Citation I Refurb - Getting Started

So let's get into the Citation I refurb project.  First, you need a unit to refurb. I happen to have a choice of 5 units to start with. Four were bought off eBay and I inherited my father's original Citation (more on that in some future posting).  I am going to be replacing every electronic component in this system except the transformer and the choke.  I will also be installing all new wiring and new RCA jacks.  Therefore, I am mostly concerned with the cosmetic condition of the faceplate and knobs.

My father's unit has a near mint faceplate although the knobs show a bit of oxidation.  But since this is my first preamp refurb I'm not going to start with that unit.  So I picked one of the eBay units, which actually has a very nice faceplate and very nice knobs as well.  I may have to use these knobs on my dad's unit when I get to that project.  Below is a photo of the front of the preamp that I will be refurbishing.

So let's open it up and see how it looks on the inside.  Above is a top view photo of the unit with the cover removed.  Hmmm... someone's already been at this unit.  It looks like the unit has already undergone a line and phono section coupling cap replacement.  The large blue objects are WIMA 0.1 uF caps. The white caps are Sprague and the yellow caps are a mix of WonderCaps and something labeled CDE. A look at the underside of the unit shows that terminal board A has the exact same brands in the same locations.  So whoever did the work was using some amount of care.

None of the ceramic disc caps have been replaced.  The power supply section also looks untouched from original.

It looks like all the resistors are original but there is some new Mogami single conductor shielded wire being run to the RCA jacks.  In addition, it appears that the Stereo Reverse and Inverse Phase switches have been taken out of the circuit by simply cutting the shielded wires that lead to the switch.

The transformer exterior looks fine cosmetically.  Probably no need to repaint it, especially since it will sit inside the wood case when the project is completed.  Three out of the four convenience AC outlets are chipped, with two actually exposing just a slight bit of metal.  So for safety's sake we'll probably be replacing these although I have no plans to actually use them.