Great thread!
Oldest piece of gear? A 1940's Raymer mono tube integrated that I'm refurbishing for use as a guitar amp.
Oldest currently in a system? Hard to say- I'm fortunate to have multiple systems with vintage gear. in my vacation home it's the Mac 5100 integrated, paired with ADS 810's and a VPI HW 19jr. Definitely the Altec 604e's in my office system are the oldest there (in front of an Alan Eaton 45 SET Integrated and a Well-Tempered Amadeus). In the art studio system the oldest component- the Monitor Audio MA-3's (1973 or a bit later)- is not far behind are the Precision Fidelity C7a Revised preamp (1981?) and the Oracle Delphi AC, the first Oracle TT (1979-80). Come to think of it, the Nakamichi 582 cassette deck- also introduced in 1979, is such a close cousin to this cluster. The living room system is anchored by One Thing Audio-restored Quad ESL57's, for sure the oldest in that system (powered by Herron preamps and a Rogue Atlas power amp). I don't count the Lenco L75 I completely disassembled, including a complete motor teardown and restoration, whose platter, motor and idler arm are the only remaining elements in a "frankentable" of my design.
In the wings in case amps need service are an Eico HF81 (restored by Robert Hovland years ago), a Bedini 25/25 amp, a Belles XLM preamp, and a Naim Nait 2 Olive.
Obviously I much prefer scratching the vintage itch to chasing the latest and greatest! Yes, servicing's a necessary PITB, but being based in SoCal there are many more options within a half-hour's drive than elsewhere.
