Vintage Stereo: Harman Kardon 430 Receiver

I’ve just added another vintage receiver to the collection – this time it’s a 1976-77 Harman Kardon 430.  I really like the look of this receiver with its timeless, simple and elegant design.  The challenge with these receivers, now that they are 35+ years old, is finding one in good condition because that large strip of plastic across the front is easily scratched.
 
I’ve been wanting one of these Harman Kardon x30 receivers for a while [ideally the 730] and I saw a 430 come up for sale locally on Craigslist for $150.  I thought that was too expensive and not surprisingly, no one bought it at that price and the seller relisted it a couple of weeks later at $100.  I offered $75 and we settled on $85 once I saw it.  It is in excellent condition with just a minor ding on the left front bezel and the tiniest scratch on the glass.  All lights work and inside it is super clean so I knew this was a good unit. 

After a DeoxIT to cure the scratchy controls I fired it up through my Klipsch KG4 speakers.  The guys on the Klipsch Forum are all crazy for the x30 Harman Kardon receivers and their tube-like sound, especially some of the low wattage units and I must say, it sounds excellent driving the KG4s.

The first thing I noticed is how loud this receiver is.  While it is only 25 watts per channel, it sounds much louder than that and I barely get the volume control past 10 o’clock.  This characteristic is probably due to the receiver’s unique “dual mono” design, which leverages two transformers and two fairly large capacitors per channel.

To my ears, this really makes a difference in sound quality compared to other ‘70s silver faced receivers. In addition to more volume you get great clarity and detail.  With the dual power supplies the receiver does not need to break a sweat to deliver sweet sounds.  Treble is crisp and clean and bass is deep and controlled.  However, the thing that really got my attention was how fast and rhythmic this receiver is.  Many of my other vintage receivers sound plodding in comparison. Very impressive.  It sounds great through headphones and the phono stage is also very good, although not quite up to the standards of my Marantz 2245.

This is definitely a keeper and is what buying vintage stereo is all about – fantastic build quality, great looks and superb sound, all for under $100. 

HK430 Stereo Receiver (25 watts x 2)

FIRST MANUFACTURED: 1976
LAST MANUFACTURED: 1977
SPECIFICATIONS: Tuner Section
Capture Ratio : 2.5dB
Image Rejection : 60dB
Spurious Response Rejection : 50dB
Alternate Channel Selectivity : 60dB
Total Harmonic Distortion : MONO - 0.6%STEREO - 0.7%
Amplifier Section
Power Output : 25 watts RMS/ch, both driven into 8 ohms 20Hz - 20kHz,w/Power Bandwidth : 10Hz - 40kHZ at Frequency Response : 20Hz - 20kHz +/-0.5dB4Hz - 140kHz, -3dB
Rise Time : SQUARE WAVE - Square Wave Tilt : Total Harmonic Distortion : Intermodulation Distortion : Hum and Noise : Better than 65dB below rated output
Damping Factor : 40

Pedalboards of the Stars: Scott Henderson

Scott Henderson is one of my favorite players and he has always had a killer tone in my opinion – especially live and with the awesome Tribal Tech.  And some of his tastiest tones I've heard were on some live recordings of his stint with the Zawinul Syndicate in the late 80s.

Here’s a look at a fairly recent board from the Henderson, Jeff Berlin and Dennis Chambers tour [still waiting for East Coast dates guys!]

• RC Booster – this has apparently been modified to the “Scott Henderson Signature Model” specs
• Maxon Sonic Distortion SD9
• Fulltone Octafuzz
• Zvex – Fuzz Factory
• Arion Stereo Chorus SCH-1 [with true bypass mod]
• Tech 21 Midi Mouse
• Vox Wah
• Boss volume pedal

Pedalboards of the Stars: Robben Ford

Robben Ford is one of my favorite guitar players and a tone monster. Here's a look at a recent pedalboard [from December 2010]. In the past he has just used volume, wah and the Zendrive, but his board seems to be expanding. It now includes:

• Ernie Ball volume pedal
• Vox Wah [may be modified]
• Korg Pitchblack tuner
• Hermida Audio Zendrive overdrive
• Arion Chorus SCH-1 [with true bypass mod] - same as Landau and Henderson have used
• Line 6 DL4 Delay
• G-Lab Reverb
• Buffer [to maintain signal strength]

Of course, it really helps your tone when you plug this into a $35,000 Dumble amp although Robben sometimes uses Fender Blackface amps with great results.

With so many of my favorite players using the Arion Chorus I may have have to pick one up - again - and re-evaluate my decision to sell the one I had. That's been replaced with the Analogman Chorus, but I am wondering now if I made a mistake. Although at the time it didn't knock me out as a chorus pedal - but most people use it just for the rotating Leslie simulation. That aspect of the pedal was really nice and certainly a cheaper option than the DLS RotoSim that's on my shopping list.

The other pedal Robben has that interests me is the Zendrive. I could not be happier with my Timmy, but I see the Zendrive on a lot of boards and that says something about its quality.

RAZL: Rotonova - Intergalactic dirty guitar grooves for earthling weirdos

I've really been enjoying the debut album [released in 2008] by Spanish guitarist Razl called "Rotonova."

Razl has a couple of things going for him that set him apart from the crowd. First, he does not use a pick so solos are finger picked and chords often plucked, which gives him a different approach than most players. Second, I really like his guitar sound and pedal choices. He plays mostly with a clean tone and spices it up with rotating Leslie simulations and tremolo to great effect. Even though he reminds me a little of John Scofield and Oz Noy [and some of the tracks echo the jazz-funk of the Brecker Brothers minus the horns], he definitely has his own voice which is refreshing in this day and age of "me-too" players. The bass player and drummer lay down some frantic funky grooves on "Rotonova", which provide the perfect backdrop for Razl to build some very tasteful solos.

A foundation for Razl's sounds and approach is the H&K Rotosphere. I have been wanting a DLS RotoSim for months to get a similar rotating Leslie simulation. And hearing "Rotonova" has really got me thinking about picking one up. Here's a look at Razl's pedalboard:


Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere
Line 6 FM4 (Filter) & DL4 (Delay)
Moogerfooger Ring Modulator
Voodoo Lab Tremolo
Z Vex Distortron
DOD FX17 Wah
Boss TU 2 Tuner
Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 plus
Carl Martin Big John Power Supply

The 2008 CD "Rotonova" is highly recommended if you like funky jazz/fusion. The good news is he has just released a new CD called "Microscopic" which has been added to my shopping list without hesitation.

More info at www.razlplanet.com and CDs at www.abstractlogix.com as well as www.cdbaby.com.

Product Review: MXR Custom Badass '78 Distortion

Does the world really need another distortion pedal? According to MXR, the answer is definitely "Yes!"

The company recently introduced the horribly named Custom Badass '78 Distortion. When I think of 1978 [a little hard to remember, I admit] I think of the distorted tones I was listening to on vinyl at the time: Van Halen "I", Aerosmith "Live Bootleg", Ted Nugent "Double Live Gonzo", AC/DC "Powerage", and The Who "Who Are You". Could this little red box recapture those tones from yesteryear?

The pedal has controls for Output, Tone, and Distortion [gain] plus an extra circuit that you can engage using the Crunch button which is basically a midrange boost that moves the tonality a little closer to a classic Tube Screamer. Build quality looks to be very good.

So how does it sound? Overall, I'd say it is a decent sounding pedal that is somewhat similar to a MXR Distortion+ on steroids or the Boss DS-1, but with more tonal options and higher fidelity. My favorite settings are with the Distortion control below 2 o'clock and with the Crunch circuit engaged. The pedal has a lot of gain on tap and it sounds very full and rich at most settings. In fact, it reminds me a lot of the Danelectro Cool Cat Fuzz in that respect, but to my ears it only makes a passing attempt at capturing the tones I listened to back in '78. IMO those tones were thinner and less compressed than what the Custom Badass '78 Distortion is serving up - although the Crunch circuit does help it sound less dark.

The distortion pedal landscape is full of some really nice choices so MXR is going into a very, very crowded marketplace. However, this is a quality unit at a very competitive price point of only $80. That's a good bang for the buck and with their marketing muscle and mainstream distribution through Guitar Center and Musicians' Friend, they may well ship a lot of units.

The bottom line: This is a pedal worth checking out based on it's tonal flexibility, build quality and attractive price. But if you really wanted '78 tones I would grab a Distortion+ or any of the vintage pedals from that era.

Vintage Stereo - Marantz 2245 Receiver

Here’s another vintage receiver I picked up recently – a classic Marantz 2245 from the early ‘70s in the WC-22 wood case. It’s in excellent condition overall with a very clean face plate and perfect glass. There is a small chip at the back left corner of the case and some black marks on the knobs, but considering this is over 35 years old these are just minor [character building!] imperfections.

Even though I got the Marantz 2245 receiver for a good price, I knew I would have to put more money into it. The speaker relay was failing resulting in some very loud pops through the speakers and with a receiver this old, capacitors would need replacing. I took it to my vintage stereo repair expert and he gave it a thorough restoration including new power switch, new speaker relay, new caps, and tuner alignment. He believes this to be a low mileage receiver as it has all the original lights still working and was very clean on the inside. Someone had attempted some amateurish repairs, but he corrected those and a low level hum in the right channel. That’s the thing with vintage stereo equipment, you never know what you are getting into . . . and it’s usually bad and expensive.

So how does this old Marantz 2245 receiver sound? The short answer is superb. I am driving some ‘80s Klipsch KG4 speakers which are probably not the best match because they are not very restrained, but it still sounds great. Deep bass, yet super clear and crisp highs. I am hearing things, especially in the lower register, that I have not heard before. Geddy Lee’s bass on “YYZ” has a growl and clarity I have not heard before, for example. The addition of a “mid” control is a nice touch that gives the Marantz a little more control than other receiver brands. It has a big soundstage, great separation and a wonderfully warm presentation, especially when playing LPs. The tuner is strong and sensitive and pulls in stations with ease. It’s much less muddy and warmer than my Pioneer SX-780 although that unit needs recapping as well so it’s not really a fair sonic comparison.

All in all the Marantz 2245 delivers fantastic sound quality that you would have to spend upwards of $1,000 to beat buying new gear today. And no new piece of equipment is going to give you that vintage look and beautiful blue Marantz glow. At 45 real watts per channel it’s not super powerful, but for normal listening that is more than adequate. So two thumbs way up for the Marantz 2245 receiver. It’s my first Marantz and probably not my last.

My Current Pedal Board

If I’m writing a blog on guitar effects pedals, I should really show my own pedal board. I’d like to add a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 unit to power everything, but otherwise I am really happy with my current line up, which I have had for about 6 months now:

In The FX Loop

• Analogman Chorus – Very versatile chorus pedal that covers all the bases. Thick and lush or light and airy with a passable rotating Leslie simulation. $150 used from The Gear Page. ($250 new).
• Voodoo Lab Tremolo – Perfect reproduction of Fender amp trems from the ‘60s. $80 on eBay. ($129 new).

In Front of the Amp

• Area 51 Wah – Italian Drop in Kit retrofitted into an old Dunlop Wah casing. Killer boutique wah. $199 new.
• Tone Factor/Mojo Hand Analogue Filter – Auto wah/envelope filter that’s ideal for funk. $85 from The Gear Page ($150 new)
• Barber Tone Press – One of the best compressors you can buy and useful for increasing sustain on single coils. $95 from The Gear Page. ($150 new)
• Electro-Harmonix Small Stone Phaser [with Analogman Mods] – Version 2 from 1977 in great shape. One of the definitive phasers from the ‘70s. $80 on eBay + $100 of mods.
• KR Products Mega Vibe – As used by Frank Marino and Steve Stevens. Probably the best recreation of a Hendrix vibe; I don’t think these are being made any more. $295 new.
• Paul Cochrane’s Timmy – One of the most transparent overdrive pedals made, great for mild, tube-like distortion. Hand made and a long waiting list for these. $160 on The Gear Page. ($129 new but 3-6 months waiting list)
• Mojo Hand Huckleberry Fuzz – Very versatile fuzz/distortion box. $55 on eBay. ($150 new) 
• MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay – Recent reissue that sounds great with plenty of tonal options from short slap back to spacey echo to self-oscillation madness.

All pedals are connected using a Bill Lawrence Wilde Cable Kit.