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So, it turns out my mid life crisis involves vintage stereo equipment not a new Corvette. I got back into two channel audio last year and I can't stop eyeballing Carver gear. I bough two broken amps - one from craigslist (TFM-24) and one from ebay (TFM-25) and I am in the process of getting them going. Both of them have very clean looking boards, original caps, and no scorch marks that I can find. They both have the same issues - one good channel and one bad (the 24 is static-ey, the 25 is out completely) I would like to pair at least one of them with some vintage Magneplanars at some point, and possibly a vintage McIntosh pre-amp (something simple like a C24).

 

I am a mechanical engineer, but I am in the process of learning a bit more about electronics via the local community college. This site looks like a great place to get into the nuts and bolts of Carver gear. I have been hooked on Carver since I read the Stereophile article about Bob cloning the amp sound. I have been dying to get a listen to his Transfer Function Amps, and I figured buying and repairing one would be the best way.

 

Anyone else around here from Detroit?

 

Thank you.

 

-Geoff

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Hello Geoff, and welcome to thecarversite. We're glad to have you hear(:D).  There are very talented techs here that will help you get your amps going. I noticed that some have already answered some questions, and pointed you in the right direction.

 

I hope you enjoy your stay and the tunes.

 

Oh, and we all like pics of audio gear.

 

 giphy.gif.3b5f93606aabb65bfa376f8d539d5b8d.gif

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Howdy Geoff and welcome to the forum. Thanks for introducing yourself. Please tell us more about yourself, your taste in music, non-audio hobbies, etc.

 

When you get around to posting system pics, please start a thread in Member Systems.

 

Good luck with your amp projects!

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Welcome aboard Geoff from a former Yooper!

 

Those amps will do you very well when repaired.

They are pretty easy to work on.

 

Pull up the schematics and study them awhile.

Assuming you have a decent soldering station and a digital multimeter, you should be ready.

A 'scope would be nice but shouldn't be necessary.

Having one working channel will be a big help in comparing voltages. What should be there vs what is there.

 

One word of caution: there are high voltage inside there in various locations that can kill!

Another note is the power supply caps keep a charge for a very long time, even after they are shut down and unplugged.

I made a voltage drain device from a couple clip leads with a resistor in line to keep the drain current down.

 

I'm heading to the UP shortly, gotta pay Mom a visit.

The techs here are the best and are very helpful.

Pull up a chair and enjoy a visit. 

There are a few threads around to browse and gain some familiarity with the amps.

 

 

 

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Thanks for including us in your Carver journey. If you get stumped don't be afraid to ask - there's lots of talent here.

 

Be sure to throw some pics of your set-up in the Member Systems section.

 

Enjoy !!!

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6 hours ago, SomeGeoffGuy said:

So, it turns out my mid life crisis involves vintage stereo equipment not a new Corvette. I got back into two channel audio last year and I can't stop eyeballing Carver gear. I bough two broken amps - one from craigslist (TFM-24) and one from ebay (TFM-25) and I am in the process of getting them going. Both of them have very clean looking boards, original caps, and no scorch marks that I can find. They both have the same issues - one good channel and one bad (the 24 is static-ey, the 25 is out completely) I would like to pair at least one of them with some vintage Magneplanars at some point, and possibly a vintage McIntosh pre-amp (something simple like a C24).

 

I am a mechanical engineer, but I am in the process of learning a bit more about electronics via the local community college. This site looks like a great place to get into the nuts and bolts of Carver gear. I have been hooked on Carver since I read the Stereophile article about Bob cloning the amp sound. I have been dying to get a listen to his Transfer Function Amps, and I figured buying and repairing one would be the best way.

 

Anyone else around here from Detroit?

 

Thank you.

 

-Geoff

Welcome Geoff!

I believe both of those amps use individual speaker relays for the left and right channel outputs. I repaired my TFM-55 with relays from circuits and concept if you determine that's the root cause. Les is a great resource for high quality parts and a member of this forum. 

Good luck and post your progress!

 

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6 minutes ago, SomeGeoffGuy said:

I don't have any working Carver stuff right now but I will post some pics of what is in progress.

 

Thanks Geoff, but they don't have to be pics of Carver gear, or your current system. If it's audio-related, and you owned, borrowed, or stole it at some time, feel free to post away. ?

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Welcome Geoff! Carver is my mid life crisis as well! lol I've been keeping an eye open for some TFM's myself. (leaning toward the 45 or 55) I know there is a list of which amps they are modified to clone but can't seem to find it. I understand that they have a different but equally pleasing sound.

welcome home.jpg

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Welcome to the site Geoff, glad you found us and decided  to join in on all the forum has to offer.

What types of music and bands/artists do you enjoy listening to ?

I like modern blues guitar rock : Joe Bonamassa, Gary Moore, Robin Trower, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Tab Benoit, Jimmy D. Lane

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14 hours ago, kve777 said:

Welcome, Geoff! 

 

Ye shall reap the rewards of owning vintage Carver gear. I hope you have a lot of money to buy more...?

Yea, two TFM55's just sold on ebay. Had to use some willpower to not click the bid button. One sold for $530, the other for $640.

 

-Geoff

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