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| No, it's not
a circuit board. It is Rick's Triple Stack Pioneer Silver-face Audio
gear. This business was started as a result of Rick's personal passion
for vintage audio gear and a desire to help others with their collectible
gear. |
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Some of you reading this will think, "Who cares? Screw 'em". We
trust most of you have better thinking skills and will understand
YOU may not be able to purchase a high quality printed manual in
the future when you really want one. If you care, YOU CAN
HELP! The only way people can usually find us is by internet
search. We do not participate with "link farms" or do other unscrupulous
things trying to increase our search visibility.
We really do want to be here in the future to serve you, but WE
NEED YOU TO HELP US by mentioning us (with links to our site) in
your web sites, in your discussion groups, in your forums, and in
your blogs.
If you are a small business owner involved in
repair or sales of audio or other consumer electronics, let us know.
If appropriate, we can perhaps help you with links on our site.
Small business owners should stick together. If
you want to know why this public appeal, read on...
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We KNOW many treasure their
vintage audio components as do we. We are one of you in this regard.
One of the first pages
on our site was about loving the whole audio experience back in
the day. We also believe there are many who desire, appreciate and
similarly value owning a top-notch quality printed manual
for their electronic treasures. Nothing compares well to having
a clean, well-constructed, hard copy printed manual in your hands.
Without fear of contradiction, we are one among few who
can be depended on to consistently provide excellent quality printed
manuals virtually every time (or tell you first if otherwise).
PDF files and scans have their place and may be perfectly suitable
or even preferred in some cases. But they simply do not compare
favorably with an (analog) book (or electronics manuals) for many
people. |
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A situation of recent years is causing an unintended effect that
may result in having no dependable (quality) printed manual source
(with large inventory) in the future. |
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Well-meaning folks in audio
clubs, forums, web sites, and discussion groups are obsessed with
sharing manuals scans. Many are "on a mission" and actively push,
promote, help pay for and spend much time so that free scans are
available to all comers. Some are supposedly intended only for "buddies"
(by virtue of having joined a forum), but of course, all those also
become available to all comers. Some people have made a hobby of
collecting hundreds or even thousands of manuals scans for stuff
they will never own just to have around to offer to anybody they
run across who might ever be looking for one.
Many web site
and forum owners are being praised, thanked and bragged about for
providing free download manuals. But many of those are making money
from their forum members and web site visitors by several means.
They ask for donations (to help cover the costs and keep the free
stuff flowing), And/or they sell CD's of the free manuals which
were given to them. And/or they sell advertising on their site/forum
while visitor traffic builds and more of a buzz develops about their
"selfless free sharing" of content which was given to them.
Some of the files are good quality, but many are lousy, barely
(or not) screen readable and a total waste of paper and expensive
ink to print, with maybe half missing... but... they're FREE (so
who could complain about quality). So in the end, some of these
sites and forums are actually businesses in disguise being operated
for the benefit of the owner, not necessarily for the visitors and
members. Some of the free manuals sites are actually semi-scam operations
designed to get you there, then try to load spy-ware on your computer.
The above is NOT just sour grapes, it's the truth, as is this...
80% of manuals sales have traditionally been for perhaps
1-2 thousand of the most popular models. Now, most anyone
willing to invest their time can find a free scan somewhere for
those same models. Now think about this... if 80% of potential
customers continue to opt for those free scans in lieu of a quality
printed manual, it very well may not be economically feasible to
remain in business. Contrary to what some may think, a
quality printed manual business has never been a get rich quick
scheme. Just think about it.
Here is an
Additional page on this site about
this topic by us and a couple of vintage audio technicians.
Send us a comment about this topic if you wish.
Thanks
for reading, and keep on hanging in there... I am.
Rick ("theman"
behind StereoManuals) Stout |
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Quality
is not a buzzword.
It IS Our Guiding Principle
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Other sites we host:
Phase Linear History
Vintage Technics Database
We sponsor two free
Yahoo
Audio Groups
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Pioneer Spec Bible
The Definitive 1970-1985
HiFi Specs & Reference Info
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