Doing It Myself

When I was a teenager, I had saved up enough money to make the transition.  This was the transition from listening to music on my parents' phonograph to listening to music on my very own hi-fi system.  

My parents' phonograph was an all-in-one unit.  The hi-fi system I was dreaming of would consist of separate components, each of which had knobs and buttons and lights and shiny faceplates.  I was sure the sound would be dazzling.

My hi-fi system would be stereophonic, of course.  Stereo was new; only five years had passed since the first commercial stereo record had been released (which was recorded by The Dukes Of Dixieland).

My first step toward my dream was to buy an amplifier, the heart of a hi-fi system.  

I scoured recent issues of audio magazines, and decided on a Harman-Kardon.  The audio magazines told me that Harman-Kardon had designed the Citation II amplifier with the highest possible bandwidth, including sounds that went beyond the range of the human ear.  I was impressed.

But once deciding on a Citation II, I still had a choice.  

I could save $20.00 if I purchased a do-it-yourself kit instead of buying the amplifier factory-assembled.  $20.00 was a lot of money to me, but when I realized that I would have to do some soldering, I definitely went for the do-it-yourself kit.  I had never soldered before, and the thought of holding a gun that was hot enough to melt something was very intriguing.

The do-it-yourself amplifier came in a nice box, every piece was labeled, and the instruction manual was clear.  Step-by-step, I put the amplifier together --- after reading up on how to solder.

The final step was complete.  I plugged in my newly-assembled Citation II, and it made a loud buzzing sound.

Something was wrong.  I was defeated.

The only recourse: take my amplifier to the Harman-Kardon factory, which was only ten miles from my parents’ house.  They fixed the amplifier.  When I went to pick it up, the factory told me they had to fix all the bad soldering joints.  They presented me with a repair bill for $19.95.

My do-it-yourself adventure had saved me a nickel.

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Vacuum tube amplifier enthusiasts drool over the Harman-Kardon Citation II, even today.  Here is what can only be called someone's tribute of love to his amplifier - a 30-second video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-QupUJxHfM  

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NOTE: Doug's best stories have been collected into a book: Puppy Out Of Breath.  Price = $11.  You can purchase a copy at  http://www.puppyoutofbreath.com