Phonoland

Hi there,

I recently became interested in vinyl. I was visiting family in Texas and we had dinner one night over at one of my uncle's friend's house. I'm not sure what his setup was like, but after dinner he played some Coltrane. I was amazed by the quality of the sound, the depth, the dynamics, the mood, etc... The sound was haunting. I've heard a lot of Coltrane and he has that effect, but...it was so different on vinyl. It's as though I were there, listening to him in person, perceiving all of the subtleties and intricacies. My uncle's friend has a First Pressing of John Coltrane - "A Love Supreme" - Impulse Records.

So I set out on a search for a turntable here in Tucson, AZ. I'm new to vinyl, so when I stumbled upon a Magnavox Stereo Console at a thrift shop I decided I wanted a console unit. I don't have a lot of money right now for this endeavor, so a console seems perfect (speakers were phenomenal). It was 200$, which seemed high given that it needed repairs/retouching probably new needle and cartridge? I did some research and found out that a lot of people usually stumble upon Astro Sonics for less than 25$. I've scoured local thrift shops, about 6 of them, and nothing has turned up.

I live in Tucson, but I think I would be able to travel in-state for the right unit. I don't know how much these things weigh, but maybe neighboring states with shipping could be an option as well?

Thanks!

Seems to me you need to look up Bobby in Tucson and relieve him of one of those he has stacked up everywhere. He probably would take less than $200.

Oh, shedradios, show some compassion. I would never sell any of my stuff for that much money.

Yeah, I had a bunch of interesting consoles, and gave many away to friends and coworkers after some servicing and replacing an occasional cartridge and/or needle, and a cap job, but I tend to hold on to the Maggies.

Acspin, all of my maggies have turned up in the thrift store at Prince & Mountain Avenue (Casa de los Ninos). I haven't been there for about 2 years since I bought my first house, but they know me when I walk in the door Sunday afternoons after Church. I know the Manager (he may still be there), Johnny, and I got that beautiful Santiago for 25 bucks.

Shipping would cost more than the unit's value, unless you're willing to pay the price for some rare, higher-end console. I've got one "project" Astro-Sonic that I'm gonna rebuild. Whoever had it before ripped out all the interior and it looks like a big coffin with sliding doors. I think I can lay in there and not touch each end, unless I point my toes like a ballerina...LOL. The cabinet is in decent shape, and I do have an extra 100-watt A575 amp, tuner, and turntables, but I have to reconstruct the different pieces of wood that supported the turntable and receiver. The thing is completely hollow.

From the looks of the advertisement, this is not an Astro-Sonic 100, but a 50-watt unit as compared to the Early American model (Figure B) pictured to the left of it. I actually had two smaller versions of the Mediterranean, except they had two panels and were significantly shorter. The one that I parted out had the reel-to-reel tape recorder, the second unit, I keep in my 4th bedroom. (wow, 4 bedrooms and I live alone with this house full of crap.)

Anyhoo, I live out near the TTT Truck Stop, I-10 and Wilmot/Craycroft area, Canterbury Ranch.
The Coffin is pictured below (Figure D) in the lower right-hand corner. If you wanna move one of these units, have a FLAT furniture dolly...slide it off the back of the truck and wheel it right in the house. I moved all the Maggies, desks and entertainment units by myself, and several weigh more than me. Yeah, it took me two weeks moving all the crap by myself, not wanting to bother anyone, but gotter done. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Hi Bobby,

Thanks so much for all the info! It's awesome that there is a local enthusiast here . I have mainly searched Goodwills and a few thrift shops on 22nd and the Carondelet thrift store on St.Mary's. The only one I've seen, which prompted me to research it and then discover the wonderful world of Astro Sonics, was at a 22nd st. thrift store next to an antique store. The lady wanted 200$, but I'm not sure anymore what model it was...

The Santiago is a beauty! Well, all of these units are! Lol. That "coffin" looks huge. Do you prefer the bigger models? I'm hoping to stumble upon one of the smaller or mid-size units, I don't have much space in my condo. Which has me thinking, this will be quite an adventure hauling it up to the 2nd floor

That's pretty amazing you were able to find multiple consoles at Casa de los Ninos. I will certainly be visiting them more often. I also plan to head down to Green Valley on Saturday and check out the white elephant and garage/yard sales in the GV area.

edit:
I checked out Casa de los Ninos and goodwill on 1st. No luck on both. I think Bobby cleaned out all of Tucson, lol, just messin' .

I think everyone in Tucson has gone crazy:

http://tucson.craigslist.org/atq/2274333140.html

600$ if fully reconditioned

Here we go again...

Someone on another board posted a similarly ridiculous ad a few days ago, and it just tripped my trigger. I have that exact cabinet in my living room, except I have a newer receiver and a W800 series turntable. I paid either $40 or $50 for it and the things looks dang brand new, and it even has a separate 8-track unit in a small matching cabinet.

Yeah, I got on my weak soap box for a moment and had a fit. Some folks won't do their homework and think that a sucker is born any minute to be easy prey for the predators, or they're selling completely out of ignorance, thinking they can get a ridiculous price for something that's a rare piece passed down from Great Aunt Hattie and has been in the family for years with tons of sentimenal value. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

$325 indeed!

I have a similar console sitting in my repair shop for sale for $200.
And THAT is only because it's been repaired and gone over completely.

We'd never ask such a high amount for an Astrosonic.

I agree with MattTech...

I would be willing to kick my budget to the curb to purchase a unit that was "professionally" overhauled by a good Tech. Labor is not cheap, and the many hours that go into refurbishing is more expensive than what the unit is worth. The dealership where I get my truck serviced wants to charge me $85 to put in a $17 serpentine belt which I have replaced myself several years ago. That sounds abit price gouging to me.

I personally would say even at $200, MattTech's asking price is very reasonable, being that it was professionally serviced, considering the man hours and parts, so there's nothing left to do but pay up and enjoy the beast.

Here I go wandering again. I think this profession/hobby is more of a passion. I can't take my stuff anywhere locally without folks rolling their eyes at me as if I landed from another planet speaking in a strange tongue, so out of frustration I had to learn on my own from reading books, joining newsgroups etc.

I really appreciate all the advice and guidance received over the last 14+ years on the Internet from the Techs and "semi-professional" amateurs preventing me from getting electrocuted, blowing up the joint or burning down the house. I'm still abit nervous about working on TV's with their high voltages though and really have no interest in them. I do have some newer digital technology up in the house, but I tend to gravitate to the older vintage stuff. From listening to some screaming James Brown/Aretha Franklin to Strauss Waltzes and Dvorak Slavic Dances, these Maggies sound great! --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

Bobby Basham wrote:I agree with MattTech...

I would be willing to kick my budget to the curb to purchase a unit that was "professionally" overhauled by a good Tech. Labor is not cheap, and the many hours that go into refurbishing is more expensive than what the unit is worth. The dealership where I get my truck serviced wants to charge me $85 to put in a $17 serpentine belt which I have replaced myself several years ago. That sounds abit price gouging to me.

I personally would say even at $200, MattTech's asking price is very reasonable, being that it was professionally serviced, considering the man hours and parts, so there's nothing left to do but pay up and enjoy the beast.

Here I go wandering again. I think this profession/hobby is more of a passion. I can't take my stuff anywhere locally without folks rolling their eyes at me as if I landed from another planet speaking in a strange tongue, so out of frustration I had to learn on my own from reading books, joining newsgroups etc.

I really appreciate all the advice and guidance received over the last 14+ years on the Internet from the Techs and "semi-professional" amateurs preventing me from getting electrocuted, blowing up the joint or burning down the house. I'm still abit nervous about working on TV's with their high voltages though and really have no interest in them. I do have some newer digital technology up in the house, but I tend to gravitate to the older vintage stuff. From listening to some screaming James Brown/Aretha Franklin to Strauss Waltzes and Dvorak Slavic Dances, these Maggies sound great! --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona

It seems the case that a lot of repair shops refuse to work on "vintage" equipment these days.
I hear it all the time from customers, and I can't understand why other shops won't help preserve the "good old" American products that certainly perform and hold up way better than the chinese junk made today.
People inquire and request service from me from several states away, I'm still backlogged but trying to keep up with the demand, one set at a time.

I've been called "A dying breed" by some...
A "Stickler" by others...
But.... I insist on doing repairs "the right way".

Indeed, I do tend to fuss over "detail", and making sure these old buzzards work properly.
But the bottom line is, these products are worth the trouble, and will continue to give pleasure to people
in search of that "nostalgia" and rich sound..... and they'll last.

Digital sound has its place, but pure Analog will always have a following.

Hi, my name is Ray, I live in Fort Mohave, AZ. If your still interested, I Have a 1965 Magnavox Astro-Sonic Console, it's in good condition. Everything is intact, As a matter of fact, i finally got the turntable working. I had found a spring hanging underneath the turntable, I foung out where it went, and got the turntable working. It also had a stain on one of the slidding doors, which I also cleared up. Paste wax and arm muscle got that cleared. Am/Fm radio works, the only problem is the volume doesn't go that high. Iam asking $25.00 O.B.O. Call me at 928-768-8262, or email me at ray90032@live.com. I tried dowloading my pictures, they wont take, if you look at Sept. 24, 2010, Magnavox Astro-Sonic High Fidelity Console, this is my original listing, it has all the pictures. It also states the two deficiencies i' ve mentioned in this listing as corrected.

Acspin, all of my maggies have turned up in the thrift store at Prince & Mountain Avenue (Casa de los Ninos). I haven't been there for about 2 years since I bought my first house, but they know me when I walk in the door Sunday afternoons after Church. I know the Manager (he may still be there), Johnny, and I got that beautiful Santiago for 25 bucks.