vincei
04-19-2009, 11:47 PM
Well it all started about a year ago when I traded my iPod shuffle for a RCA console amp my cousin had. I wanted to get into tubes and figured this was an easy way to do it.
Of course, at the time I only had experience with SS and was "scared" of tubes and high voltages and caps blowing up ect, so I left it for 3 months collecting dust.
Then I decided to take a peak and see if it works, I brought it up slowly and saw the nice warm glow of the tubes and from there I was hooked. I hastely recapped it, although it was a bit of a mess as I left the original can there. I also had to do some rewiring to make it "stand alone".
After many months of listening, modding and asking questions, I finally decided it was time to completely restore it from scratch. What a mess, all those wires, old resistors, flux, old switches ect. I got rid of all that, had to drill out the rivets, what a PITA. I had ordered all the new parts over a month period, and this was the weekend to start.
So here is part one: The before shots and test fitting. Part 2 next week will be the rewiring. All that I kept was the iron (which I painted), including chassis. I tried to use all the exisiting holes to make things easier, but I did have to drill a little. I still have some switches to install and some things to button up, so things may not look 100% right at the moment. I will use Gold Lion EL84's and original RCA 6CG7, I will also be using a nice coke bottle 5U3C recifier. The ones installed in the pics are EH and JJ's.
Thanks again everyone for the help and I know people like these theads so here you go! :music:
Of course, at the time I only had experience with SS and was "scared" of tubes and high voltages and caps blowing up ect, so I left it for 3 months collecting dust.
Then I decided to take a peak and see if it works, I brought it up slowly and saw the nice warm glow of the tubes and from there I was hooked. I hastely recapped it, although it was a bit of a mess as I left the original can there. I also had to do some rewiring to make it "stand alone".
After many months of listening, modding and asking questions, I finally decided it was time to completely restore it from scratch. What a mess, all those wires, old resistors, flux, old switches ect. I got rid of all that, had to drill out the rivets, what a PITA. I had ordered all the new parts over a month period, and this was the weekend to start.
So here is part one: The before shots and test fitting. Part 2 next week will be the rewiring. All that I kept was the iron (which I painted), including chassis. I tried to use all the exisiting holes to make things easier, but I did have to drill a little. I still have some switches to install and some things to button up, so things may not look 100% right at the moment. I will use Gold Lion EL84's and original RCA 6CG7, I will also be using a nice coke bottle 5U3C recifier. The ones installed in the pics are EH and JJ's.
Thanks again everyone for the help and I know people like these theads so here you go! :music: