Your first amp?


What was it, when did you get it, and what did you really want?

I'll start, 1977, really wanted a Pioneer SX650 ( a powerhouse at, I seem to recall, 35wpc) but just didn't have the dough. Wound up with an SX450 (15 wpc) and gotta say, within it's power limitations, it was pretty decent.

Ah, back in the day when musical happiness was a receiver, a turntable, decent speakers (the JBL 100 Century was real nice), and to splurge, a cassette deck. In fact, I would say, in 1977, my 'dream system' would have been a Pioneer SX850, the L100's, a Philips GA212 turntable with a V15 type 3, and a Tandberg cassette deck.
128x128zavato
Something from RadioShack; integrated w/quad option. $59.95 back in 1975. Thought it was very cool.
Sherwood S-7800 receiver.
For those of you old enough and local enough, from MisiCraft in Morton Grove Illinois.
In 1966, when I was 19, I bought a Dynaco SCA-35 kit and very slowly, very carefully soldered it up. When I bought the kit the dealer told me to bring the amp back before I powered it up and he'd bench test it. It tested better than spec and I was on my way. Of course, I didn't yet have any money for a turntable or speakers but the fine folks at High Fidelity in Austin took pity on a poor college student and somehow I got a new AR turntable and a pair of AR speakers that were gathering dust on a store room shelf. Wonderful little amp, wish I still had it.
Went into a stereo store @ 18, had a Pioneer SX780 in layaway, the store offered me a job, refunded my layaway money, my first manager was an audiophile. My first system ended up being a Gas Grandson of Ampzilla and a Kenwood LO7C
Pioneer SX-525 receiver with Marantz speakers and a Dual 1214 turntable. Ah, the early 1970s....