My father was one of Sol's early customers on Long Island. He bought everything from him, constituting my introduction to hi-fi.
Besides the pre and power amps, he decomissioned his venerable Fischer tuner, which got me really mad because we always listened in the dark except for a winter fireplace. The light of the tubes threw varied eliptical patterns on the walls and ceiling because of the protective cover. The Fischer had a beautiful bird holding a note in its beak, on the glass front plate, lit by the tuning bulb. I loved it and the Marantz was boring to look at.
But when the Masterwork Hour came on, announced by a particularly magisterial 'Sleepers Awake' and stentorian announcer, it was a new world. And WQXR was even better. He kept the old one, plugged into nothing, for mr to look at.
Like Sol, this sonorous tuner was the financial ruin of my father. My mother was sick and tired of his audio addiction, which she cruelly noted, had taken hold of me at a tender age. The man with the golden arm had nothing over golden ears.
I have an interesting frying pan that constitutes his death mask. I use it for Jello.
Like Sol, he sold out to (more exactly, traded-in for)Superscope. Out mit der tuben, in mit der solidaten state.
Gone were the evenings with the radio.
Shortly after, we were burgeled. Gone his top of the line monster receiver. Ha ha ha, they left behind the old Browning and Fischer.
Last year, he came to visit me. I have the McIntosh MR as well now, quite happily. Listening to my tubes he said, boy what a stupid trade-in I made back then.
I cannot really compare the Mc and the Sol, but I hope I can someday.
