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Success Stories If you have successfully repaired or restored a piece of equipment, why not write up what you did and post details here. Particularly if it was interesting, unusual or challenging. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE! |
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16th Mar 2006, 10:28 am | #1 |
Nonode
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK.
Posts: 2,593
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Bush MB60 - my best restoration so far
Hello,
I bought my MB60 from eBay back in July last year and its taken me all this time to complete this restoration which I've done bit by bit as spare parts have turned up. It cost me over £80 but it was almost complete and with its lead, virtually unmarked, and working but not particularly well and sounded rather edgy. It had a torn loudspeaker and the wrong brass dial bezel. The brass trims around the middle were turning black in places. The seller of the radio very kindly removed the chassis before posting it, to avoid breaking the mountings which I am glad to say are all perfect. When I received it I dismantled it and gave it a good clean and polish, leaving it completely unmarked. All the brass trim was removed, stripped, repolished and revarnished. The loudspeaker and dial bezel I later replaced with ones from very early scrap TR82Bs, both parts are identical to the originals. This MB60 has obviously had very little use since it was built, so the chassis is immaculate and the wax capacitors show little signs of ageing. However it still sounded rather harsh even compared to my transistor TR82s so something was amiss. I cleaned the wavechange switch with a little switch cleaner which helped a bit but it was obvious that the valves were not healthy. I took them out and visited Crowthorne Tubes last week, had them all tested and they were all working but none at 100% so I bought 5 nice new ones (£19.50 the set). I fitted those and wow, what a difference ! It now works as it should, relaxed sounding and warmer than the TR82s. This is my favourite amoungst my David Ogle cased Bush radios (I have 30+ !), I particularly like the red rexine cover and brass trim, and apart from a turquoise TR82CL is the best condition wise. It is mint in every way and its the only one I keep in my living room in continuous use, perched on my pine dresser. But it has cost me rather a lot of money !!! Howard Last edited by howard; 16th Mar 2006 at 10:47 am. |