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Stromberg-Carlson: Ancient Tube Amps Tone Addiction


Thunnar

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I recently discovered (on eBay) guys who are modding these pre-1950 tube amps and PA's to take guitars. I bought one and I don't think I'll ever go back to my Fender/Ampeg/Mesas again.

 

1946 Stromberg-Carlson PA with 6F6 power section 20watts RMS just floors me with its Blackface on the Mount clean. Serious!

 

1938 Webster Theater PA 2A3 power section (12 tubes in all) infinite headroom. Complex tone stack thing called "Freq. Mod". To die for . . . 30watts warm, clear, clean, deep.

 

Anyone else have any experience with these types of amps and mods? I'd like to hear what you're doing, types of cabs, guitars, effects, etc. that you might be experimenting with. :wave:

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This is the 1946 Stromberg. It was modded by the Frenzel Brothers in Texas. You really gotta hear these things to believe them! You can find them on eBay from anywhere from $150 to $300 completely refurbed and ready to rock. The original stuff is even there minus the leaky caps and resistors. Cool old tranny's that freakin' crank! Seriously, these high-end tube amps and boutique babies are nice but these early circuits are what the modern stuff was all originally based on. :thu:

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I just bought a Bogen CHB 20A on ebay for $37.00. All I need to do is add 1/4 jacks and perhaps parallel 2 inputs. I'm stoked.

Things gotta be 40-50 years old and still going strong (except the caps had to be replaced). Many of these old amps were used in schools for morning announcements.

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Here is a pretty much complete list of great 40 and 50s American stuff(minus what is already posted):

Airline

Altec Lansing

Amplifier Corp of America

Arthur Ansley

Audio Equipment

Barvick(Canuck smuck)

Bell Sound

Brook

Cardwell

Challenger(not the to confused with David Bogen model)

Clark

Concord

Dukane

General Electric

Goodell

Grommes

Hamiton

Kay

Knight

Leak(UK but still OK)

Magnavox

Masco

Newcomb

Northern Electric(another Canuck but WTF)

Operadio

RCA(of course)

Radio Craftsmen

Rauland

Regal

HH Scott(one of the best)

Sound INC

Stark

Steelman

Thordarson

Tone-Pak

Webster-Chicago

Webster-Electric

 

Keep on keeping on:)

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Originally posted by Thunnar

Seriously, these high-end tube amps and boutique babies are nice but these early circuits are what the modern stuff was all originally based on.
:thu:

 

Somewhat true.

When buying older stuff it maybe a good ID to try and stay away from 7 volt preamp tubes. Unless you're an old navy guy or similar:)

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I just bought a Bogen CHB 20A on ebay for $37.00. All I need to do is add 1/4 jacks and perhaps parallel 2 inputs. I'm stoked.

Things gotta be 40-50 years old and still going strong (except the caps had to be replaced). Many of these old amps were used in schools for morning announcements.

 

 

I got a Bogen to drive my franken-leslie. Any idea what type that mic connector is on the CHB 20A? Is that input driven to higher gain than the other weird RCA connectors? Which caps were replaced and what was the difference afterward (was it required to make the amp working again, or was it for tonal quality, total output volume, etc.)?

 

Thanks!

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yeah man!

 

I run an Eico hifi amp.. 14 glorious el34 watts of serious electron luv...

 

Definitely good stuff if you're handy with a soldering iron.. some of those transformers are worth their weight in gold for their immense bandwidths, and some of 'em are really smart in their design for guitar amps 'cause they didn't go up much past 7-8k.. cause nothing GOT there yet! no high end trash to pass through.. so no fizzy grit!

 

I knew a guy who recorded a record through an old McIntosh power amp modded with 1/4" input and output.. and i swear it's some of the prettiest tele tones I've ever heard!

 

Congrats.. don't hog 'em all!

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