General Asylum

Posted by swfarrar (A) on May 09, 2025 at 06:25:39

In Reply to: RE: My first DIY tube amp posted by Leo loves music on May 08, 2025 at 21:11:57

When I moved to Austin in 1966 to start my third year of college and live in my first apartment I discovered a store named High Fidelity near campus. The year before I'd been listening to a dorm roommate's KLH portable stereo and decided, naively, that I really wanted a system of my own so I wandered in to find a room full of exotic gear. When the owner asked me if he could help I said, "I want a stereo system!" He replied, "How much money do you have?" I replied "$100". He laughed and said "Well, that won't buy you a system but can you solder?" I told him I could, having learned from my father while building high-school science fair projects.
I followed him into the back of the store where he took down a box containing a Dynaco SCA-35 kit. He said, "Take this home and build it but don't plug it in. Bring it back and let me test it first."
I went to Radio Shack, bought the cheapest soldering pen they had and spent the weekend on the kitchen table putting it together. Took it back to High Fidelity where the owner looked at it carefully before plugging it in and checking it on a scope. He declared it tested better than spec and congratulated me.
So, I told him I'd be back when I had the money for a turntable and speakers. Then he gave me a box containing a new AR turntable, and told me to bring him $100 whenever I had it, then a pair of small AR speakers that they had special ordered for a customer who then didn't like the fruitwood finish, no charge.
His generosity and encouragement led to a lifetime of enjoyment of great music and I'm incredibly grateful.