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1930-s Epiphone Electar AC/DC Battery assist Amplifier-Schematic???

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  • 1930-s Epiphone Electar AC/DC Battery assist Amplifier-Schematic???

    This is a restoration project. I want a real Electrar-(field coil speaker and all) that I can use with my Electar steel guitar of the same vintage. I am doing some period music for a small video production, in which I am a one-man crew. Plan to use the music along with period B/W film clips. Personally I don't mind hearing Rudy Vallee singing into a megaphone on old 78's!

    George

  • #2
    EPIPHONE ELECTAR ZEPHYR 40'S SERVICED, SOUNDS GREAT! | Smashing Guitars
    "Take two placebos, works twice as well." Enzo

    "Now get off my lawn with your silicooties and boom-chucka speakers and computers masquerading as amplifiers" Justin Thomas

    "If you're not interested in opinions and the experience of others, why even start a thread?
    You can't just expect consent." Helmholtz

    Comment


    • #3
      No money to collect more.

      The Electar I am referring to is older, more homely, and runs DC or AC (probably the rural hoedown version). I am attaching some pics (hopefully).

      Ummm, well ....NOT.

      25L6, 25L6, 25L6, 25L6, 25Z5, 25Z5, 25Z5, 76, 6C6 and a ROLA 12" FC speaker.

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      • #4
        Vintage 1937 EPIPHONE ELECTAR TUBE GUITAR AMP,AMPLIF (09/10/2009)...

        Closer...
        "Take two placebos, works twice as well." Enzo

        "Now get off my lawn with your silicooties and boom-chucka speakers and computers masquerading as amplifiers" Justin Thomas

        "If you're not interested in opinions and the experience of others, why even start a thread?
        You can't just expect consent." Helmholtz

        Comment


        • #5
          That must be a SUPER, it is 50%(looks to be) wider than the black one, the photos of which I was unable to attach. Do you happen to know its output? Must have weighed a ton, they likely needed room to stuff in large trannies.

          Since my guitar is black, I wonder if there was a design change late 1930"s to a "happier" presentation by Epiphone. The guitars also changed appearance, going to light colors, tan etc. Wondering, why doesn't anyone do bent wood cabs anymore? Heck, the drum making business is based on this very skill! Lams can be punched out with box cutting dies.

          Oh, well. I keep wondering if there was something worth resurrecting. Liked the ideas of battery bias which this had. As I said it is OK for pups why not tubes? They are used OC and should last a while. If I had a schematic..... Well, there is ripping apart.

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          • #6
            This is the Super. The earlier unit was a huge suitcase thingy.

            1936 saw the Super AC-DC featuring the stylistic E logo. The cab was covered with Keratol, a vinyl like finish material, and had “Detacho” back and front panels. This Electar amp was rated at 30 watts with a 12” speaker. The catalogue stated, “This amplifier is custom built and is the ultimate for AC-DC operation. The tremendous volume is sufficient to fill the largest hall and is used in large orchestras.”
            Attached Files
            "Take two placebos, works twice as well." Enzo

            "Now get off my lawn with your silicooties and boom-chucka speakers and computers masquerading as amplifiers" Justin Thomas

            "If you're not interested in opinions and the experience of others, why even start a thread?
            You can't just expect consent." Helmholtz

            Comment


            • #7
              Here's the model before the Super

              Many of the first amps were built for the lap steel market such as the Electar model, seen to the right, with an Electar Hawaiian guitar. The chassis was housed in a black leatherette cabinet that was supplied by a suitcase manufacturer and featured hinged, detachable front and back covers to protect the tube circuitry and the 8” speaker. The bottom-mounted chassis was equipped with an on/off switch, fuse, AC-DC control and two input jacks. The tone and volume were meant to be controlled from the instrument directly.
              Attached Files
              "Take two placebos, works twice as well." Enzo

              "Now get off my lawn with your silicooties and boom-chucka speakers and computers masquerading as amplifiers" Justin Thomas

              "If you're not interested in opinions and the experience of others, why even start a thread?
              You can't just expect consent." Helmholtz

              Comment


              • #8
                The pre-Super resembles in color, it is a black painted canvas or duck covering. I think the blah is mistaken. The speaker is almost certainly a 12", but why is the cab twice as wide? It must have been a bear to tote around. Is it sensible to restore these guys? The electrolytics are toasted and NOS electrolytics will be history. They also need isolation xformers and maybe tubes, proper grounding etc. It wouldn't be very stock by then. But OTOH, if I had been using it for the last 75 years I would have needed repairs and some electrical spiffying up. I can see I amtalking myself into more of this....

                It would be cool to do a gig playing an Electar on an Electar..

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