Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum
Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: Toxophilite on April 16, 2015, 02:33:33 am
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So while I'm waiting for my next trip to the electronics shop so I can buy some bits for the tremelo in my gulbransen conversion...I'm turning my eye to this little hacked up chassis I picked up at a thrift store for $3-4. Humourously I know the guy who donated it and I had sold it to him a couple years back. somewhat of a remarkable coincidence.
I have bits to make a vibrolux but wonder if it'll fit in here. It would be done point to point using some terminal strips
One thing that worries me is that holes for the controls on the front are pretty close to the power tube sockets
Also the only place I can see that would be good for the power supply electrolytics would be the corner kitty corner to the rectifier or between the OPT and the PT...ooor a JJ can cap(if they make a 20 20 20 )
The chassis is 10.5" by 6.25" by 2.25"
I like how they replaced the original OPT with an electrohome one (judging by the LK-561-1 on top) but only saw fit to bolt down one leg of it ??? They didn't drill a hole for the other leg!!
Despite showing some signs of mouse nibbling it all tests okay so far
It had 2 6v6s and a 6X56 rectifier and 2 holes where 12AX7 sockets used to be
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I have about half a dozen things like that. Dead mid-power 6V6, typically) hi-fi amps. I find them sort of problematical. On one hand, you stare at them and think "this could be a _____". On the other hand, as you say, "but there's this problem and this problem and this issue...".
Usually, as you say, the layout forces the controls very near the power tubes. A recipe for hum. Usually, there is almost no way you can get a nice long tag strip in there, though yours does not look bad in that regard. So, point-to-point.
And then when you are done, assuming you do not end up with a stubborn hum problem child, you have this naked chassis which requires a box which then requires add'l work.
My short answer: For my money and time, I believe it is a superior path to find a dead SS amp you can buy for $20-25, gut, and throw away that old hi-fi chassis. Maybe you get a cruddy speaker; maybe you find a "usable" speaker. But you get a box, tolexed, a handle and corners (that's $25 right there)
It would not surprise me if your local music store has 2-3 such amps they have not been able to fix. I bet they would love to get some money out of them and see them go away. Nor would it surprise me to be able to buy *any number* of such amps out of your local Craigslist.
I can appreciate that you maybe want to spend $zero. My thinking is that if you actually want to build something useful, you are way way more than $25 ahead buying a SS amp carcass as I describer. My .02.
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A good idea
I was pondering whether to use the chassis, find one, or make one
I've been keeping an eye out for cheap solid state amps but the only ones that are that cheap, go pretty fast
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A 5E11 or 5F11 will fit. Forget about the later models.
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"I've been keeping an eye out for cheap solid state amps but the only ones that are that cheap, go pretty fast"
Are you looking for >>dead<< ones? It would surprise me to find that every music store on the planet does not have at least one unfixable corpse lying around. I mean, think about a 1x12" 40-watt SS combo amp. You can buy such a thing new for well under $200. You can buy such a thing used for $125, as many as will fit in your truck. One that needs repair (assuming blown output section) needs minimally $20 in parts and minimally an hour in labor, more likely 2 hours, more likely $50 in parts by the time they order the stuff. So if a little music store has one of these things, it will cost them roughly $100 just to see if they can get it working, which they usually can't, only to try to sell it for what, $175? $125? In my estimation they almost cannot touch it. Make a call to some local Mom & Pop music stores.
A while ago I bought a used excellent condition Fender Deluxe 65 (working) at a store for $110. It has a Celestion speaker. I quickly managed to blow it up futzing around with it. So what do I have? A clean, entirely Fender-looking cabinet, a $40 (?) Celestion speaker, tolexed, handle, corners. The chassis is angled so it won't be that easy to tubify it, but it can be done. Peaveys are a little better, probably more robust cabinet, too. There are bazillions of these things out there, many of them dead!
Alternatively if someone has such a thing, it is sitting in the garage and 2 people have told them "it's not worth fixing." Offer $20 and let them keep the speaker. I think if you placed a Craigslist ad you'd have 10 people call you.
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Yes I was thinking the 5F11. I forgot to specity!
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There is a harmony G20 for $20 that I made a lower offer on
But that's another good idea
i'll put an ad up
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You'll have 47 of these things if you are not careful!! :laugh:
i think if you put up an ad saying WANTED - DEAD you'd find more of these things than you could ever deal with. I would try to avoid buying little teeny amps with 8" speakers (unless of course you want build a Champ)
"Google images" to find pix of stuff people offer you, before you go look at them. Maybe you do, maybe you don't want a 2-channel Peavey 2-12" monster. For cheapo amps, if people don't like your $20 offer, let them keep the speaker.
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And if you just can't stand to toss the hi-fi chassis, IMO it would be a valid idea to make a 3-tube project consisting of a power supply, output tranny, 2 qty 6V6 or 6L6, and a phase splitter of your choosing. In other words, a ready-to go output section. That way you could "breadboard" various kinds of preamps and lash them up to ready-made output section. If that appeals to you.
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All good ideas
You're right I don't want teeny tiny amps, though I do a have a couple of nice 8's kicking around (one is a JBL D208,,nice!) and I do have a hankering for a champ since I gave my brother that Champion 600 repro(which I hear is really a silver faced circuit)
I included a picture of an appropriate fender and peavey amp in my ad(s) (which are already up)
And suggested non working was better, any condition.
I'll let you know how I do
As you implied, chassis, cabinet and all the perihperals are often the most time consuming
I have a bunch of likely transformers, speakers etc
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You keep that ad up, and one day, somebody will call you with their kid's long-ago-left-home tweed Princeton and a Les Paul Jr. $150 for both and you will be in nirvana, dude.
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:l2:
There's a half a dozen different ads up in the local craigslist of people looking for old broken tube amps(especially fender) and guitars!! and another dozen looking for vacuum tubes and organs hifi etc.
I'll be happy if I get a couple of decent chassis and cabinets
I'm the guy that's there to listen to other people's AMAZING ONCE IN A LIFETIME FIND!! stories
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I'll point out one more thing. You may be the last guy with the "Gear Wanted" ad. But all those other guys, there is no way they want dead Peaveys. They don't even want working Peaveys. So, someone who calls them first is going to be turned down. Ergo, when you are the only guy who expresses interest in the dead Peavey Envoy in their basement, this then becomes your opportunity to ask if they have anything else music/electronic for sale. Be sure to ask if you develop a rapport. And if I may, work out a little story (that you can tell smoothly) about how you rebuild these little amps for some positive purpose other than just buying an XYZ for $50 and selling it for $400. It's too much labor to make any money on it (which is 100% true) you're just trying to get an amp to a few fellows in your church who play. That kind of thing.
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And if I may, work out a little story (that you can tell smoothly) about how you rebuild these little amps for some positive purpose other than just buying an XYZ for $50 and selling it for $400. It's too much labor to make any money on it (which is 100% true) you're just trying to get an amp to a few fellows in your church who play. That kind of thing.
REALLY!
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:laugh: Any church??!!
yeah, I just want to put an amp together for the dirge group at my local church of Satan, we don't get a lot of subsidies or donations so I was hoping to help out. We get a bad rap from the other churches.
I'm not looking to buy, fix and resell immediately regardless
If I did resell, I would've bought, gutted, bought parts and rebuilt it etc etc
i really only want things if people are wanting to get rid of them.....besides I have am unfortunate(for me) habit of blurting out the value of things..often doing the "right thing" rather than the "smart thing" :BangHead:
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Oh geez, what a skeptical crüe!!!
OK, tell them that your evil warlord pals are tired of hearing Goth metal music and they really want their herd of zombies to lighten up and play country favorites.
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The "little story" is as essential to the transacting of low-value used goods as is the dash of Tabasco on diner eggs.
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That's a good one!
I'm not skeptical
I've spun a few little yarns in my time, however generally there's always people out there to whom some objects have no use or value and they're very happy to be rid of them. Frankly it amazes me sometimes
No hits on the ad though.... :icon_biggrin:
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Possible donor cabinet / chassis I picked up today(not in response to my ad)
Harmony G20 17" by 16" cabinet, chassis is a little narrow but still quite usable.
With a new baffle the cab would easily hold a 10" or even 12" speaker
Completely usable but with possibly the least comfortable crappiest handle in the world!! :laugh:
$15
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There you go! have you selected which Hymms you're gonna sing yet?
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Yeah
"Oh Holy Transaction"
And "Ode to Okay Deal"
:icon_biggrin:
Seriously though, the guy I bought it off of (itchy looking hippy hipster) inspired me to give it a good scrubbing, It wasn't a cherished possession of some long lost loved one...He said he bought it at a thrift store for a couple bucks.so he likely made at least $10 off me, and I talked him down from $20