Trash to Treasure Tube Amp

[Roboburger]

Scored and old Grommes Custom amp at a flea market a few summers ago (or maybe the one before that), just found it again in the basement.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Roboburger/ ... 4051505090
there's four photos at that link.

People on the web talk about them fondly as mono power amps, but I wouldn't get any use there. I'm thinking guitar amp. I'm gonna yank the electronics, as they are all coated with a film of yuck, and in some cases BUBBLING UP. I'm gonna assume that the Output Tranny will be fine with whatever I build in there as long as I stay 6V6 and keep the electronics there similar. The power tranny is putting out 700 volts and 6.5 volts, and it looks hearty-er than the ones in a silvertone, so I imagine I can build someting Tweed-esque, Deluxe-esqe, into this. The tubes are a 5Y3, 2x 6V6, 3x 12AX7. I will assume that the tranny can handle that load once I get new caps and electronics in there. So I'm off to my Tube Books to see what early amp I'm gonna clone. I think a sweet-ass gibson amp would be nice, too- weren't they ripping off the same RCA tube manual stuff as fender?

I have a bit of reading to do- this is my first project ever like this...

the GA 20 looks nice. I wonder if those pre tubes are eqiv to 12ax7, just wired differently... I love my old Galaxie.

http://www.ovationfanclub.com/photos/al ... _ga20b.jpg

Hee-hee- I haven't even started yet and I'm giddy. Off to the books. And any comments will be considered, my friends.

[emrr]

You may want to just re-cap and listen before you go to the trouble of gutting it entirely. It may be great as-is. They built good stuff. That thing is clean as hell, IMHO. Those caps aren't bubbly, they're wax coated and that brand always looks like that. They may work as is, but that type is usually leaky and require replacing.

[winky dinglehoffer]

I agree with emrr--listen before you gut. I got an old hifi tube amp from a friend's dad's basement that sounds good after only minor modification. It'd be worth looking for a schematic for it, or maybe trying to draw it out yourself if you're up for it.

Tom

[RodC]

I'd just fire it up. Looks Sweet. I always tend to try to leave the old stuff in place. After all, if you use that you are going for some vintage sound.

[Roboburger]

shows how much i know! I'll round up the tubes and put em in!

I just saw all the goo and figured it was shot.

Dang (sarcastic) I was all set to whup something up.

[lanterns]

I'd be rocking that thing as we speak if I were you, that thing looks better than the inside of my 70's fender champ.

[Roboburger]

Found the tubes this morning, at least the 5y3 and 6v6s. All tiny RCAs. grabbed some of the 12ax7s that are piled up in various boxes. slapped 'em in.

Fired it up, and a minute into it, I could smell the wax heating up! Serious Motor-boating whenever the bass knob was above all-the-way-off. barely any volume, but what there was was a treat. I popped the fuse after another two minutes of playing, so no photos of its' reanimation glory just yet.

So the next step will be a cleaning and some more reading.

[Roboburger]

At let me be clear, I am not a tube connoisseur or craftsman. I am the equivalent of an oil-change guy relative to a mechanic. I can read a schematic, operate a volt ohm meter, and conceptualize what's happening. I really enjoy working with electronics and the hunt that takes place when fixing something. It's gonna be a hoot getting this thing up and running.