RESTORATION SERVICE-----MCINTOSH MC=250 AMPLIFIER

MUST READ---MUST READ---MUST READ---NO FOOLIN'!!!!! This is a service listing. This is a listing for the service required to help a lovely MC-250 to perform with new-like quality while maintaining that lovely old McIntosh sound. To purchase this listing, you must have an MC-250 to send in for service, or you must be in the process of purchasing one. So if you have an MC-250 or two of them or are thinking of getting one, you need this service! Read on!

You might be inclined to regard the MC-250 as the least of the McIntosh amps. After all, it is on the utility chassis and doesn't have the way cool blue meters. It isn't all that powerful at 50 watts per channel rms. Be careful though, lest you get too hasty, the 250 is really a neat little fellow. It is very charming, you know, like a puppy or a very vivacious young girl.....ok, it is an amplifier, sorry. All nonsense aside, it is a solid and good sounding little piece, and it has good flexibility. Since it can be bridged mono, you can always use two of them if you really need the power. Being very early solid state, it has a very warm sound, so if you had some of those cool old horns from the 60's or some such, they would sound just fine. So there!!!

Now I must qualify what I just said. When I say that a 250 is a flexible, good sounding, and altogether delicious little amplifier, I am referring to a 250 in very good condition. Sorry, but the odds are that the one you find at the top of the closet in your rent house is marginal at best. So when Uncle Bud gives you his old 250 (he used it to listen to Canned Heat), just assume that it needs a good going over. Do not be fooled if you fire it up and it sounds pretty ok. It could easily pop right in your face and then you'd be sorry, and what's more your mother would get on your case and say "So what did you do to blow up Uncle Bud's stereo? He was so nice and you just tore it up! I just don't know why you always do that. I hope you learn to take care of things someday." Sounds pretty bad doesn't it. Well, if you don't want to be on the receiving end of that sort of stuff, you must now resolve to get the 250 properly restored.

Since I and Pud the cat do all the work, this is really easy for you. All you have to do is buy this listing, pack it well and get it here and pay for it. And since you are receiving good value for your repair dollar, even that part isn't hard. Besides, you may have questions as to the best way to use the unit in your system......how not to foul things up. You know how helpful that can be.

I can hear you wondering aloud even now....."What does he mean by restoration....why can't he just fix the thing and be done with it." I know that you are probably not tooo technical yourself, but the distinction is still pretty straightforward. Suppose you have an amplifier and it is two years old. If it breaks, you just fix what's wrong because it isn't old enough to have a lot of other STUFF to do. So what if your amplifier is pushing forty years old. You cannot treat that amp the same as the new one, it is a whole different ballgame. Sure, it may have some bad parts and some parts that work. You might be able to get it going by replacing only the bad parts. But will it perform up to spec? No! Will it last as long? No! Will it be in danger of blowing itself up unnecessarily? Yes! Obviously complete restoration is more expensive than just "getting it going", but if it lasts five times as long, it is ultimately much more satisfactory and cost-effective to do it right the first time. I suspect that some of you folks out there in the world would like a very detailed description of the standard restoration procedure on this model. One of these days, I will have the time to write a complete service description and post it right here. Until then, simply call me at 512-294-5635 and I will tell you all about it. Note also, if your unit is really blown up, or you expect disagreeable surprises for whatever reason then you should purchase a diagnostic so you can find out up front just what the true technical situation is. Go to my listing DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE--VINTAGE AUDIO COMPONENTS , and do it that way. It all comes out the same in the end. So thanks for reading this and now get off your duff and get that sucker packed up before your mom starts ragging on you again. Thanks, Bill