Thomas Organ Conversion

[baddog]

I'm real glad to find this thread--I bought a Thomas VT-2 maybe 6 weeks back at an estate sale for $15, because it has that rotating Leslie (model "Leslie 10B"). Mine is a 1 speed, it's a single mono amp, and I supposed the organ is a generation older than yours, Audie.

Glad to hear you got yours working! I'm just starting the disassembly on my electronics, hoping to salvage the amp & any controls & effects that aren't part of the main big boards. BTW it seems a shame--this organ sounds (well sounded) waaaaay cool, but they are cheap & plentiful on craigslist.

RWood, your comments are extremely helpful & confirm a few of my ideas--but I suspect I'm way behind both of you in my knowledge--so I'll be back asking a few questions, I suspect.

Here's my pics...thanks again for your knowledge. Tom in Denver

I have two of those amplifiers in my basement and i converted a third one into a Matchless Spifire for a friend. He absolutly loves the amplifier.......Alot of these old amplifiers have great MOJO when converted to guitar amplifers.......

[Audie1966]

Where to start

So where does one begin the conversion? The keys are weak and very hit or miss, but the amplifier and the Leslie seem to be working. I have kept the unit whole until I have some direction as to how to proceed to convert the unit to a guitar amplifier. Any suggestions, directions, or guidance are all appreciated.

[baddog]

So where does one begin the conversion? The keys are weak and very hit or miss, but the amplifier and the Leslie seem to be working. I have kept the unit whole until I have some direction as to how to proceed to convert the unit to a guitar amplifier. Any suggestions, directions, or guidance are all appreciated.

THe one you have is a 2 channel amp and wouldnt make a great guitar amplifier because of that fact uinles you could bend up a new smaller chassis. IF it where mine I would find a way to sell it on ebay and buy a smaller mono block tube amplifier . You could probibly get a fair amount of money from that amp to fund a better project. The chassis is just to big and cumbersom as far as im concerned. But its all up to you. I usualy dont try to modify the existing design in the amp for guitar I usualt gut it and start from scratch with a proven design.

[tstockma]

Yea I guess I have the same question...where to start? Well not quite well to start...I've started, my organ is in pieces. Before I assemble a new cabinet for the leslie & mono amp out of the wreckage of the organ, I want a better idea what to do for a head...what signal do I need to send in this amp? I'm a noob at this. Is it standard line signal? Standard pre-amp signal? If anyone can give a hint here, that'd be huge help--thanks!

The amp's details are slightly sketchy, "THOMAS TYPE CA TONE CABPP". Hmm.

[tstockma]

Where to start

Hey Audie here's a doc I've found that I'm finding useful, you might also. It covers much more than organs, but deeper into it I'm finding paydirt on determining what level signal I need to input, also on some circuitry in that amp that we probably want to cut out.

HTH: http://www.vacuumtubecollective.com/...rttoguitar.doc

[nornicotine]

Hi, I have one of these Thomas amps, similar to the one Audie1966 describes. Does anyone have a schematic for this?
Thanks!