Sequerra Model 1 FM tuner, serial number 1138, refurbished, in very good condition, for sale. This is a highly collectible pristine example of the world's finest tuner. I purchased this tuner directly from the designer, Dick Sequerra, back in 1993. At that time, Dick had refurbished the tuner and done a number of upgrades and modifications. I subsequently replaced all of the electrolytic capacitors in the unit in 2007, and made some audio improvements as well, including replacing audio stage mylar coupling caps with polypropylene.
This tuner was featured in a November 2009 HiFi News article on the Sequerra Model 1 tuner, and this tuner also appeared in a Stereophile interview with Dick Sequerra dated April 26, 2009.
Over past couple decades, I have developed and maintained a webpage devoted to the Sequerra tuners, featuring scans of marketing materials, photos of the internals of this tuner, and detailed documentation on required maintenance and the upgrades for this tuner. Search “Sequerrafm1” for details.
Cosmetically, the tuner and case are in excellent condition. I see no marks on the the face or controls at all. Operationally, it works very well, including all CRT display modes (see photos below), and all the dots in the frequency display show correctly (spares for those numeric displays are included). The CRT display is clear and bright, no burned spots. Tuning works normally, as does stereo/mono switching and dimming of the panel lights. The one known issue: the tuning vector display (shown below) infrequently doesn't display correctly (it bounces around lower on the display than normal) when first switched to that mode. Switching to another mode and back to tuning vector mode corrects the display. I'd guess a contact somewhere needs to be cleaned, and I haven't been able to get it to exhibit the problem lately to photograph it. Also, not a problem, but something anyone new to this tuner should know: they take a few minutes to warm up, and the tuning drifts a bit during warmup. Included with the tuner is the rosewood case, many spare bulbs, a full set of 4 rare new (factory packaging) HP digital displays used to show tuning frequency, a copy of the owner's manual, original sales materials, and a hardcopy set of schematics for the tuner. Although the CRT is basically unobtanium today, I can also give the buyer information on where to find used replacements. I'm also including all the parts replaced in the 2007 refurb for reference. When I originally bought the tuner from Dick, I asked about a wooden case for the tuner, but he had only one left that he didn't want to part with. He offered to let me make measurements to make my own case, and I started scribbling down dimensions on a scrap of paper. He stopped me almost immediately, and insisted I get a quick lesson from him and use his pantograph to make a much better drawing. He clearly didn't settle for second best. I built a beautiful rosewood cabinet seen in the photos and it's being sold with this tuner. Prefer local pick up in Stamford, CT, but I can deliver locally to your packer/shipper and you can make packing and shipping arrangements directly with them. The tuner weighs 45 pounds and measures 20" wide by 16" deep by about 8" tall.
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