Please help ID this tube amp

[pchilson]

Hi,

I picked this thing up for $30 tonight. Not a name or identifying mark on it to be found. I haven't been inside the chassis yet, doesn't appear to be anything inside anyway.
I will post some better pics tomorrow, I left my good camera at work.

It sports an 8" speaker with not code on it. It has 3 tubes, one 12AX7 branded "Ten", one 6AV6 branded "NEC" and one 6AQ5 branded "Ten". Two prong plug with a power transformer and an audio transformer. Three inputs, two normal and one "treble". It has tremolo with speed and depth controls and a footswitch jack.

Anyone recognize this thing?

Thanks

[pchilson]

I had the amp apart for cleaning and fixing some things. Someone I correspond with has said Japanese, Teisco or Sterling possibly. There is no identifying marks anywhere. All the resistors and caps are Japan Rubycon so it sounds like the Japan made is accurate. I have no clue.
The pots are a bit scratchy and the Tremolo works ok at times an not others, maybe the 6AV6 tube driving it is dodgy. Other than kinda cheap it does sound ok. I will keep it around for a short while and then try to move it as trade bait or somesuch...

[dai h.]

yeah, that looks japanese. re: the scratchiness, I would definitely check out (probably go ahead and replace) those Rubycon oil caps (if you plan to keep and use it). IME old Japanese oil caps that look like that always leak or end up leaking DC. The "Ten" tubes are made by a company related to the group of companies including Fujitsu. Doesn't appear to be a safety ground wire on the AC cord so you probably want to change that to be safe also.

[pchilson]

Just finished recapping the amp. All the funkiness has disappeared. Cost me about $10 for caps and a jewel lamp. Sounds decent, kinda raw. Breaks up early, tone control has much effect and the tremolo is just ok if you leave it low. All in all not a bad amp but a pain in the butt to work on.
I'll jam on it for a couple weeks and see what I think then.

[dai h.]

glad you got it working again. I guess it's a part of cheesy/cool history now. Looks sort of like something you'd see in the backdrop of those "Supermarionation" series.

[stokes]

I saw the same amp a few years ago,think it was a Masco.But I think these amps and others of that era/type were built in Japan and then sold to distributors who put their own name on them.Even if it had a name on it,it wouldnt necessarily tell you were it originated.Lafeyette was a distributor of these types of amps from that era that comes to mind,I am sure there were many others as well.

[pchilson]

I've been all over looking for one that resembles this one and no matches yet. The closest looking one I saw was a Teisco but it was only similar in shape. I've heard Sterling, Teisco, Danelectro and now Masco. I figured by putting it out on several forums in front of enough eyes someone would see it and remember the day...

No hits yet...

Thanks