Refurbished Magnecorder PT6J mic pre - vintage tube microphone preamp with rack ears - 1950’s - restored!

If you know you know. High gain (95db!!!), monster amp. People ask, what’s the cleanest sounding, but also most colorful mic preamp out there? This model is the answer I give. Originally designed for hi-fi tape machines, this microphone preamp is now famous for its clarity with all the gooey tube warmth you’ve always wanted.

Not pictured are a handmade pair of rack ears which I painted with a silver hammer tone paint. Hardware to mount them is also included.

This particular one has been recapped only where necessary to clean up the noise floor & top end, to its original luster. The VU meter lights up, but needle does not always move (jumps sometimes but mostly dead), as most of them do these days. The ungrounded 2 prong cable has been replaced with a grounded 3 prong cable. The schematic has been slightly rewired to get a cleaner signal without losing any of the color or characteristic. The iconic speaker actually works and makes for the best re-amp box you’ve ever heard in your life (Trust me).

I/O: It takes standard XLR balanced cables on the back, or an unbalanced monitor on the front, which I actually prefer. The monitor input yields slightly less gain, but is cleaner (as in, you turn is up 5% instead of 8%). On the back it’s a hotter output but more “color” (ie: saturation). So two options there, which is really a super cool mod.

Between all the old Ampex tape machine amplifier type units out there, this has always been my favorite. Tons of glass and tons of colorful headroom for days. Plug in a gain-hungry RCA 44 or Coles ribbon mic and you’ll only get about 5-10% up on the volume knob, believe it or not. It’s an absolute fire breathing monster. gain hungry dynamics and even crystal mics that usually require a could lifter will still only use a small fraction of the gain available here. It’s really a beast. And when you crave that gritty, overdriven vibe, you won’t find it done anywhere better than the PT6J.

This one is extremely clean. A tell-tale sign of how the unit was treated/kept is often the VU meter paper behind the glass on these old Magnecorders and Magnetones. They are notorious for fading and turning a dark orange and becoming illegible. The glass on these also dims and becomes quite cloudy. It’s rare to see one this clean and well lit. Although the needle itself does not always move (an easy fix) it lights up and looks brand new. The speaker on and works as well. I can build custom rack ears for this module for an extra 50 bucks if you like. I can also fabricate a bottom plate for $35 if you absolutely need one though it site safely and securely without one, just don’t go touching sh** while it’s on haha

They don’t get any cooler than this one, please check out my shop for other cool vintage gear, I have tons! Thanks for looking. Open to trades. Any questions please ask. Have a great day.

PS - I also have some AMPEX heads like this and some vintage 50’s field mixers turned mic pres (RCA, Collins, Raytheon, Gates, etc). Save my shop too!!

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