Modernizing a MCM Stereo Cabinet ​

We acquired this really beautiful mid-century stereo console/cabinet on the cheap. The cabinet at one point had some matching external speaker cabinets that were lost to time or some other auction separation. It also still contained it's original electronics that were hardly up to snuff for a guy like me. It had an AM/FM radio dial tuner, a hefty pre-amplifier, large tube amplifier, a turntable, and a large separate tube pre-amp section for the turntable. It's possible that the amp and pre-amp could sound good with some cleaning and new tubes but, the turntable would very likely have shredded my precious LP's into weed eater cord. So out it all came...

In place of all the old electronics I put in some of my own hi-fi equipment and Adcom 545 II Preamp and an Adcom 555 Stereo Amplifier. I also put in a belt drive technics turntable for now (I'll eventually replace this with a nice Rega I have). All of it coming through a great pair B&W floor-standing speakers.

The new amplifier is actually completely hidden and powered by the switch on the preamp. So the only controls that needed to be visible were for the preamp itself but, in removing the tuner and preamp components I was left with a large piece of wood with two gaping holes in it. I had to replace that piece of wood and try my best to stain it to match. This new cover pieces can be seen to the left and right of the new preamp. There was a also a small compartment to the left of the cabinet that I thought would be perfect to hide the iPad in so I made a small hole for the mini-to-RCA and power cable for that. Now I can listen to my vinyl or stream some Spotify to this thing!