Radios turned Guitar Amps

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Radios turned Guitar Amps

This is the group for Lo-Watt Rock & Blues.

Here is the place to post photos and information on how to convert vintage electronics into awesome sounding and really cool guitar amps.

Members: 291
Latest Activity: Jul 3, 2023

Discussion Forum

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Zenith C845

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Comment by 3 String Blues on December 10, 2011 at 12:37pm

Heres a cool one!

Someone on ebay is selling a cigar box radio, it could be turned into a cigar box amp ...now thats full circle!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1950s-CIGAR-BOX-RADIO-early-transistors-GE-...

and those are real old transistors, they probaly sound rad and totally unique!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is from the Transistor Museum site:

   The 2N135, 2N136 and 2N137 series of alloy junction germanium transistors was introduced by General Electric in 1955 and was intended for RF (2N136/37) and IF (2N135) service in broadcast receivers.  GE’s first commercial transistor radios, the 675 series, used these transistors in the converter and 1st/2nd IF circuits.   Rapid improvements in transistor technology rendered this series of devices obsolete by 1957, although GE continued to sell the series for several years for repair purposes. For example, the 1958 Newark Electronics catalogue listed these as “Entertainment Group” devices and sold them for $2.10 (2N135), $2.51 (2N136) and $6.07 (2N137).   The first edition of the GE Transistor Manual (1955) provides a list of commercial transistor radios which either used this series of transistors as original parts, or could be repaired with this series – a partial list of the radios includes: Bulova 270, CBS TR250, Dewald 701/702, and Raytheon T-100." 

Comment by Corbie on December 10, 2011 at 8:57am

I already posted my Mono 8-Track on my photo page and I'm not sure how to repost it here, we don't need doubled pictures. So I'll just have to make more. I have come up with few more radio tape players, one being a Sony Sports radio that I stole from my kid's. Payback time....oh yeah! I'll be posting when I get that one up and running.

Comment by PapaSimone on December 10, 2011 at 8:33am

I could use a lesson on reposting too.  I just posted twice.

Comment by Roadkill a.k.a. John Maw on December 10, 2011 at 6:35am

I converted an 50s HMV tube radio and have been playing it for a few days. The sound is gorgeous. Very sweet but detailed. As John said in his blog it isn't very loud, but a preamp sorts that. I also managed not to electrocute myself which was a bonus.

Comment by PapaSimone on December 10, 2011 at 6:31am

Taking advice from Beetle Juice I split a guitar cord and then I hacked around until I found the connection.  I wired a guitar jack to the front of the volume pot.  I then ripped out a thing with lots of wires wrapped around.  Perhaps it was the radio?  or an attenna?  I'm not sure but it stopped the radio from playing and left as just an amp.

Comment by PapaSimone on December 10, 2011 at 6:29am

Comment by PapaSimone on December 10, 2011 at 6:27am

Ever want to play on AM radio in 1970? This General Electric Model P1873A portable Solid State transistor radio has been hacked and turned into a guitar practice amp. The amp sounds mellow and cool and like playing guitar on AM radio in 1970. The amp overdrives in a nice crunchy way when the volume is turned way up. It's like joining the Kinks or Derek and the Dominos on the radio.

Comment by PapaSimone on December 10, 2011 at 6:21am

Comment by 3 String Blues on December 10, 2011 at 5:12am

Yes it will, check out valvechild.com!

 

but be careful it can be dangerous, the battery powered radios are best

when you guys are pro, you can post the how toos here

Comment by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on December 10, 2011 at 5:05am

Cool stuff, will a tube radio sound close to a real tube amp? 

 

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