COMPLETE RESTORATION SERVICE--MCINTOSH 2105 AND 2100

MUST READ---MUST READ---MUST READ.....READ THIS FIRST!!! This listing is not for a really wonderful McIntosh amp at an absurdly low price. Go figure, nobody is dumb enough to sell them at super low prices any more (would you like to buy a bridge?). No, this listing is for the service work required to make one of these work like it should. What is the point of a McIntosh? It is to have good performance and reliability. If you have one of these or are soon to buy one, then read on.

The MC-2105 is an old favorite, being the first of the McIntosh amps with the lovely glass panel and the blue meters and all of that. This combination of performance and appearance set the standard for years to come. The MC-2100 is the "utility" version of the same amplifier. They put this one on a chassis that resembled the tube amplifiers that preceded it. If you are the proud owner of either of these babies, or are thinking of getting one of them, then you must consider their condition very carefully. Since they began making these in the 60's, if you do the math, you will know that many of them are pushing 40 years. If it isn't already obvious, you may take it from me that it is a very bad idea put one of these into daily service without bringing it up to snuff. After, the purpose of having a McIntosh isn't for it to sound bad or to blow up......it should be in top shape!

You may be musing, "It is all very well to talk about top shape, but what does that mean?". Rightly so. Not to be carpy (is that a word?), but I have seen units represented as "mint" on the strength of being pretty, without regard to the electronic condition. Also, I have seen units represented as "serviced" that still have a lot of old and unreliable parts in them. People are entitled to different service philosophies and opinions, but if a model has a high rate of failure due to very specific parts, then it only makes sense to replace those parts.....every time. Only then do you get consistant results.

So what exactly is a complete restoration for a 2100 or a 2105, besides saying that it is the "parts that usually fail"? Well, let's work backwards to give you a sense of that. It goes without saying that the job includes a careful cosmetic. This means that the unit must be very carefully cleaned and shined up and all of that. The chrome should shine, and the lamps in the 2105 should be replaced, and the front panel should have no dirt or bugs or any of that nonsense behind it. That is the easy part. The rest is a touch more involved and it involves quite a few capacitors and some transistors and additional little tidbits such as board edge connectors and alignment. This isn't a good spot for a precise description of a normal restoration for these puppies, but I'd be happy to tell you more about it. You could call me at 512-294-5635 and tell me exactly how your unit is misbehaving. I could then give you an earful about what needs to be done.

You may also wonder whether this restoration is guaranteed to cover the service required "no matter what". It is not. There are a number of overt failures that can occur in one of these and some of them are severe. This service is meant to deal with the "functional but sloppy" units out there. If yours is outright broken, the starting point is to tell me about it, and I can give you a good sense of what may be needed. You may decide that your best bet is to purchase a diagnostic and go on from there. Go to my listing 360056240755 "Diagnostic Service-Vintage Audio Components" and check it out. Whichever way you go though, you surely need to treat your McIntosh with respect. They are too valuable and too much fun to allow them to languish or perform badly or blow up. So let me know what is happening, and I will help. Thanks, Bill