Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum
Forum and Web site Stuff => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: Custom_Amp_30 on June 25, 2010, 03:47:25 pm
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Former New Yorker from Central New York who spent one year in Buffalo New York. That last winter convinced me that California is where I should be.
I collect an amplifier that will never get the respect it really deserves. I spent ten years in Okinawa Japan while stationed at Kadena AFB, I came across a old tube amp in an electronic scrap yard. Some of the wires where burned up and the original tubes where still in the chassis. No info, and a lot of time produced a need to repair this amp.
I eventually purchased a identical model from a re-opened Music store in NYC. I wrote a review after I finally heard it.
I eventually came across the Only American Engineer who had worked at that factory in the late sixties. He provided me with the information That I required to finish that long awaited repair of that damaged amplifier. Nice.
Here was my review at another forum:
The other listing on here and drtube.com have been my only source of information for this amp.
Here is what http://www.drtube.com/guitamp.htm#Elk has to say:
Product: Miyuki Elk Custom Amp 30 (ES30)
Price Paid: USD 550.00 USED
Submitted 03/29/2007 at 07:22am by Drew-ski
Email: drew-ski@excite.com
Features : No Opinion
1967 Elk Custom Amp 30, Made by Miyuki Ind, Co,. LTD, Made in Japan, could have been the Bluesmen secret amp of choice.
Styled in appearence to resemble the famed Fender Bluesman Blackface, was featured with a Foot Pedal which control the Vib and Reverb with connect by a RCA cable for operation. The six knob control line up starts with Volume control of the Reverb and main Volume, Tone section with Bass and Treble controls and Vibrato Section for Speed and Intensity.
The models made for export Ground and switch slide switch placed next the the rear mounted power switch. The protection for this amp was a simple 3A fuse. The Domestic Model came with a 100 Volt and 117 Volt selection switch.
With the Use of a tube lineup of 12AX7, 12AX7, 6AQ8, 7025, 6BQ5, 6BQ5 and 6CA4 (Tube Based 9A, 9A, 9AJ, 9A, 9CV, 9CV and 9M) the only problem that I could find is the lack of a tube order identification lables for proper placement of the nine pin tubes required for this baby to properly sing. One outlet from the amp head for the Amp Cabinet which houses twin ten inch 4 Ohm speakers. Of the two models that I have ever come across, the amps have been tubed with a 6AQ8 in the third position, wild guess for use with the reverb tank. Still looking for another owner to compare notes with.
Sound Quality : 8
Magic sound of the classic 50's tube sound that is so highly prized as the Clean glassy tone with a natural deep bass edge with allows for the deep rich sounds with the clarity in your attack that makes you play harder. The longer you play the better the tone and the gain seems to increase and the claririty does not fade. After about a half and hour or so the amp becomes this responsive to the slightest touch, bend, whin and moan, each scream gets more intense like making love and feeling its nails letting you know that now it ready to play.
Class act, a Bluesmans dream, Sounds best played clean. Overdrives of a Fuzzface just make it down right nasty, but each effect sounds like it holding back the actual tone qualities that this amp offers.
Reliability: No Opinion
This amp is so rare and hard to find that I would reserve this one for studio application only. I have been looking for this amp since I played one in the Kadena Recreation Center in Okinawa japan while stationed there in the late seventies. They where hard to get in japan and I know this after being stationed there for a ten year period. My serious search began in 1985. No luck departed in 1989 with only a broken amp found in a local electronics disposal site which I boxed away for twenty plus years. No information schematics to indentify the missing components from that hollow shell. internet searches provided zero information.
Mazzotti Music in Brooklyn New York has been the only place that I have every seen one stateside and i found this one Online at their store and purchased it that next week. Stasha Claire was able to package and ship this item with professional results in a safe and timely manner. Big smiles to them. Big smiles.
(http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn279/73GTV/ELK/BuffaloNY074.jpg)
(http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn279/73GTV/ELK/BuffaloNY073.jpg)
(http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn279/73GTV/ELK/BuffaloNY086.jpg)
(http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn279/73GTV/ELK/BuffaloNY085.jpg)
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Someone else here(?) had an Elk.
Gut-shots. The factory which made some Elks is the same guy who made Kustom(?) after they shut-down their NY factory. The same parts and construction style has been seen in other amps.
> birth somewhere between 1953 and
By the styling you know it isn't 1953. I would say mid-1960s. While the main company name may have changed, they may have used-up the existing stock of ECHO badges/decals or had a long-running contract with a store who did not want to change their signs.
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The Elk company burned down in the late 60's. I have this via Joe Fire who was the American Engineer who worked for Elk in Japan. I don't know about a Factory in New York, I thought that was another company. Joe sent me pictures of the burnt factory which was in a residential Japanese neighborhood. Thats about all that I can say. You can find Joe listed under the Dr. tube website.
I will forward him this so that he can clear that rumor up.
(Oh yeah, I edited this due to me posting the incorrect info about my review)
(http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn279/73GTV/ELK/ElkAmps108.jpg)
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(http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/nn279/73GTV/ELK/ELKAmps-1.jpg)
The Herd is now at five in this picture, I however have finished my collecting and the total is seven, one went to my son and I purchased one from Canada which had been spray painted silver. It may not look right (not pictured) but still plays well.
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> I don't know about a Factory in New York
KUSTOM had a factory in NY.
One day the management told the workers to not-come-back, contracted the whole production overseas.
Sorry if I was unclear.
That's by far the largest herd of Elks I ever saw.
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Thanks, They are not hard to clean up after; The only thing I have to clean up is their Reputation. :grin:
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Some say that I should move away from there (Riverside Ca.) and come back east...
New place to grow a bit.. :l2: