Experience bringing older gear up to date ARC, CJ


If you've been into audio for a while, and have pleasant memories of some of the older tube gear (as I do for the ARC D-76a and SP8, or the CJ Premier 2 or MV-75a), you can't help but wonder what it would be like to bring some of that gear back to life, with various parts updated and upgraded, or maybe just replaced (to better keep the old sound?). A key issue would be reliability, particularly with amps, I would think. (I managed to blow up a few back in the 80's--I don't know how much of it might have been related to parts issues, design, or just my own stupidity.) Also, I got the sense, especially in the late 80's, that the tube gear manufacturers might have been fighting a little too hard to get a little too much out of the highs, with not entirely pleasant results. Maybe upgrades would flesh that out.

I'm wondering who's had experience with the "good ol' stuff" brought into the 21st century, and how it's worked out?
eweedhome
Chuck, thank you. I've worked with GNSC (and Steve Huntley is excellent), and I'm now working with Bill Thalmann, but all of this has been on (relatively) newer gear. The only pre-90's piece I'm working with is an ARC SP8, which is still in process. I'm just curious to hear from people who've gone back to the 80's gear and made it usable. As noted, I'm particularly interested in reports about reliability (not to mention what the stuff sounds like in comparison to what we have nowdays).
Bill Thalman @ Music Technology did a super job with my ARC D-79 including upgrading the large capacitor bank with new caps from ARC.
He's the best.
Rgurney - Thanks - questions: How do you like the sound, compared to more current models (to the extent you've compared), and how is reliability?
Eweedhome,

Bob & Gary Backert, at RHB Sound Dezign did a fantastic job on my 15 year old CJ PV-12 preamp. www.rhbsounddezign.com