Q: Does the console come with a warranty?
A: Yes, all of our consoles and products will come with a warranty. In most cases, it will be 1-year free repairs and technical assistance, but could vary depending on the product. Check the product listing for details.
Q: I know the consoles work on 125VAC/60Hz, but will they work at 220V? Or 100V? How about 50Hz power?
A: Since most of the consoles we have were designed in the 1960’s for USA power, they are generally made specifically for 60Hz, 115VAC. However, for 220VAC regions, it may be possible for us to convert it for 220VAC operation, or simply supply you with a 220V/110V converter. 50Hz operation is much more difficult, because vintage turntables, for example, were designed for a particular AC frequency and are usually difficult to convert. Such turntables, reel-to-reels, tape players, etc., may require the motor to be replaced with a 50Hz version. Since all of these modifications are labor intensive and require significant changes of components, contact us first for a price estimate based on your location and the item you are interest in.
Q: How much is shipping? These are large and heavy.
A: Shipping, installation, and setup are all free within 150 miles of Washington DC (umm, unless you live in the Atlantic Ocean; that costs extra!). Outside of this region, contact us for an exact price. If we deliver and setup, it will be about $4 per mile above the 150 mile radius around DC (may vary by city and route). Delivery by another carrier (no setup by us) may be cheaper – Don’t worry, you will be supplied with extensive instructions, wiring diagrams, and possibly even videos to help get your console up and running! You’re also covered with technical assistance for a limited term.
Q: Do you do custom product configurations? I have my own turntable. And I don’t want a tube amplifier, my cat/kids will probably break it.
A: Yes, if you want to supply your own component, we’ll give you a discount and also give you dimensions and specifications so you can be sure it will fit and work. We’ll also try to give you a hand hooking up your component to the console, but after that, any problems with or caused by your component are up to you. Note that some components cannot be changed out easily, for example, the radio usually doubles as the control center for all the audio equipment and is designed to fit in that particular console specifically. In some cases (notably, German consoles), the vacuum tube amplifier doubles as the power supply for the radio/controls. It is possible to extract this power supply from most tube amps and run from a tiny solid-state amplifier instead, but it may require extensive modifications. In some cases, it might be easy to “hide” a tube amplifier inside the console. In other cases, it could be very easy to change between tube amps, solid-state amps, or hybrid amps. It’s usually quite easy to switch a solid-state amp out for a tube one, in general.