On 12/2/2013 12:58 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too lazy
(and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps rolled
on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that crap: I'm
just looking for something that'll give the audio quality of a mid-range
amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off the fact that it all
uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA

Good for you! Nostalgia has its place in our hearts.

Can 12AX7s and such still be ordered?

I have an old 1964 GE Essential Characteristics of tubes data book. If
you promise to actually build your amplifier(s) and it will assist you,
I will send it to you free of charge.

John

On 12/2/2013 3:02 PM, John S wrote:
On 12/2/2013 12:58 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too lazy
(and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps rolled
on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that crap: I'm
just looking for something that'll give the audio quality of a mid-range
amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off the fact that it all
uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA

Good for you! Nostalgia has its place in our hearts.

Can 12AX7s and such still be ordered?

I have an old 1964 GE Essential Characteristics of tubes data book. If
you promise to actually build your amplifier(s) and it will assist you,
I will send it to you free of charge.

John


Well, somehow my brain elided the fact that you don't want to scratch
build. So, my offer is probably worth nothing. Sorry.

On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 15:13:52 -0600, John S wrote:

On 12/2/2013 3:02 PM, John S wrote:
On 12/2/2013 12:58 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too
lazy (and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps
rolled on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that
crap: I'm just looking for something that'll give the audio quality of
a mid-range amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off the
fact that it all uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA

Good for you! Nostalgia has its place in our hearts.

Can 12AX7s and such still be ordered?

I have an old 1964 GE Essential Characteristics of tubes data book. If
you promise to actually build your amplifier(s) and it will assist you,
I will send it to you free of charge.

John


Well, somehow my brain elided the fact that you don't want to scratch
build. So, my offer is probably worth nothing. Sorry.

'sokay, I appreciate the thought. I have tons of tubes and data, what I
lack is decent output transformers and the will to do yet another design
project.

I may go that route, particularly now that someone's suggested a kit and
I've taken a look at the price (!!!).

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

In article ,
ly says...

On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 15:13:52 -0600, John S wrote:

On 12/2/2013 3:02 PM, John S wrote:
On 12/2/2013 12:58 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too
lazy (and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps
rolled on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that
crap: I'm just looking for something that'll give the audio quality of
a mid-range amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off the
fact that it all uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA

Good for you! Nostalgia has its place in our hearts.

Can 12AX7s and such still be ordered?

I have an old 1964 GE Essential Characteristics of tubes data book. If
you promise to actually build your amplifier(s) and it will assist you,
I will send it to you free of charge.

John


Well, somehow my brain elided the fact that you don't want to scratch
build. So, my offer is probably worth nothing. Sorry.

'sokay, I appreciate the thought. I have tons of tubes and data, what I
lack is decent output transformers and the will to do yet another design
project.

I may go that route, particularly now that someone's suggested a kit and
I've taken a look at the price (!!!).

I think I still have a box of prime used 4-400's around the shop packed
away if you'd like? I know I gave away a couple of them in the past, but
should still have at least 4 of them.
I also have some 3-500Z but you aint getting them!

I'll have to look to refresh my mind!


Jamie

On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 19:25:53 -0500, Maynard A. Philbrook Jr. wrote:

In article ,
ly says...

On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 15:13:52 -0600, John S wrote:

On 12/2/2013 3:02 PM, John S wrote:
On 12/2/2013 12:58 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too
lazy (and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for
nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps
rolled on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that
crap: I'm just looking for something that'll give the audio quality
of a mid-range amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off
the fact that it all uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA

Good for you! Nostalgia has its place in our hearts.

Can 12AX7s and such still be ordered?

I have an old 1964 GE Essential Characteristics of tubes data book.
If you promise to actually build your amplifier(s) and it will
assist you,
I will send it to you free of charge.

John


Well, somehow my brain elided the fact that you don't want to scratch
build. So, my offer is probably worth nothing. Sorry.

'sokay, I appreciate the thought. I have tons of tubes and data, what
I lack is decent output transformers and the will to do yet another
design project.

I may go that route, particularly now that someone's suggested a kit
and I've taken a look at the price (!!!).

I think I still have a box of prime used 4-400's around the shop packed
away if you'd like? I know I gave away a couple of them in the past, but
should still have at least 4 of them.
I also have some 3-500Z but you aint getting them!

I'll have to look to refresh my mind!

4-400's would be good if I wanted amplified speakers fit for a stadium, I
suppose.

I have various old power tubes, including some VT-4's, if I want POWER
tubes. I was thinking more on the lines of a couple of 6V6 single-ended
stages.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

If you want a respectable, easy to build, low power tube amp kit, look
at the Velleman kits. They are well-designed and have good output
transformers.

For the most part, when you buy a tube amp, you are buying transformers
and engineering. Everything else is of comparatively minimal cost and
effect.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Can 12AX7s and such still be ordered?

Yup. Tubes that are popular with musicians (for guitar amplifiers,
etc.) are still in production in a few factories (China and Russia,
mostly), and there's still an active trade in "new old stock" and
"used and tested" tubes of these types. The 12AX7/12AU7 family are
heavily used in guitar amps, and so remain available.

I recently lucked into finding a big batch of tubes of various sorts
at a garage/moving sale... got three boxes of used tubes, two
emission-type tube testers, and some manuals and tube-data guides, for
the "please take this away, I don't want to take it all to Arizona"
price of $4. A friend of mine glanced at them, and identified several
Telefunken 12AX7 tubes ("These are gold!"). I ended up selling a
batch of seven of them (tested good on his fancy tester) on eBay for
$145!

Sorta hated to let them go, but none of my audio gear is
glassFET-based and I figured that other people could make better use
of them than I.

On 12/2/2013 4:02 PM, John S wrote:
On 12/2/2013 12:58 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
It's winter, and the amplifier in my PC speakers just died.

I think it'd be kinda cool to have a toob speaker amp, but I'm too lazy
(and time-challenged) to build one up from scratch.

Are there, by any chance, kits out there? I'm not looking for nickel-
cored transformers with solid silver windings, genuine paper caps rolled
on the thighs of virgins, toobs dipped in LN2, and all that crap: I'm
just looking for something that'll give the audio quality of a mid-range
amplified speaker set, in a cabinet that shows off the fact that it all
uses ancient technology to get the job done.

Suggestions welcome.

TIA

Good for you! Nostalgia has its place in our hearts.

Can 12AX7s and such still be ordered?

Yes, there are lots of tube types still in current manufacture, and many
types are still available new old-stock.

I have an old 1964 GE Essential Characteristics of tubes data book. If
you promise to actually build your amplifier(s) and it will assist you,
I will send it to you free of charge.

John


You want to have the Receiving Manual too, so you can check out the full
data and curves: http://www.tubebooks.org/tubedata/RC30.pdf