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Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"
- Thread starter B-string
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So......do they all work, correctly? The way they look now, one would think these were some kind of GI radios from the Korean Conflict, or something.
They all work. I left out one of the pictures where it showed one of the units strobing a guitar tuning. Sounds like you're not familiar with them either.
Welcome to Funk 'n Friday...where something's always jumping...getting ready for the weekend...gigging or not...you deserve a break. A double header to start things off:
Headphones recommended.
Headphones recommended.
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Yes, I have. Vintage strobe tuners are interesting to look at but are not necessarily the best to use.
For service and schematics, contact Peterson Tuners, they bought Conn and officially handle repairs on those products: Link Removed.
If you want a strobe tuner, I recommend buying a new Peterson product. I have four including a model 450 bench unit with a mechanical strobe wheel. They’re digital today and are very accurate. The mechanical ones are not as accurate.
Required accuracy depends on what you are tuning. A piano requires accuracy, an instrument playing with the piano should in tuned to it. A bass in a band is not as critical.
The problem with any old mechanical unit is calibration and mechanical health. The one that you are looking at may run but it also needs to be serviced and brought up to spec if you want to use it. To do it right, you need a good reference signal source. See the attached service sheet for the Peterson model 450 as an example. They specify a frequency generator accuracy to three decimal places over the specified range. The motor needs to be in good shape and stable as well as the control circuit.
BTW, the classic transistorized Conn Strobotuner ST-11 was quite popular. David Gilmour used to have one visible on stage. Neil Young as well.
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When I saw Neil on his "Rust Never Sleeps" tour, he had six behind him - one for each string.
When I saw Neil on his "Rust Never Sleeps" tour, he had six behind him - one for each string.
I saw this as well. It puts on a show, like analog meters do.
He likes old stuff, he has an early United Audio console in his studio. The thing about Neil it that he gets all the good stuff. He has feelers out and he gets first call. His tech used to buy every Fender Deluxe amp that they could get. A pal of Neil’s, Randy Bachman used to do the same with Gretsch. I’d find something good and would always be told that it’s on hold for Randy. He has since donated his collection to atone.
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When I saw Neil on his "Rust Never Sleeps" tour, he had six behind him - one for each string.
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Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
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- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Much like my cell phone, new fangled technology that requires a kid’s vision to take advantage of.
Not ones that old. '70s Conns, etc. sure.
But, they were/are good enough for Rock'n'Roll! Even. classical, probably.
I had a LA-610 Mk II for a while. great preamp, although I was not as enamored with the compressor side of the unit.
Some claim the modern transformer reproductions are close but not quite the same because of the materials used today.
Thanks Beans for the excellent help. I was just toying with the idea of cleaning them up. They're going for $159 for the lot and the seller has 100% positive feedback. All the parts are included. I thought I might be able to clean them up really nice then flip them. But after consideration, I decided to pass as I have a lot of different projects on my plate and don't want to over-confuse myself...
P.S. I kick myself everytime I see one of those. I bought one in the early 80's and even had a case for it. When I sold it the case even included all the documentation. I never mailed in the registration card. That tuner served the guitarist and me for many years and it was always babied. We always left it on-- onstage because it is pretty cool looking. Ahhh the things we sold when we were young.... !
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Probably within cents but stability is also a consideration. The old units used LC circuits for temperature and voltage stability. It works only as well as the components.
I have more confidence in my good digital units. An advantage of the new ones is that they can store alternate tunings, even micro tunings. They can be used to tune any instrument such as a sitar. I don’t use that feature a lot though.
Peterson has a strobe clip-on tuner for $59 that I'm likely to get. Somehow I like the strobe effect the best for tuners. I guess nostalgia about the good old days..
I like it! Where do i get one?
Thanks Beans for the excellent help. I was just toying with the idea of cleaning them up. They're going for $159 for the lot and the seller has 100% positive feedback. All the parts are included. I thought I might be able to clean them up really nice then flip them. But after consideration, I decided to pass as I have a lot of different projects on my plate and don't want to over-confuse myself...
P.S. I kick myself everytime I see one of those. I bought one in the early 80's and even had a case for it. When I sold it the case even included all the documentation. I never mailed in the registration card. That tuner served the guitarist and me for many years and it was always babied. We always left it on-- onstage because it is pretty cool looking. Ahhh the things we sold when we were young.... !
I regret selling stuff. I usually do to make room.
Sounds like a good price. Nice project for those cold winter nights, this year, next year..... Having the storage space is my problem.
My dad and I toured the Deagan factory in Chicago, while there to pick up his first set of vibes. I think this would have been 1971 or 1972...
I was fascinated to see an old guy tuning stacks of anodized aluminum bars for the vibraphones.
He had an extremely crusty-looking old Conn strobe tuner behind him, and used a penknife to take little shavings off the underside of the arch. The penknife had been sharpened so many times that the blade was down to a sliver.
Most of the bars were dead-on within three or four cuts. Amazing combination of muscle memory, consistency and experience.
Not just young.Thanks Beans for the excellent help. I was just toying with the idea of cleaning them up. They're going for $159 for the lot and the seller has 100% positive feedback. All the parts are included. I thought I might be able to clean them up really nice then flip them. But after consideration, I decided to pass as I have a lot of different projects on my plate and don't want to over-confuse myself...
P.S. I kick myself everytime I see one of those. I bought one in the early 80's and even had a case for it. When I sold it the case even included all the documentation. I never mailed in the registration card. That tuner served the guitarist and me for many years and it was always babied. We always left it on-- onstage because it is pretty cool looking. Ahhh the things we sold when we were young.... !
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