Gear no-one else has?

[DirtySteve]

Interesting, it looks almost identical except for the name and finish. It makes sense if Vega made instruments that someone else could have made the amps for them. Like I said, I couldn't find much on info.

I really wish it worked so I could tell if I want to fix it up. It turns on but the sound is really low. I'm pretty sure at least one of the tubes is bad, but I have no idea what else might be wrong with it. It looks really good in these pics compared to how it looks in person.

Someone told me the # on the speaker was the date, I guess I don't know that for sure either...270752 = July 27 1952 ??? After seeing the number on your second pic there I don't think so.

I made a thread about it not long after I first joined the forum. Someone offered me 50 bucks for it and I might've took him up on it, but I didn't have much faith it would survive the shipping. It's in rough shape.

 

[GIBSON67]

That's a Quam-Nichols speaker code 270, and the date code that follows so 752 would equate to 1957 and the 52nd week, at least that's how Jensen used to date their speakers.

I would get a set of tubes and see what that thing can do!

I have a 1965 R400C with 1x EL84, 2x 12AX7's and a rectifier tube. I recently got a Raytheon blackplate 12ax7 that turned it into tone heaven. It's a very dark amp and the tremolo has never worked but it distorts nicely.

 

[DirtySteve]

Cool thanks for the info. I was going to get tubes, but I couldn't tell what these are. I'm not that familiar with tubes and a couple of people I asked didn't know either. See the one on the left there that has black inside it, that's the one that doesn't glow. The other 2 might be good, but I don't know. One thing that concerns me is the power cord looks like an old lamp cord with no ground prong. If I'm going to use it I'd like to replace it.

You've got me wanting to play it now, can I buy current production tubes for it?

 

[GIBSON67]

I don't know about CP tubes, but EBAY will have whatever you want, and most of the time, for fairly cheap. Also, use that website for a schematic and then you should know what tubes are in there.

My Lectrolab has the same cord, no problems.

You might want to take a peak at the caps to make sure they are not bulging or something. I am not a tech, so I will just say - be careful.

Good luck!

 

[DirtySteve]

"Tubes are 6SN7 6V6 5Y3" ..haha, it was right there, if it was a snake it would've bit me. Thanks man.

 

[GIBSON67]

Here's another great Lectrolab website...

R400 | Lectrolab Guitar Amplifiers

 

[DirtySteve]

You've got me wanting to play it now so I'll go ahead and retube it soon and hope that's all it needs.

I sent an e-mail to Dougstubes yesterday asking if I could get CP tubes for it and if he had them and this is his response...

"Go with an NOS 6V6GT, NOS 6SN7GT and the RUBY 5Y3GT.
We have current production alternatives for power and preamp, the Tung-Sol reissue 6V6GT and the 6SN7GT are excellent too.
Doug"

 

[GIBSON67]

I was curious so I looked and found "buy it now" listing for all 3 of those on EBAY...

6V6GT Hytron $9.95 shipped
6SN7GT Admiral $7.95 shipped
5Y3GT Sylvania $10.00 shipped

All three said those tubes test strong.

 

[DirtySteve]

Doesn't look like it will be a problem, but I can't do it yet I'm too broke, haha. I just bought another guitar and I'm ordering an amp next week. It'll be at least a month before I even think about it because I need to buy a few more tubes while I'm at it...and now that I think about it, I want to see what Marty might have. I'll let you know how it goes, if it kicks ass I'll start a thread.

 

[JTyson]

I got really lucky and scored a Langner DCP1 preamp that there were only a handful of ever made by Todd. One of the coolest pieces I ever landed in 30+ years of gear hoarding. Absolutely amazing hi-gain tone

 

[AlvisX]

Anybody got one of these ? Know when it was made . Judging by the carpet cover ,I'll guess early 80's ..?
Maybe the carpet was added.

 

[AlvisX]

I kinda remember, maybe they were upholstered, like a plush....

 

[Riffraff]

The only reason I have lots of sh*t no one else has is that I will just about buy anything ....the stuff other people wouldn't buy . Or ,friends think Im a dumping ground for their rejects .But then again ,sometimes I score !

I bet nobody got one o' these , I call it a Wretsch

Dosen't Reverend Billy have one of those? It seems you are in good company.

I been hammerin the used section at guitar center lately .Saw this Massie Lancer for $49 , HAD to walk out with it. Except for a couple resistor/cap values ,it's a TWEED DELUXE (which same GC has for 3k).There are a few people who have 'em , not many

Alvin Youngblood Hart's Pawnshop Plunder_Ray Massie 763 Lancer - YouTube

So they never even looked under the hood and spotted dual 6V6 tubes and a Jensen. I hope they never catch on. My favorite amps of all time are those little Deluxe circuits. Damn nice score!

 

[Ydna]

The Tube Amp Hall of Fame #20

Scroll down past the marshall to the second amp. The "Sano Supersonic High fidelity Amplifier".

Mine is much worse for wear, and has a utah 15" and some random 8" speaker in it.

Accordion amps made in New Jersey in the 60s. My grandfather bought it new in 1963, he plays accordion.

Sounds great for clean, and it also sounds really good cranked up.

 

[AlvisX]

Dosen't Reverend Billy have one of those? It seems you are in good company.

Nope , Gibbons don't even have one of THOSE.(made by some dude in Michigan ,in his garage ,with a sliced Kalamazoo Gibson dumpster neck)
But I'll trade him that one for that upside-down Gretsch .....

 

[Bigbazz]

New Moon Amps (or Voodoo amps UK at the time) Weeping Widow 10w head. I'm fairly certain this is the only one knocking about, i think it is a prototype that he was selling off cheap. The thing sounds quite incredible to my ears, I used it instead of my 5150 for recording, running it through the speaker of that Marshall AVT150 sitting underneath it.

 

[mrrstrat]

Other than the proto type Cameron Atomica amplifier, and the only GMW Floyd Neckthru Les Paul, w/ the Gibson headstock and a LP scale length neck, my rig is not alone in the universe, but definitely NOT common-- perhaps in the 5% category?

Fucking impressive weaponry!

 

[zachman]

Fucking impressive weaponry!

Thanks...

 

[yladrd61]

It's a 5E3 clone...which isn't rare...but the cabinet is sooo unique. Now, if I could only get rid of that damn hum it has...

I played through a real mid '50s 5E3 that looked like a pit bull chewed on it, the finest Tube Amplifier I have ever heard, it only hums when you are not playing

 

[yladrd61]

I have a one off Germanium Area 51 Fuzz Face Protoype, with Gold Lead Texas Instruments Transistors made for Eric Johnson, but he went to Dunlop before Dan sent it to him. I had a POS Dunlop JH-2 Fuzz Face I sent him to mod, and he said it is not worth my time, and installed his board, and a new Volume Pot, and tuned it to work with his Italian Wah Kit, which IMHO, is the best bang for the buck wah out there !!! If you took away all my other effects give me one of my Vintage Spec Strats, this Fuzz Face, the Area 51 Wah, and my 1970 Super Lead, and I am good to go