Looks like a nice clean AA-32. Out of curiosity, where did you get it and what did it cost if you don't mind me asking?
I built mine from a kit in 1968 and some years ago also had to replace the power cord and the feet which rotted off. I know you are supposed to use a variac on initial start up after years of non-use but I never did and nothing bad happened, no capacitors exploded. I just left it on for while before connecting anything to it. I've since learned though that it's supposed to be a bad thing not to have speakers (or a resistor across the terminals) connected to any tube amp when it's turned on. You might find that the rotary selector switch needs cleaning, there are lots of contacts on it. Even though the bass & treble pots on mine were OK, I cleaned them anyway because one of the clutched volume pots was a little dirty. I also had to replace one of the slide switches but can't remember if it was the stereo/mono or power. In the process of replacing that switch I broke a lead off the neon pilot light so had to put in a new one of those.
Like I explained when we got together last Thursday, I'd fish it out every now and then and listen to it for a couple of days except that once, one of the 6GW8's red plated. It was then when I decided to gut and rebuild the whole thing rather than try fixing the immediate problem. I did after all, still have the assembly manual and did put it together in the first place.
It took quite a while to get all the new parts which came from a variety of sources, mostly on line. I joined a couple of forums and got a lot of help, recommendations and tips. Two fellows, Ron Oehlert and Jim McShane were especially helpful. Ron is an AA32 specialist and Jim restores Citation tube gear and was kind enough to sell me some out of production parts from his private stock.
I replaced every resistor, capacitor, tube, tube socket and wire. The chassis, pots, transformers and that rectangular ceramic tone control thingy were the only things I did not replace. The project took a long time to finish and over the course of that time, I wound up buying a selection of 6EU7 and 6GW8 tubes. 6EU7's are not cheap but relatively easy to get, not so with 6GW8's. Amongst others, I wound up getting a NOS set of 4 from a guy in France - the brand was Mazda. I could not believe how much opinions differ on who made the best tubes and also how much re-branding was going one. For instance, the (for reasons unknown) much coveted tubes made by Mullard were likely sold by just about every other tube manufactures at one time or another and re-branded as their own.
So after it was all put back together, it worked except for a residual 60Hz hum on MAG PHONO. I tried every suggestion given to me and then some to get rid of it. I replaced all the wires and coaxial cables a second time in the hope that wrongly twisted bundles, improper shielding or wire routing was causing it. Even tried using tube shields. The only thing I, and a tube radio tech who offered to scope it found out was that something associated with the 6EU7 at V1 (the phono pre-amp tube) was causing it. By bringing a finger close to that tube or the capacitors attached to its lugs increased the hum substantially. I thought it was a far fetched notion, but I started to wonder if the new components might be the cause. I figured that parts made 50 years ago might act as filters due to being less precisely made.
Might not be so far fetched because that radio tech suggested putting the old capacitors connected to V1 back in place. Unfortunately I threw them away but he managed to find a few old ones in parts bins at a museum he's a director at. I haven't installed them yet, that is yet to come. Worst case scenario is building an outboard DC 6.3 volt power supply for the filaments. Heathkit used 6.3 AC volts to light the tubes and maybe the old parts didn't suck up any hum but the new parts do. Could also just accept the hum as it's not horrendous and can only be heard between album tracks or after the tone arm goes back to rest. The other inputs are as dead quiet as they can be.
Not sure if it deserves the reputation but I read a few remarks saying that an AA-32 is wonderful sounding amplifier. When new in kit form, it cost $60 so how wonderful can it be - it is only 8 watts a side after all.
For a giggle, this is Heathkit's price list for replacement parts. Please notice the $1.55 price for a 6GW8 which was probably a Mullard because that's what all the tubes were that came with the kit in 1968.
