07-20-2009, 01:01 AM
I figure this forum has some interest in high-end tube type audio products from yesteryears,and also enjoying restoring them?
I still enjoy saving all brands old tube-type radios as well !, but recently have been recreating some "groundup" projects building custom vintage hifi amps, 50s era rec-studio quality tube comp/limiters etc., utilizing some vintage recently acquired vintage 40s/50s era "heavy iron" power trans, & vintage high-end type " linear" output trans. I recently acquired 3 pairs of vintage Heath W5Ms (williamson types rusted chassis), and several other brands to use good spare trans off of to "create" in the full 20-20khz spectrum, altho, human ears can never tell the difference most usually anyways.
One caveat, ... Im using all DC powered tube filament supplies in my one-off creations in my "homebrewed" preamp sections, to meet RIAA standards for those with better ears than me, utilizing various new NTE bridge rectifiers for no-noise, quiet preamp solutions in all vintage tube equip resto one-offs, to rid any ear-fatigue that is now present in our new "digital" world!Tubes just sound better/ & warmer to the ear overall!! Just my .02! I figure I can re- install all these vintage, rare I/O type peerless brand trans, as well as many other brands "audiophool" quality trannys to good use in my projects over time.
I am also stripping-off previously rusted integrated tube type chassis from many yrs storage, by vintage mfgrs such as Sherwood Labs,Heath, Eico,etc. The old vintage Dukane,Bell,RCA,Gates,Altec, US orig JAN military spec etc, vintage WW2- 60s era amps components are all still good also. Much different area of tube type restoration indeed, but all theories apply! Even the old orig oil-filled electrolytic caps still test good! I wouldnt be afraid to put them in service again at all! Dont tell the "green peace liberal guys", but I suspect all these old oil filled caps contain PCBs? Whoa pardners!! No wonder they lasted so long! ( hee hee) Some things just "work" forever!!
Lordy mercy,all the old vintage Telefunken & Mullard , vintage RCAs,etc branded tubes I now have in backstock ( found in all these old sets), yet to be tested, will take awhile indeed! Tone, Tone maximus if still good also.
Hifi'ers, any out there? Theres still great barn-finds out there indeed, even if the roof leaked!! Lots of yellow-jackets nests in all this old equip also! I found a lizard skeleton in a vintage early 60s Sherwood S-5000 chassis, but the orig Sherwood Labs " hand-wound" trannys are still perfecto indeed! Not that most human ears will ever notice the difference anyways! This is a great hobby!!
I still enjoy saving all brands old tube-type radios as well !, but recently have been recreating some "groundup" projects building custom vintage hifi amps, 50s era rec-studio quality tube comp/limiters etc., utilizing some vintage recently acquired vintage 40s/50s era "heavy iron" power trans, & vintage high-end type " linear" output trans. I recently acquired 3 pairs of vintage Heath W5Ms (williamson types rusted chassis), and several other brands to use good spare trans off of to "create" in the full 20-20khz spectrum, altho, human ears can never tell the difference most usually anyways.
One caveat, ... Im using all DC powered tube filament supplies in my one-off creations in my "homebrewed" preamp sections, to meet RIAA standards for those with better ears than me, utilizing various new NTE bridge rectifiers for no-noise, quiet preamp solutions in all vintage tube equip resto one-offs, to rid any ear-fatigue that is now present in our new "digital" world!Tubes just sound better/ & warmer to the ear overall!! Just my .02! I figure I can re- install all these vintage, rare I/O type peerless brand trans, as well as many other brands "audiophool" quality trannys to good use in my projects over time.
I am also stripping-off previously rusted integrated tube type chassis from many yrs storage, by vintage mfgrs such as Sherwood Labs,Heath, Eico,etc. The old vintage Dukane,Bell,RCA,Gates,Altec, US orig JAN military spec etc, vintage WW2- 60s era amps components are all still good also. Much different area of tube type restoration indeed, but all theories apply! Even the old orig oil-filled electrolytic caps still test good! I wouldnt be afraid to put them in service again at all! Dont tell the "green peace liberal guys", but I suspect all these old oil filled caps contain PCBs? Whoa pardners!! No wonder they lasted so long! ( hee hee) Some things just "work" forever!!
Lordy mercy,all the old vintage Telefunken & Mullard , vintage RCAs,etc branded tubes I now have in backstock ( found in all these old sets), yet to be tested, will take awhile indeed! Tone, Tone maximus if still good also.
Hifi'ers, any out there? Theres still great barn-finds out there indeed, even if the roof leaked!! Lots of yellow-jackets nests in all this old equip also! I found a lizard skeleton in a vintage early 60s Sherwood S-5000 chassis, but the orig Sherwood Labs " hand-wound" trannys are still perfecto indeed! Not that most human ears will ever notice the difference anyways! This is a great hobby!!
