No name vintage amplifier

[Chuck H]

Meesa Dumbis!

I use to have one of those. A Subway Blues I think

[Joe Picker]

Under the power light it says:

120V - 60 Cycles - Input 100 Watts UL

[Joe Picker]

Subway Blues?

I thought that was a Mesa model.

[glebert]

Under the power light it says:

120V - 60 Cycles - Input 100 Watts UL

I tried doing a Google Image Search of that brand but man, they made a bunch of different stuff! Like everything!

[Joe Picker]

I've searched for images for Univox, Lafayette, Airline, Silvertone, Harmony, Kent etc.......NOTHING!
Come on guys, help me out.

[Joe Picker]

Were there numerous no-name amps from that era?

[Justin Thomas]

If I had to guess I'd say it's a Valco - or whatever the name of the company was who made amps for everyone from Gibson to Danelectro to Lectrolab to National to Guild to Airline to etc...

They would contract out for anyone who put in a minimum order with specs. Lots of catalogs & dept stores would do tjis. Honestly, I think amsome internals shots would say a LOT. If you can't dismantle it safely ask a tech for help & take lots of good-quality pictures.

Justin

[DrGonz78]

If I had to guess I'd say it's a Valco - or whatever the name of the company was who made amps for everyone from Gibson to Danelectro to Lectrolab to National to Guild to Airline to etc...

They would contract out for anyone who put in a minimum order with specs. Lots of catalogs & dept stores would do tjis. Honestly, I think amsome internals shots would say a LOT. If you can't dismantle it safely ask a tech for help & take lots of good-quality pictures.

Justin

And back on the west coast it was Magnatone in the same fashion.

[John_H]

My guess is it's an 'Airline' AKA Mongomery Wards. I had one that had similar knobs. No tremolo though.

[DrGonz78]

There are 3 tubes shown in the pics, but I don't see a 6BQ5 size.
I'd guess two 12AX7's and a 6V6.
The transformers almost match this guy's numbers from a wards-airline: http://www.tdpri.com/threads/wards-a...high-b.748336/

So I'd say it might match this schematic:

I would say G1 might have nailed it with the schematic he posted but no pictures of that model on the internet anywhere. Post #11 for schematic

[tboy]

My guess is it's an 'Airline' AKA Mongomery Wards. I had one that had similar knobs. No tremolo though.

I agree it look's like a Ward's Arline. The tremolo knob is probably from a different amp; looks like a Gretsch. There are lots of Ward's Arline schematics in the Jack Darr book -- I'd have a look in there.

[Enzo]

Yes, there were lots of generic amps back then. Now all the mainstream makers have cheap lines of their own, and stores like Sears and Wards do not.


This is a super simple amp, three tubes, just volume, tone, and trem controls. I would open it up, take 15 minutes, and draw my own schematic from the circuit inside.

[olddawg]

Probably a kit... is it all American parts? What type of pots? Pot codes?

[g1]

There are lots of Ward's Arline schematics in the Jack Darr book -- I'd have a look in there.

see post #11

[tboy]

see post #11

I'm sure it's close enough to be useful for the amp in question, but it doesn't include the tremolo circuitry.