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  • Baldwin Vintage Amp conversion

    Hi everyone
    Ok so I followed some threads here about converting a Baldwin Organ tube amp into a guitar amp...thing is, I found so many different models of amps, nothing looks like the one i'm getting via EBAY.

    I purchased a 1959 Baldwin Tube Amp organ model 51P, it uses 2x 6L6, 2x 12ax7 and 2x 12au7 (rectifier is 5U4)

    Anyway, here are some pics...what i'm worried about is: Am I missing a tranny here?
    This is supposed to be a big iron tranny, btw.

    Other than that, i know nothing on the matter...all i know is this thing worked great in the organ, it used to power 2x 12" speakers at 16ohm... and i'm wondering if i can use it in my 4x12' cab.

    More pics available.

    Is this supposed to be powerful at all?
    I suppose there is a preamp stage - can i hack it to add some EQ / Level things there?
    Apparently there is a gain knob on the chassis,

    K thanks for the help, people

    Jonathan
    Attached Files

  • #2
    can you tell us some specifications about the transformers??

    Comment


    • #3
      Well, the thing is I don't much about it at all.
      I'm supposed to receive the amp in a few days, at which point I can post close-up pics, and whatever else I can find with the beast in my hands.

      Now, usually I see 2 trannies on pictures of organ tube amps - and I only see 1 on mine. I also read somewhere that one should be careful in choosing amps making sure that they'd have all the required trannies.
      Also, I sent links for different amps to my brother who lives in Europe (i'm in the US), there was a pic of a Randall amp, and he told me that from the pic it was missing the output tranny, his advice was to go with a Baldwin (I think for their good reputation), which I did.

      My knowledge on the matter is close to nil right now, so any help of any sort is mega appreciated.

      Cheers
      Jon

      Comment


      • #4
        Looks like you've got one big a$$ed power transformer on the top with the tubes and at least one small choke and three small transformers or chokes underneath. Are you sure there aren't more power tubes besides the 6L6s? Maybe more than one power amp, one for the keys and another for the bass foot pedals. Maybe a transformer PI. Hard to tell without a schematic. If its running 2 6L6s in push pull you could get 30 to 50 watts depending on the size of the output transformer and the B+ supply.
        David

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        • #5
          Yea, I'm actually looking for schematics right now...but difficult to tell which amp it is exactly.
          Seems to me that all these organs had different amps! when I search online for 1959 Baldwin organ amps, I find tons of different models...

          So do you mean this is made for 2 channels? Hence why all the tubes are in sets of 2 ?

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          • #6
            Originally posted by jonton26 View Post
            So do you mean this is made for 2 channels? Hence why all the tubes are in sets of 2 ?
            No, from the look of the chassis, there seems to be the large black power transformer that fits through the chassis panel, a large choke next to the rectifier tube socket and the output transformer mounted next to the two 6L6 tube sockets.

            The other smaller transformers may be signal transformers or chokes for the pre amp and tone generator circuits.

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            • #7
              Ok finally got it

              OK guys, so I got it,
              well packaged! except for a couple of little bits that fell off when taking the wrapper off, no idea where they came from, but from what i see nothing looks okk, i inspected it as much as I could.

              Input: There is a long brown wire with a sort of RCA male input - Only long wire coming off the amp. Although it's male I have a feeling this is the input, am I correct?

              Output: Top of the chassis says: "Case Speaker" right next to a socket with 4 female prongs. No idea of how to make this a proper speaker cab female jack.

              Gain: There is a gain knob mounted on the chassis, but noway to take it out and bring it elsewhere with all the point-to-point tight connectivity around it. My question is - can i hijack it with any other potentiometer that I can fix elsewhere connecting to each of the 3 terminals?

              Power: There is a 3-wire wire that has been cut clean, coming off the main power tranny, I want to connect this to a power switch then to a wall plug - any help appreciated. The 3 wires in the main AC wire are white, black and brown.
              From what I read, organ tube amps don't have a stand-by switch, so there I am, I don't think there is any way to mod that stuff, so I leave it as is i guess? Let me know what you think.

              Let me know if any better close-ups of the amp would help. Still no schematics...

              Thanks for any help.

              Jon

              Comment


              • #8
                can you take a picture of the transformer

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                • #9
                  here is a closeup

                  i'll be taking more pics

                  thanks for the help

                  Jon
                  Attached Files

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    And yet more closeups

                    All I know is it was pulled from a Baldwin 51P and don't have the schematics. Any got anything that might help?

                    Here is the number marked on the main tranny:

                    F-C512-0237578
                    Attached Files

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                    • #11
                      I am told that the yellow and black wires at the top right (where the output tranny is) are the output wires to the speaker outlet.

                      Is that right??

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                      • #12
                        i just bought the whole organ today. its great to see your pics because thats definately the amp in there, but theres also more panels with over 60 tubes and mother pieces not connected thjat have tubes. it mad. but i wanna make an amp too so anything i find out i will popst here. the organ it came out of is the baldwin orga-sonic 51P. i odnt know how to post opiics here yet but i wioll post the pic of the whole inside of the organ so you can see this madness.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Complete organ

                          I happened to come across your thread an it caught my eye. I just got a complete baldwin 51p organ from a music shop i used to work at.
                          I am looking to make it into a guitar amp, as well. I noticed that you were looking for some schematics. Is there anything that my organ will help you with?

                          -jefe

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            organ power amp.

                            hey thanks for contacting me. i have completely gutted the organ, and have the box where the amp resides. i really have no clue what to do from here. schematics would help if i can find someone to actually rewire it? i did buy a new power tube. an Electro-Harmonics. also therer was a bad power cord that i replaced inside that box of tubes. these old things can be a real fire hazard. but since i disconnected all things plugged into it, nothing powers up anymore. which is fine, it all powered up before except the one tube. right now its in the closet until i can find someone ' in the know' on what to do with the amp section.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              this is correct. The orginal organ has a 4-pin plug that plugged into the amp module. I think the other 2 pins acted as jumpers because the organ will not power on without the -pin plug inserted.

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