[Guest]

Hi - I just picked up a Philco 45F for $25 at an estate sale. I plugged it in, powered it on -I don't have a variac, unfortunately - and the tubes glowed, but all I got was some hum/buzz from the speaker.

However, I did get some crackling when turning the volume knob so I thought I'd ask: is there any place that I can alligator-clip the leads from a CD player or something to see if I can get some sound?

I am a studio engineer, and more recently, a neophyte vintage-audio enthusiast. I've done some tech-work before, but nothing too serious, and I've never worked on a radio. However, I do know enough to be careful around these old tube-amps, so I thought I'd seek some advice before poking around the chassis.

Cheers,

C.Burnett