Any Interest in a Mcintosh kit ?

[1KW]

I think it would be fun to build a Mcintosh amplifier. I know in the past you could build your own tube Mcintosh amplifier. Any interest in the idea besides me ? It would be fun to build 2 mono MC75 or a stereo MC275.

[Higgens]

I’m on board. Sounds like fun.

[John Jordan]

If I am not mistaking, McIntosh has not offered a kit form since the 1950's.
There is a place in New Jersey that sells Dynaco parts and kits.

https://www.dynakitparts.com

There are folks still using Dynaco amps they built back in the 70's.

[PHC1]

It would have to be a very basic and featureless kit for obvious reasons. I don't think that's what a typical McIntosh customer wants. Not that you'd find too many willing to put in the time required to build an amp with all the parts and soldering required not to mention the need for at least a basic understanding of electronic circuitry. Tube amps have high voltage circuits inside which would make for a very bad hair day with one slip of the screwdriver....

Sure, they would sell a "few" but a company like McIntosh has better things to do I'm sure. Leave it to boutique kit makers, the very few that are out there.

There is Elekit and Bottlehead DIY projects that come to mind, there are a few more out there just can't think them at the moment.

[62caddy]

Agreed with PHC1 - not likely for McIntosh in kit form to appear in the pipeline ever again. The Mac-Kit (MC30) was briefly offered in 1960/1961 but found very few takers, even at a time when kit electronics were near peak popularity.

It is estimated ~ 200 Mac-Kits were manufactured of which a significant number went unsold and ultimately wound up being assembled in house because there was so little public interest in assembling them.

Finding an original unbuilt Mac-Kit today would be the ultimate "coup-de-gras" for the collector of vintage McIntosh.

[W9TR]

It would be great fun. Most of the manufacturers in the 60’s had kit versions of their gear. I remember a friend of my fathers building an HH Scott setup. There are some fun kit options out there for tube amps but nothing like a McIntosh!
A lot of the kits seem to be SET - probably due to sheer simplicity. A 3 watt amp, like a dog that is smaller than a football, just doesn’t interest me.

[Beet Farmer]

Not MAC gear, but certainly the kind of experience anyone interested in building kits might enjoy... PassDiy and the "Amp Camp Project"
https://www.passdiy.com/

[Still-One]

I'll leave it to the experts.

[Mack]

How is your soldering skills? This would be a necessity for kit work.

[stereo_5]

If I built a kit, it would always be in the back of my mind if it was put together properly. When I had an original Audible Illusions Modulus 3 tube preamp, I attempted to install ceramic tube sockets with gold plated innards in the Modulus 3. It needed a trip back to the factory because I butchered the job. Lesson well learned.