Does anyone repair....


My significant other has a vintage Fisher 4404 Custom Electra IV (Model E44) that we loved to listen to old vinyl on. Classic sound through those original speakers, etc.

Anyway, it has reached the point where the hiss and buzz is way louder than the music. I suspect it needs some new tubes and/or other electronic repairs. I live in New Orleans. The closest (and truthfully only) place I found that might fix it is in another state aver 600 mi away. Shipping would seem to me to be expensive (that I am not worried about) but I fear for the ability to ship without damaging the console. Is there any suggestions or anyone closer to me who might be able to repair this?

Thanks for any help

 

dseltz
waytoomuchstuff

upgrading the guts to modern equip sounds good, never thought about that. Gotta really love the thingy to go that far.

 

Hi @dseltz 

Good question, because I can imagine you would like to preserve and enjoy this Fisher audio piece.

About the buzz, this is completely normal for equipment this age. There's a lot of old type capacitors (like 'tar' based) that simply have lost their normal performance. The good news is that replacing them will normally solve your buzz issue. And sometimes, replacing the tubes is not necessary.

Concerning a local party that could help you, I have no suggestions as I am located in the Netherlands. But maybe a suggestion to try it a different way.
In The Netherlands we have several communities that focus on keeping tube-based audio equipment alive. And their members have a lot of technical expertise. Here, they organize repair days two times a year. People can just walk in and the equipment is repaired on the spot and they charge only for replaced parts.

Maybe this is an approach for you, to check if there are communities like this in your area. Hope it helps. 

@kolfmaker 

Had a buzz for years, now it is much louder. Although I can wire a house from the weatherhead to the outlets, I am at a loss for electronics. So many great ideas and the more than generous offers. Pulling out the equipment is a good idea and I will start there. 

Ahh, the Netherlands. You do so many things right!!!!

@dseltz 

I hope the ideas will help you solve and enjoy again.
Please post again when you have an update.

Cheers from The Netherlands! 🇳🇱