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Started By
Message
Total restoration of 57 year old tube amplifier (pics!)...
Posted on 2/8/17 at 7:11 pm
Posted on 2/8/17 at 7:11 pm
For those following the mega vinyl thread, you may be a bit familiar with this project.
Since it is a pretty neat resto job, so I thought I would give it its own thread for others to see just what can be done with a bit of TLC.
Long story short...I found an old mono integrated EICO amp at my dad's place. I took it 10 years ago and put it in my attic. I stumbled upon it 3 months ago and said "Now or never".
Since I only had one and would eventually want stereo, I went to eBay and found another one that needed to be restored and bought it.
This is a 14 watt mono amp (each) that get its power from a pair of EL84 tubes (total of 12 tubes in both amps).
The original build date was January 1960.
I found a guy in Canada that does full tear downs of old EICO amps and shipped them off. Every capacitor, wire, solder joint, resistor, tube socket, speaker terminals, RCA plugs, and power sockets were either replaced or updated to modern spec. The original transformers were used as were the original potentiometers (volume, treble, bass, selector switches).
Fast forward 3 months to today and voila!!
Here are some before and after pics. I will connect them to a system later on.
Hope you purists enjoy!
Before...
After...
Since it is a pretty neat resto job, so I thought I would give it its own thread for others to see just what can be done with a bit of TLC.
Long story short...I found an old mono integrated EICO amp at my dad's place. I took it 10 years ago and put it in my attic. I stumbled upon it 3 months ago and said "Now or never".
Since I only had one and would eventually want stereo, I went to eBay and found another one that needed to be restored and bought it.
This is a 14 watt mono amp (each) that get its power from a pair of EL84 tubes (total of 12 tubes in both amps).
The original build date was January 1960.
I found a guy in Canada that does full tear downs of old EICO amps and shipped them off. Every capacitor, wire, solder joint, resistor, tube socket, speaker terminals, RCA plugs, and power sockets were either replaced or updated to modern spec. The original transformers were used as were the original potentiometers (volume, treble, bass, selector switches).
Fast forward 3 months to today and voila!!
Here are some before and after pics. I will connect them to a system later on.
Hope you purists enjoy!
Before...
After...
14
Posted on 2/8/17 at 8:05 pm to Marco Esquandolas
Right on! The venerable Marco... That's pretty goddam sweet, be sure to let us know how she sounds. 
Posted on 2/8/17 at 8:09 pm to river_man
I believe I am going to hook them up to the Zu Audio speakers (the blue ones in the bedroom) first. Those speakers are super efficient (99 dB) and can jam with 5 watts of power.
I'll probably let them run in there for a week or so until all the new tubes get around 50-100 hours or so on them before moving into a system in the den.
I'll probably let them run in there for a week or so until all the new tubes get around 50-100 hours or so on them before moving into a system in the den.
Posted on 2/8/17 at 10:48 pm to Marco Esquandolas
You are the definition of an audiophile. Great work! I am jealous of all your equipment.
I have an old Sherwood from my dad that I plan to restore one day, but no time now. Will probably be several years until I have time to do it.
I have an old Sherwood from my dad that I plan to restore one day, but no time now. Will probably be several years until I have time to do it.
Posted on 2/8/17 at 10:57 pm to Marco Esquandolas
They came out great!
Posted on 2/8/17 at 11:45 pm to Marco Esquandolas
Looks great! I'm sure it'll sound even better!
Congrats on the restoration
Congrats on the restoration
Posted on 2/9/17 at 1:21 am to Marco Esquandolas
Nice work! I'm jealous, even though my hearing is so bad these days I'd never be able to truly appreciate it.
Posted on 2/9/17 at 4:35 am to Marco Esquandolas
I've never heard of someone restoring old electronics like that. Looks great.
The only question I have is where on god's green earth do you buy vacuum tubes?
The only question I have is where on god's green earth do you buy vacuum tubes?
Posted on 2/9/17 at 8:43 am to Marco Esquandolas
That's awesome! Very nice work.
Several years ago I built a guitar amp based on the old tweed circuit from the 50's. It was a really fun project. Some day I'm going to build another one with more features.
Sherluck, tubes aren't hard to find. Places like Tube Depot and Antique Electronics sell them. You can even find NOS tubes from the 60's if you're willing to pay the price.
Several years ago I built a guitar amp based on the old tweed circuit from the 50's. It was a really fun project. Some day I'm going to build another one with more features.
Sherluck, tubes aren't hard to find. Places like Tube Depot and Antique Electronics sell them. You can even find NOS tubes from the 60's if you're willing to pay the price.
This post was edited on 2/9/17 at 8:44 am
Posted on 2/9/17 at 9:22 am to MountainTiger
Sweet!!! What type of pre-amp and speakers are you using?
Posted on 2/9/17 at 9:25 am to hogcard1964
quote:
Sweet!!! What type of pre-amp and speakers are you using?
Was that for me or the OP?
Posted on 2/9/17 at 9:25 am to hogcard1964
that's really cool
Posted on 2/9/17 at 9:32 am to Marco Esquandolas
What's the first song you're going to play through it?
Posted on 2/9/17 at 9:35 am to MountainTiger
The OP, but you feel free to answer as well.
Posted on 2/9/17 at 10:14 am to hogcard1964
quote:
The OP, but you feel free to answer as well.
I thought so.
FTR, I built that amp as sort of a test bed to try a variety of tubes to see how different ones sound. The preamp can take any tube in the 12AX7 line (12AX7, 12AT7, 5751, etc.). Different models start to distort in different places so for more distortion, I can use a lower gain tube that starts to break up earlier. Or I can use a high gain tube that will push the power stage into more distortion.
The power stage can take tubes in the 6L6 family (6L6, 6V6, 6K6) and depending on the power I can use either one or two in parallel.
Also it has two speakers and I can use either one or both together. They are Jensen speakers, one 8" and one 10".
This post was edited on 2/9/17 at 10:17 am
Posted on 2/9/17 at 2:16 pm to Marco Esquandolas
awesome stuff brother
Posted on 2/9/17 at 2:52 pm to Marco Esquandolas
Awesome stuff Marco!! I have a lot of old mono vinyl in my collection as well as 1976 Sansui Receiver that has a mono switch selector. I think it was you that talked about the need to have a mono stylus to fully obtain the true mono recording. How hard is it to find one? Is there a need for a different cartridge as well??
Posted on 2/9/17 at 7:08 pm to Marco Esquandolas
Man how sweet !!!!
And, who down voted you????
And, who down voted you????
Posted on 2/9/17 at 7:52 pm to Pepe Lepew
Once in a while I fat thumb a downvote on my phone by mistake. But not for that awesome restoration. Great work.
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