Massachusetts. It was my first piece of Mc gear and went everywhere.. even out to college!! (recall dorm photo of young Gregory)

Here are some photos, previously posted on another audio web forum.


Front view (on edge)




Front and back view (from top)







Bottom view




Chassis top view




Tone Controls










Input and Mode Selectors




Input Jacks




More to do

So you've noticed some items that weren't pristine? Well.. there's some oxidation on the RCA (phono) jacks, it still has the original hex-head screws and some solder flux spattered on the inside walls of the chassis. Time to get the C26 out of the carton once again for a bit more inspection, servicing and TLC.

Is it time to replace the interstage mylar coupling caps? If so.. what are some good replacements?


-Gregory

[jdandy]

Gregory.......What a beauty. Looking at the older designs, with all that point to point wire, and open contact switches, it sure gives you an appreciation for the advances that have taken place over the years.

Great photos. Thanks for posting them.

[Dj_AmTraX]

Very nice piece.

[Gregory]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Gregory.......What a beauty. Great photos. Thanks for posting them.

Did you notice a spot of rust or two on the underside of the power transformer!! Must get that treated right away.

The phono jacks turn yellow in just a year or two. Might need to coat [some of] them with wax, or get plastic foam plugs soaked in Deoxit to stick in the unused ports.

The MR 77 is connected and running throughout the day now, tuning the local classical station here in D.C. It works beautifully. The only problem with it was.. the fuse holder washer festered up some rust on the rear chrome panel. That was a sad sight. It sounds quite good and looks great!!

-Gregory

[Gregory]

Originally Posted by Dj_AmTraX

Very nice piece.

Thanks.. I'm painstakingly going through each of the seven Mc units for their biyearly inspection and checkup. That way any issues can be nipped in the bud. The C33 got a whole Saturdays' worth of juicing up and polishing in the past week or so. Have been eyeballing some of its PC boards for recapping. It's very satisfying!!

-Gregory

[jdandy]

Sounds like Gregory's McIntosh Museum has a good curator.

[f1 fan]

Greg,

that's a beautiful piece of equipment. kinda like vintage autos and time pieces. all one has to do is take care of it and it will last a lifetime. bet it does sound good with the tuner and classical music.




Dave

[two dot]

Beautiful... thanks for sharing.

Keep up the good work!!!

[JT3]

Wow, that looks fantastic and a great story. You must be off Rt 28.

I hope to have gear that lasts long. Right now, my oldest continuous in use unit is one of the very first DVD players, a Sony DVP-s3000, circa 1994 that I bought new.

[Gregory]

Originally Posted by JT3

Wow, that looks fantastic and a great story. You must be off Rt 28.

I hope to have gear that lasts long. Right now, my oldest continuous in use unit is one of the very first DVD players, a Sony DVP-s3000, circa 1994 that I bought new.

Yeah thanks.. we're very close to Rt-28.

The MCD 7007 was purchased new in 1988, so it's over 20 years old. The other six Mc instruments were purchased from dealers or audio companies as previously owned (units I've always wanted) for 1/2 to 2/3 the last retail price. Being quite the technician at age 10, I'm more than willing and able to get inside and take steps to make the units `as good as new.´ It's true that many of the trade-ins had minor problems, most of which were intermittent connections.

Each time you get inside a Mc, you develop new tricks and treatments that can be applied the to the next unit serviced. You're always battling against minor scrapes in the finish, contaminants, and the ongoing attack of oxygen.


-Gregory