Banging it Out

[Plymouthy Adams]

that is Quicks Draw McGraw's  guitar....el ka bong, ka boom. 

[Ulu]

I’m repurposing another old phono as a guitar amp. This is the thrash metal feedback test,

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/crkJ-S1u6vQ?si=ud61VZyH-oKGt-B7

Edited March 11 by Ulu

[Ulu]

Some pix of the 1960-61 Zenith phono, now a cool 3-tube guitar amp. Actual investment: $10 + $5 parts & various junk in my pile/rack.

Cutting up a 65 year old phono by hand.

 

This is the remains of the cabinet, the speakers, and (in my vice is) the amplifier.

 

Someone has been inside this and made repairs years before me, because it was working, and there wasn’t much mouse detritus.

 

But there was a tiny bit and you could smell it a bit on the speaker cloth. This was once a mouse house in someone’s attic or garage. A lot of things can happen in 65 years.

 

The speaker frames and the output transformer all had some corrosion from that, and I treated them to an anti-corrosion oil brushing & wipe.

 

 

The power switch, power cable, power cable clamp, epoxy, Metal mesh, screws, and rubber feet are all re-purposed junk. The input jack is the very highest quality and I paid five dollars for it.

 

They are normally much more expensive but I bought a package of them to save money.

I just realized I haven’t taken any photographs of the completed amplifier. More to come…

[Ulu]

Front

side

rear

 

I would have changed the soiled cloth.  Also recovered the whole cabinet.

 

But I’ve already traded this for a nice guitar, and this was what was wanted.

 

The old shaggy look.

 

[Ulu]

BTW, this was part of a stereo. The matching left channel is long gone.

[Ulu]

https://youtu.be/M9P-UmljEv4?si=6sx4mwrfQ9uribwR

 

I test the Phillips, completed.
My guitar is buzzing a lot here. I had to reset the truss and bridge.
I was too lazy to post a better sample.

Edited March 20 by Ulu

[Ulu]

The old Harmony nylon string guitar got glued up and clamped down today.

8 clamps, a pound of welding rods, and 100 rubber bands.

 

I will take this all off in two days.

 

Some people think that one day is enough. Those people will not get to work on my guitar.

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

when this is finished, want to hear you picking out your rendition of Rubberbandman

[Ulu]

Not re-finished, but playable once again.

 

[Ulu]

The guitar I got for the phono amp is
the nameless black stratocaster clone on the right.

 

 

It needed work, though it was actually new and unplayed, because it was a partially assembled kit.

 

I corrected the mistakes (all minor) and added new strings, an output jack and the chrome boat that holds it. I mounted the machine heads, did the soldering, plugged some mis-drilled holes, adjusted the truss rod, eased the fingerboard, rounded all the rough fret ends, and polished the frets.

 

The action came out perfect. I was surprised. The pickups are strong and bright, but tone is just average.

 

My whole investment is maybe 8 hours and $25 cash.

 

 

[Ulu]

I paid big money ($275) for this 1951 Newcomb Portable DJ rig.

 

 

These were popular with squaredance callers, auctioneers, schools, etc. Also radio stations, as this plays 16” transcription service records at 33-1/3 rpm.

 

This is Newcomb’s baby at 10 watts and comes with a 12” Rola speaker. It will run two. Look at that tone arm!

 

 

They made 20w, 40w, and 50w versions, all running more 12” Rolas. Their 80 watt stereo monster would run 8 to 16 speakers in various box configurations.

 

Then transistors from Japan took over an Newcomb faded away in the 1970s.

 

This has a rectifier tube, dual power tubes, a preamp tube, and a high gain stage tube that carries the inverter.

 

So this is a class AB amp, it plays the phono plus high a gain mike input and low gain jack for radio or boosted instruments.

 

I played the 1967 Silvertone Bobkat through it, and the sound was amazing.

[Ulu]

Much cleaning was needed, but it worked. This amp had capacitors replaced, & maybe the tubes.  I went over it and tidied things up.

 

It was pretty well original, with a new old power cord.

 

I made a repurposed steel bottom and wooden ends.

 

 

 

Still needs a cage.

[Ulu]

$2 at the local junk shop: This mesh basket is just the right size, but it will need an internal brace.

 

 

Handle came from the Webcor phono.

I have more of this mesh to make the back.

 

[Ulu]

OK I cut the piece for the back and formed it, and it is installed to an aluminum rail inside that supports everything.

 

 

I put chrome risers on the rubber feet so this could sit on the speaker cabinet without hitting the handle.

How I previously solved this problem using random books from my library.

 

 

So now it just needs an internal brace to support that handle. The cage itself is not sturdy enough to lift everything.

[Ulu]

I made some little hinges so the top would flip open.

 

Then I added an aluminum channel under the handle.

 

 

It screws into the wooden ends so the handle doesn't just lift the cage. I wanted chrome screws, but all I had was blue Kreg screws.