Repairs and/or modifications to C-J products
Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 10:20 pm
As my signature shows, I have a Premier 11 on hand. I have had it for several months now and we get along nicely. It does not quite drive my Vandersteen 2CE as well as the Nelson Pass designed amp I had previously, but the Vandys are also not my long-range goal.
My dilemma, though. The 11 came with electrical tape on the power cord, likely a scuff in the jacket. I really would like to have an IEC jack installed so I can use one of my own power cables. In addition, I had thought of perhaps getting the amp upgraded to an 11A (which was a small modification to the bias circuitry to reduce noise).
As for issues, the amp has a very slight channel imbalance--on my PV14L, my two channel settings are three digits apart (such as 67/70 or 35/38). Not bothersome, but maybe I'm slightly OCD? I also can hear that it is not as quiet as my previous amp--the noise is not quite audible from my seat, but I can definitely hear it a few feet away. I don't know if that is normal as I've never owned a high-end tube amp.
The amp has been retubed. KT120s, Brimar 6CG7/6FQ7, Tung Sol 5751. The channel imbalance and noise did not change when the tubes were replaced.
The cheapest option is to do nothing.
I contacted C-J for information. An IEC jack is three (!) hours labor, plus parts and shipping, so about $400. They can't do the "A" upgrade any longer. No word on anything else, but the offer was made to install the Teflon caps for $1645, which is more than I paid for the amp. Needless to say, I won't be sending my amp in.
In general, is it wise to find a repair facility that can work on C-J components properly? I just don't want some self-proclaimed "engineer" to start talking about "improvements" by changing out all sorts of parts. I figure any bench electrician is not C-J and IMHO has no business tampering with their circuitry. Plus, I feel it's easier to resell an untouched C-J product than something that is tampered with.
I would like the "A" upgrade, but that would require schematics for both the 11 and 11A to find the differences, and I would hope that it would not require a whole new circuit board. (I would think it is just a change in existing components, or adding a couple.)
For the IEC jack, I could probably do that myself; a good jack probably costs $50-ish, and while I don't have a metal punch, I would probably have to work really slowly with a miniature metal cutting tool to make the proper opening. But if a shop could do it for an hour's labor (which is all it should take), I would probably pay it.
If anyone has a little input on repair shops, modifications, etc., I would appreciate it. The good, the bad, etc., and possible effects on the value of a modified unit. (Even my minor IEC jack install might seem like sacrilege!)
My dilemma, though. The 11 came with electrical tape on the power cord, likely a scuff in the jacket. I really would like to have an IEC jack installed so I can use one of my own power cables. In addition, I had thought of perhaps getting the amp upgraded to an 11A (which was a small modification to the bias circuitry to reduce noise).
As for issues, the amp has a very slight channel imbalance--on my PV14L, my two channel settings are three digits apart (such as 67/70 or 35/38). Not bothersome, but maybe I'm slightly OCD? I also can hear that it is not as quiet as my previous amp--the noise is not quite audible from my seat, but I can definitely hear it a few feet away. I don't know if that is normal as I've never owned a high-end tube amp.
The amp has been retubed. KT120s, Brimar 6CG7/6FQ7, Tung Sol 5751. The channel imbalance and noise did not change when the tubes were replaced.
The cheapest option is to do nothing.
I contacted C-J for information. An IEC jack is three (!) hours labor, plus parts and shipping, so about $400. They can't do the "A" upgrade any longer. No word on anything else, but the offer was made to install the Teflon caps for $1645, which is more than I paid for the amp. Needless to say, I won't be sending my amp in.
In general, is it wise to find a repair facility that can work on C-J components properly? I just don't want some self-proclaimed "engineer" to start talking about "improvements" by changing out all sorts of parts. I figure any bench electrician is not C-J and IMHO has no business tampering with their circuitry. Plus, I feel it's easier to resell an untouched C-J product than something that is tampered with.
I would like the "A" upgrade, but that would require schematics for both the 11 and 11A to find the differences, and I would hope that it would not require a whole new circuit board. (I would think it is just a change in existing components, or adding a couple.)
For the IEC jack, I could probably do that myself; a good jack probably costs $50-ish, and while I don't have a metal punch, I would probably have to work really slowly with a miniature metal cutting tool to make the proper opening. But if a shop could do it for an hour's labor (which is all it should take), I would probably pay it.
If anyone has a little input on repair shops, modifications, etc., I would appreciate it. The good, the bad, etc., and possible effects on the value of a modified unit. (Even my minor IEC jack install might seem like sacrilege!)