now with pictures! Old tube console stereos, radios ect?

[TONGA]

I have been coming across some old tube powered stuff, like an 1958 Motorola console stereo. Took the back off of this thing and it is full of tubes, up on the right the radio has a half dozen tubes, in the middle is the turn table again tubes and down in the bottom of the console is what appears to be the output section again lots of tubes.
Also have come across a couple old table radios from the 60’s again full of tubes..
I am just wondering what if any of this stuff could be a good start to an amp?
Any and all ideas welcome insane or not!

[TONGA]

Thought sure someone would have something on this board

[Thiez]

Maybe pics of the amp will give a better idea of what you got.
If its a single ended tube amp you can build a great guitar amp from it. I build an P1 from http://www.AX84.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; from some old radio tranies.

[TONGA]

Ok the console is at my friend’s house I asked him to shoot a couple pics and this is what he sent









[imghttp://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt306/Tonga007/leftspeakers.jpg?t=1365121500][/img]

[TONGA]

The top picture is what I think is the output section, next are the tuner and then the switching/control section,,, the last one is the tag with the model number ect… … he didn’t send me a shot of the turntable.
I can try to get some more pictures but it won’t be for a few days at least.

[Thiez]

Hard to say exactly what it is. But the first pic indeed is your powersection. Looks like a stereo amp. On the right the output tranies. On the left i think the powertransformer. It looks like there are 2 powertubes on each trannie. This can mean it's a push-pull poweramp.

[TONGA]

Yes it stereo for sure “push pull” please elaborate?

[Haze13]

*Pictures from The Google* - motorola HS -696c

It Looks like Push-Pull... two 12ax7 before two El84 are the PI. There are another two 12ax7 on the preamp, and 5U4GB rectifier.
Old marshall 18 watts amps are used to have transformers from the radios. So those transformers will be just perfect!
You have most of the parts to build OR two Marshalls 18 watts or one VOX AC30. I don't think those transformers will be good for the AX84, since they are for a PP amp. AX84 is a single ended...
For marshalls you will need power transformers and some other parts. For AC30 - output transformer and some other parts.

Push-Pull and Single Ended are the types of the power amps. PP is more powerfull than SE, since the signal is devided on the two halves and each one of them is amplified by a tube (or transitor or OP-amp...), then a transformer connects them together.
SE - is amplifing the hole signal (360 degrees) and it's more clear and has less THD (Total harmonic distortion) than any other type of amplification, but it can use only 20% of the max power. Hi-Fi audio is the realm of SE amps.

[Froumy]

You can totally build something out of that.

I don't want to discourage you, as most of my first builds were with reclaimed stereos. When you do it this way, it's not as easy as just following a layout. You may have to make compensations for the PT, to get your voltages right, account for what's center tapped/ what isn't, whether there is a voltage doubler, if you have to redesign the bias circuit, what those other taps on the tranny are for.... - whatever.

It's also a good idea to know how much amperage the PT can deliver. I agree with haze, mostly. I'm a cheap bastard, though. You have the amperage and OT's to build a stereo 18 watt, or an 18 watt/ AC15 stereo amp. You can just build 1, and have plenty of amperage to spare...

If you haven't built anything from a kit, I'd recommend you did that first, so you figure out how to deal with minor road blocks, first, before what is often, a more challenging reclaim. Totally do-able, but will be based on your knowledge.

The other consideration is if you plan on re-using the existing chassis, it can be a pain in the ass re-purposing it - making cap can holes, etc... And you are going to have to deal with some lead dress issues, working around the existing chassis layout.

All that being said, that can totally be an amp. My first builds are all frankensteins, but they all eventually worked. Would have been easier from a kit- but free is awesome. I always have an itch to see if buying a "proper" OT/PT will improve the final build. Sometimes they do, sometimes your all set with the reclaimed iron. Good luck!

[TONGA]

wow thanks for all the input.. I really like where this is heading 18w Marshall or Vox sounds like a killer idea.. Looks like I have some learning to do and I have to stop my buddy from falling in love with the old console lol. He has been spinning records on it since it got there

[demonufo]

There's always the potential for building a 36W Marshall with two OT's, in the style of the very first few JTM45/100's that had two OT's...

[TONGA]

Also you all really think I need to build a kit first before jumping into this? If so what and where are some inexpensive amp kits? Money is a little tight at the moment

[Haze13]

Before my JCM800 project, I was working on some FX pedals. No small-kit-amp. My amp started working the first time I turned it on!
BUUUUUUUUUUT!!! That doesn't mean that it's easy. FX pedals and Fender-Marshall types amps, they are not so difficult to understand, if you'll look at the circuit. If you have an accuracy, if you know what every component is doing in that circuit, and have a simple logic - you can and will succeed in that build. There is an ocean of information about all these amps, and big part of it you have to know.
Choose an amp, read all you can find, look at every picture that you can find, ask if some thing you don't understand, buy every thing you need and start working (before you'll buy anything, read some topics on this forum, it will save your time and money).
When you will finish, take a marker pen (The yellow one!!!) and 3 copys of the schematic of the amp and your multimeter and chek every connections! Mark those that you cheked already. Repeate it 3 times, and FIRE IT UP!!! Cross your fingers before this of cource... Some times it helps! Enjoy!!!

On this site you can find most of the information that you will need. It helps and it's free! Do your home work first, only than start buying some thing.

[demonufo]

Also you all really think I need to build a kit first before jumping into this? If so what and where are some inexpensive amp kits? Money is a little tight at the moment

Yes. And you really need to put some thought into chassis and layout of everything too, not just the components on the board, but the relative position of tube sockets, pots, transformers to sockets, output jacks, impedance selectors etc...

[TONGA]

Thanks for the input everyone,,, I guess I will do some more reading,,, I think I have all the basic tools, multi-meter good soldering iron, ect… ,,,been a long time since electronics class but I should still be able to follow a schematic. I really like the 18w idea….. I am really tempted to start there but I guess I will start shopping for an inexpensive kit of some sort first.