Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum
Forum and Web site Stuff => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: Kingmissle on May 26, 2025, 04:06:35 pm
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Hi everyone!!
I hail from Northern Ca, I have a seven year old son, we enjoy hiking, fishing, camping and being outside.
For work I restore museum level antique furniture, frames, marble and some fine art. I travel back-and-forth to the New Orleans and Tuscaloosa area for work monthly. Next year, I will be in California full-time.
My father was a ham radio tinkerer, so since a very young age, I would sit in the shed behind our house with him and watch him solder together, Heathkit kits (and others). My interest in vintage electronics began there.
I joined this forum, oddly enough because recently at an estate sale in Alabama I bought more than a dozen old Hammond tube amplifiers. Apparently the lady‘s husband worked on and restored Hammond organs for a number of churches, along with studios and touring musicians all across the south. I was told he was the “go to” guy in the south. I bought a room full of stuff for $300
And doing research on some of the amplifiers that I got I found a lot of very good information on here…so I signed up.
My plan going forward is to figure out exactly what I have, and turn these things into guitar or hi-fi amplifiers.
I would say my experience level is low/intermediate. I have restored and recapped probably two dozen amplifiers in my life, and scratch built two amplifiers (both versions of the 5E3 not from kits) after coming across Rob Robinette’s website four or five years ago. I enjoyed the process, and although frustrating at times it kept my mind occupied/active in the evenings as opposed to zoning out in front of a tv…and I enjoy learning.. So hopefully throughout the year these amplifiers or will consume many evenings and teach me a ton during the process of tinkering with them.
It looks like I have a minimum of two of almost everything… And several more of some amp models.
I have five complete AO-29’s (two with smaller black P-transformers and three with bigger zinc/grey ones). And two or three torn apart chassis/parts.
Two complete AO-35’s and parts/chassis from several more
Two complete AO-44
One complete HR-1
One (I think) AO-33 (huge power transformer in separate chassis, two chassis are labeled as belonging to each other)
About six reverb tanks, towers and units with dangling springs.
And three or four small units with two or three tubes (I’m guessing preamps??)
One I see is “AO-47”
And piles of boards with caps, organ controls, foot pedals, cables, and blown speakers, and a creat full of small motors etc..,that I have zero clue about.
I’m hoping to get some build suggestions and advice from those of you who have built cool amps from these…and really just figure out a good starting point with easy-ish builds and go from there.
Also I enjoy making my own metal chassis and custom cabinets for the amps, and have both sheet metal and woodworking tools/experience…and love seeing what others have built/come up with.
I’m looking forward to sharing ideas and seeing what y’all have built!!
Thanks for having me!!
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Welcome to the Hoffman Amps forum
There are many different boards on this forum for different topics.
The Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs board is where you can post amp questions.
That board is listed here.
https://el34world.com/Forum/index.php?board=13.0
Thanks,
Doug Hoffman