Finally joined up

Roadie

New Around These Parts
Joined
Mar 4, 2022
Messages
7
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
Tagline
here, there and everywhere
#1
Hi all, I've been lurking here for several years. Now that I'm retired I've decided to get a little more serious about giving my PL700 #272-011 some love. I've owned her since 1980 and I took her out of service about 4 or 5 years ago. I was driving a pair of JBL L100s (re-coned in 2005) that I bought new in '76 along with a PL2000 I picked up on E-bay in the 90's.

I've been in touch with Joe (years ago), recently Lee and just got off the phone with Mark. Like many, I've gone back and forth with whether to do the work myself or send it to someone with experience and wisdom. I had pretty much decided to send it to one of these gurus until I spoke with Mark. He gave me the confidence to try this myself. I've got pretty good skills and I can be meticulous when need be.

So, I'll be putting my workspace together, making a list of materials and a battle plan. I plan to start a thread once all those thing are in place.

Anyway, glad to be here and I feel like I just walked into a room with a bunch of old friends.

Larry
Salt Lake
 

laatsch55

Administrator,
Staff member
Joined
Jan 14, 2011
Messages
74,124
Location
Gillette, Wyo.
Tagline
Halfbiass...Electron Herder and Backass Woof
#4
Hi all, I've been lurking here for several years. Now that I'm retired I've decided to get a little more serious about giving my PL700 #272-011 some love. I've owned her since 1980 and I took her out of service about 4 or 5 years ago. I was driving a pair of JBL L100s (re-coned in 2005) that I bought new in '76 along with a PL2000 I picked up on E-bay in the 90's.

I've been in touch with Joe (years ago), recently Lee and just got off the phone with Mark. Like many, I've gone back and forth with whether to do the work myself or send it to someone with experience and wisdom. I had pretty much decided to send it to one of these gurus until I spoke with Mark. He gave me the confidence to try this myself. I've got pretty good skills and I can be meticulous when need be.

So, I'll be putting my workspace together, making a list of materials and a battle plan. I plan to start a thread once all those thing are in place.

Anyway, glad to be here and I feel like I just walked into a room with a bunch of old friends.

Larry
Salt Lake

Any guy with a Simpson 260 meter face for an avatar is ok in my book!!~
 
Joined
Nov 15, 2021
Messages
482
Location
near Liverpool, NY
Tagline
Lifelong student / listening = bliss
#5
Hi all, I've been lurking here for several years. Now that I'm retired I've decided to get a little more serious about giving my PL700 #272-011 some love. I've owned her since 1980 and I took her out of service about 4 or 5 years ago. I was driving a pair of JBL L100s (re-coned in 2005) that I bought new in '76 along with a PL2000 I picked up on E-bay in the 90's.

I've been in touch with Joe (years ago), recently Lee and just got off the phone with Mark. Like many, I've gone back and forth with whether to do the work myself or send it to someone with experience and wisdom. I had pretty much decided to send it to one of these gurus until I spoke with Mark. He gave me the confidence to try this myself. I've got pretty good skills and I can be meticulous when need be.

So, I'll be putting my workspace together, making a list of materials and a battle plan. I plan to start a thread once all those thing are in place.

Anyway, glad to be here and I feel like I just walked into a room with a bunch of old friends.

Larry
Salt Lake
Larry,

We seem to be on parallel paths. During the latter half of my career I had been promising myself that if/when I made it over the retirement finish line I would unearth/renew all the PL gear that I had acquired along the way. I'm a relative newcomer myself, but hanging out in here is just like hanging out in the Auto Hobby Shop after classes at my Avionics Tech School years ago -- lots of car projects being worked on, so much valuable info in the air, and a real sense of camaraderie.

The best part? If you get stuck for any reason, these guys have their long-distance troubleshooting chops well-honed. It's neat to see!

Welcome aboard!

Cheers --

3D
 

WOPL Sniffer

Veteran and General Yakker
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
11,223
Location
Minnie-Soda
Tagline
Screw it
#6
Welcome to the best site in the world. Good luck with the upgrade on your amp, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner (specially before the price of parts went up). Joe will hook you up, he's got the STUFF!!! Hope ya got soldering experience, this job is not for a rookie. I'm not calling YOU a rookie, just don't know your background yet. But, you CAN order pre-fabbed boards from Joe. Get a thread going and keep us up to date. :)

Peace

Sniff
 

Vintage 700b

Chief Journeyman
Joined
Mar 13, 2019
Messages
741
Location
Wisconsin
Tagline
Fabricator
#7
Welcome Larry,
Your story is similar to my own, I have owned the equipment for over 45 years and done all of the work myself. The WOPL upgrades will amaze you !!!! The people here are dedicated, and very knowledgeable, we all share a passion for music. The synergy to keep that going is strong. Many innovative ideas. I feel privileged to be a member here, it is a great group.
Welcome, looking forward to your builds.
 

Roadie

New Around These Parts
Joined
Mar 4, 2022
Messages
7
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
Tagline
here, there and everywhere
#8
Thanks for the warm welcome. I realized that most probably won't bother to read the "about" stuff, so I've copied it over to give a little background.

I recently retired after 45 years as a union stagehand. I was on the road for about 25 years. I've been to and worked in 48 states and 14 countries. Although I've done more than my share of concerts, most of my career was with dance companies. The majority of my touring was with American Ballet Theatre, I also worked with Martha Graham, White Oak Dance, and the Kirov and Bolshoi when they toured the US. My expertise is in lighting. I started with 2.4kW autotransformer dimmers running 2k loads and ended with digitally controlled LED moving fixtures.

I'm still driving a '47 Chevy 1/2 ton that I restored over several summers in the mid 90's.

Happily married for 20 years with a paid-for, solar paneled home built circa 1892.

Music collection of about 1800 albums, mostly from '65 to '75....
 

Roadie

New Around These Parts
Joined
Mar 4, 2022
Messages
7
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
Tagline
here, there and everywhere
#9
Larry,

We seem to be on parallel paths. During the latter half of my career I had been promising myself that if/when I made it over the retirement finish line I would unearth/renew all the PL gear that I had acquired along the way. I'm a relative newcomer myself, but hanging out in here is just like hanging out in the Auto Hobby Shop after classes at my Avionics Tech School years ago -- lots of car projects being worked on, so much valuable info in the air, and a real sense of camaraderie.

The best part? If you get stuck for any reason, these guys have their long-distance troubleshooting chops well-honed. It's neat to see!

Welcome aboard!

Cheers --

3D
Thanks 3D,

I live about half a mile from the Salt Lake VA. I've been following and really enjoying your thread. Parallel paths indeed!

Larry
 

Roadie

New Around These Parts
Joined
Mar 4, 2022
Messages
7
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
Tagline
here, there and everywhere
#15
pennysdad, I hear (read) that! LoL My career started about the same time as arena rock, but I only did most of those shows as a local rigger and spotlight operator with a double muff headset pretty far from the stage. I never toured with a band. I sometimes worked the deck, but that was behind the stacks. I do remember being deaf for a few days after a Ted Nougent show also New Barbarians and Grand Funk Railroad gigs. So, ears pretty good, eyes not what they once were after staring at all those stage lamps. With the ballet I was fortunate to listen to a live orchestra every night. I used to sit on the apron above the pit occasionally during orchestra rehearsals, there's nothing else like that (except a WOPL and some Klipsch?)

Did you work for a shop or a band?
 

pennysdad

Veteran and General Yakker
Joined
Feb 27, 2013
Messages
3,728
Location
In witness protection.
Tagline
I've totally lost the plot....
#17
pennysdad, I hear (read) that! LoL My career started about the same time as arena rock, but I only did most of those shows as a local rigger and spotlight operator with a double muff headset pretty far from the stage. I never toured with a band. I sometimes worked the deck, but that was behind the stacks. I do remember being deaf for a few days after a Ted Nougent show also New Barbarians and Grand Funk Railroad gigs. So, ears pretty good, eyes not what they once were after staring at all those stage lamps. With the ballet I was fortunate to listen to a live orchestra every night. I used to sit on the apron above the pit occasionally during orchestra rehearsals, there's nothing else like that (except a WOPL and some Klipsch?)

Did you work for a shop or a band?
I started in the 70's. Varied at first. Setting up international touring bands visiting Oz, but then local hire Co's, local bands in pubs [best years as it was all in it's infancy]. Did a heap of local touring bands as FOH and yeh, that got pretty loud, and I mean LOUD, coz that was way before noise limits were introduced. 'We' just went nuts. It was the birth of Big Power amps and HUGE PA's were starting to pop up everywhere. Then owner operator, then went OS. Did some great stuff over there, but after a while, had to come back. Did some follow spot too early on. So much concentration. Totally exhausted by the end of the night. It was good. Staged manager for awhile too, so know EXACTLY wot you mean about rehearsals and having a spot to sit in and enjoy it. When working with bands, I used to like sitting on a stool behind the singer on stage during rehearsals and sound checks. There's nothing like it. NOTHING. It's about as close to the truth that you can get. And when the band's cookin', it just..... indescribable.
There's a few here that know tho'.
Sometimes, I wish I could just blink, and pick a year to go back to for a day.... [BIG SIGH]
 
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