How I got started in Hi Fi...

[Wagner]

guess it was white face, not case (rarely saw the case) . The very first pic google pulled up was it.

http://vintageelectronics.betamaxcol...ls-8000iv.html

That was a beautiful model, excellent tuner and a separates quality amp...............copper chassis

Last all tube from Sherwood, made in Chicago

http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/sherwoo...0_mark_iv.html

Sherwoods answer to the Fisher 500-C; I've heard a few that sounded better than the Fisher (they're all different now after all these years and various levels of "restoration") More difficult to work on than a Fisher (less room) but the payoff is good

I'd be happy with either; I think the Fishers are better looking but the Sherwoods had more and better features (like phase reverse)

I'm always on the lookout; the last of the U.S.A. built solid state Sherwoods are nice too and stayed that way even after moving production to Japan. I think the "7000" series were/are GREAT

My first "real" receiver was a lower in the line up solid state Sherwood and as far as I know, after a stint at Kings Point it may very well still be out here in Kalifornia, playing music, to this day (long story short; I loaned it to my prick younger brother while he was at the academy and then he loaned it to a Kalifornia fellow cadet and dope smoking buddy after graduation................never saw it again ) I did briefly own a higher up Jap built "7xxx" model I scored at a thrift back in the early 2000s, sold it, shouldn't have (was getting long in the tooth, needed a re-cap)

There used to be a site devoted entirely to Sherwood (like the H.H. Scott site) but I can't find it now. The silver faced Pioneer site has been gone a while too

Damn shame, Sherwood was an excellent builder; koreans own the name now I think

[SEAWOLF97]

That was a beautiful model, excellent tuner and a separates quality amp...............copper chassis

Last all tube from Sherwood, made in Chicago

2nd part of the story, then I'll try to stop.

The Sherwood ran HOT. Dad even had a small fan plugged into the accessory socket to try for cooling. It regularly consumed tubes.
We also had a big Hoffman walnut cabinet-ed mono, B&W tube TV. It was even worse on killing tubes.

So, being eldest son, I was appointed tube re-placer. When stereo or TV acted up , I pulled all the tubes, wrapped them in napkins or socks ..packed them in a bag and rode the bike down to the drug store. They had a standup tube tester. I'd test them all, figure out the offender , open cab door and find the replacement on the shelf , buy it and come home to reinstall all. Repeat every couple of months.

Knew nothing about voltages, was lucky .. I guess.

Watched The Beatles on Ed Sullivan and all the coverage of Kennedy assignation on that TV.

[jpw]

Not being fortunate enough to live in California or NY, I grew up in an isolated small farm town in Iowa so there was no chance for exposure to good early audio components.

My first memory of being drawn to cool equipment was the early 1960's. My dad had a Voice of Music reel to reel tape recorder that he had connected to a big console stereo which also had a turntable. I'm sure it would sound terrible today but at the time it made Andy Williams sound a lot better than on TV.

My first glimpse of a true component system was at the local teen center where kids still in high school could hang out. I think it was a Garrard turntable and either a Kenwood or Sansui receiver but I don't remember the speakers. I had no knowledge of any of the name brands at that time. It played loud enough to dance to though. I remember listening to Hey Jude over it in real time and being very excited about the experience.

Next stop was college where nearly everybody either had or wanted to buy a component stereo. I lasted two years and change in school and decided I wanted to work in the environment I loved best which was listening to music and helping people buy good equipment. It turned into my life's work................

[DavidF]

Not being fortunate enough to live in California or NY, I grew up in an isolated small farm town in Iowa so there was no chance for exposure to good early audio components.

My first memory of being drawn to cool equipment was the early 1960's. My dad had a Voice of Music reel to reel tape recorder that he had connected to a big console stereo which also had a turntable. I'm sure it would sound terrible today but at the time it made Andy Williams sound a lot better than on TV.

My first glimpse of a true component system was at the local teen center where kids still in high school could hang out. I think it was a Garrard turntable and either a Kenwood or Sansui receiver but I don't remember the speakers. I had no knowledge of any of the name brands at that time. It played loud enough to dance to though. I remember listening to Hey Jude over it in real time and being very excited about the experience.

Next stop was college where nearly everybody either had or wanted to buy a component stereo. I lasted two years and change in school and decided I wanted to work in the environment I loved best which was listening to music and helping people buy good equipment. It turned into my life's work................

Deja vu, all over again.

My father worked as a company rep for Voice of Music for a short while in the early sixties. He had the tape recorder shown below (sucker weighs about 35 lbs), a VM turntable and some amplification in the house. So we had some relatively fine tunes in the house including the Andy Williams Christmas Album- a family favorite. We later had a tube Knight integrated. Lot's of tubes in the house. I also recall trips to the drug store right after a stop in the neighboring barber shop (hair cut and trim EVERY Saturday morning).

Like Seawolf I remember the big tube tester with a storage compartment below. It was at the end of some counter near the front of the drug store. We would have any assortment of tubes to test for the one culprit. Although it was fun at the time, it did make me think that tubes were inferior in my later years and I unloaded the Knight amp that was passed down to me. Replaced by a shiny brand new Kenwood K7100 circa 1977 (still have the Kenwood, but not the Knight!!). Could have cared less about the ole Knight and its 9 (?) tubes when that Kenwood was plopped on the shelf. Funny that a month ago a Van Alstine Ultravalve tube amp arrived at my doorstep! Go figure.

To complete the story my Dad had recorded my two sisters and I over a period of several years. He asked questions and we answered in what ever state of mind we were in at the time. So we have some treasures to pass down that only family could enjoy. Strange to hear my older sister who picked up a strong southern drawl in her youth. You won't hear a trace of it now after 40 years in California. She was a little Chatty Cathy at the time and that has not changed after all these years.

[SEAWOLF97]

Sys was a Sherwood tube receiver (white case, but that was rarely on as it ran HOT) , a Dual 1015 TT , a Uher 7in reel deck (with "Magic Eye" meters) and some maybe Jensen speakers. .

After seeing DavidF's pic of the R2R , thot I'd go google surfing and see if a pic of the big Uher was available. It was a PORTABLE, w/clamshell case and a handle.

yup. that sucker is prolly still spinning reels somewhere

Strange to hear my older sister who picked up a strong southern drawl in her youth. You won't hear a trace of it now after 40 years in California. She was a little Chatty Cathy at the time and that has not changed after all these years.

funny to hear about accents.

When I went into boot camp , they pulled me out of training on a med hold (BP). When I re-entered training it was with 59 guys from Alabama. I quickly developed a strong southern accent that disappeared when boot camp was over.

Where ever I was on the other side of the world, people immediately spotted my California accent (didn't even know there was such a thang) .. even up here in Oregon, now, they still claim that I have it (haven't lived in Cal. since '72)

[jpw]

DavidF,

That VOM reel to reel photo sure looks familiar! Also I noticed another point of commonality in Andy Williams.........

[srm51555]

I always love reading other peoples audio journey's, thanks.

[speakerdave]

My first record (after Teddy Bear's Picnic, that is) may have been Duane Eddy Have Twang Will Travel, or something, and the next may have been a Roulette box set of Count Basie I found in the discount bin in some store. It was unwrapped, and someone had pinched the booklet. I had found a local FM station that programmed jazz for late evenings a few days a week and was a jazz devotee, being as discreet as possible. My father did not approve. The Twang is long gone, still have the Basie.