Mystery amp

Discussions about instruments in smaller cabinets. If they don't set on the floor, they belong here. Tube and solid state, stereo and mono.
Post Reply
User avatar
TC Chris
Anchor Member
Posts: 3690
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2021 3:50 am
Location: Traverse City, MI
Contact:

Mystery amp

Post: # 16294Post TC Chris »

Not quite sure where to put this, but since it came from a record player, I'll try here. The thunderstorms that were forecasted and shown crossing Lake Michigan on the radar never showed up, but I stayed home and farted around just in case.

This is a little P-P 6V6 amp from an institutional record player, the kind I remember from grade school in the gym: a black case with a speaker in the removable lid. The amp was given to me and has no identifying info. Tubes are 6SC7, 6SN7, two 6V6, and a 5Y3 rectifier. The caps are Sprague oil caps--serious components. It has input level controls for mic and phono and a tone control.

Long ago I made a very makeshift case for it so my brother's buddy could use it for his lap steel.

Here are pics.
P8030787.JPG
P8030789.JPG
Any idea what this is?

Chris Campbell
User avatar
William
Global Moderator
Posts: 5340
Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2021 12:42 pm
Location: Hart, Michigan
Contact:

Re: Mystery amp

Post: # 16298Post William »

Nope, but there sure are a lot of taps on the PT and the PT has holes in it.

Bill
User avatar
TC Chris
Anchor Member
Posts: 3690
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2021 3:50 am
Location: Traverse City, MI
Contact:

Re: Mystery amp

Post: # 16311Post TC Chris »

William wrote: Thu Aug 03, 2023 11:43 am Nope, but there sure are a lot of taps on the PT and the PT has holes in it.

The little amp just says "heavy duty" with those fancy Sprague oil caps. And as for the taps, 2 would be 5V for the rectifier heater, two would be 6.3 V for the other tubes, and 3 would be the CT B+ winding, so there's 7. And I see a jumper across 2 of the taps, so that's 8. Two extras!

Wish I knew what this was so could search for a schematic.

Chris Campbell
User avatar
TC Chris
Anchor Member
Posts: 3690
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2021 3:50 am
Location: Traverse City, MI
Contact:

Re: Mystery amp

Post: # 16312Post TC Chris »

I was poking around online, trying to find commercial/institutional phonos from the 1940s. Not much luck. I tried Newcomb and Califone but everything I found for them was 1960s-70s. Who else made phonographs in the 40s in commercial grade? Maybe Stromberg-Carlson?

Chris Campbell
User avatar
electra225
Site Admin
Posts: 8910
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2021 7:48 pm
Location: San Tan Valley, AZ
Contact:

Re: Mystery amp

Post: # 16313Post electra225 »

How about Bogen or Webster Chicago.....
Life can be tough. It can be even tougher if you're stupid.....
User avatar
Hi-Fi-Mogul
Anchor Member
Posts: 1344
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2021 1:53 am
Contact:

Re: Mystery amp

Post: # 16314Post Hi-Fi-Mogul »

What are the date codes on the transformers ?

That would help settle the time period question,
and assist in searching.

The below Newcomb unit is getting closer to your tube lineup.

https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/newcomb_p ... known.html
Hi-Fi-Mogul
Firedome
Anchor Member
Posts: 1615
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2021 1:21 pm
Location: nowhere
Contact:

Re: Mystery amp

Post: # 16320Post Firedome »

Also perhaps Masco, Rauland, other small fry?
I'd guess late '40s to mid '50s, for school, commercial use, given the cap and trans quality.
User avatar
TC Chris
Anchor Member
Posts: 3690
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2021 3:50 am
Location: Traverse City, MI
Contact:

Re: Mystery amp

Post: # 16335Post TC Chris »

I'll try a search on the new names. Unfortunately, I put the device back in its enclosure and the enclosure back on the remote end of its shelf before recording any component codes. I did write down some part nos.for the fancy Sprague caps.

Chris Campbell
Firedome
Anchor Member
Posts: 1615
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2021 1:21 pm
Location: nowhere
Contact:

Re: Mystery amp

Post: # 16350Post Firedome »

Interestingly the old Sprague factory in Pittsfield Mass is now Mass MOCA: the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, an excellent museum.
User avatar
hermitcrab
Anchor Member
Posts: 1504
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:49 am
Location: Tri Cities Mich
Contact:

Re: Mystery amp

Post: # 16362Post hermitcrab »

Are the tubes dated ?... even though they might have been changed in the past it would get you close to the time period
User avatar
Conelrad
Hero Member
Posts: 282
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2023 4:28 am
Location: Hidden Valley, AZ
Contact:

Re: Mystery amp

Post: # 16365Post Conelrad »

Neat lil amp.

Nothing newer than octals in my stuff.

Conelrad
User avatar
TC Chris
Anchor Member
Posts: 3690
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2021 3:50 am
Location: Traverse City, MI
Contact:

Re: Mystery amp

Post: # 16374Post TC Chris »

The caps are mil-spec. Scroll down to p. 38 of 56 and check out the CP26 caps. These are CP26A1E.

https://www.technicalaudio.com/pdf/Elec ... EM_E30.pdf

Chris Campbell
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests