Tube Amplifier restoration: Step one, Acquiring a vacuum tube amplifier

Lets say you have got a pretty good sized record collection, you really enjoy collecting records and want to do everything in your power to maximize your own personal enjoyment of the hobby. That is exactly where I found myself several years ago, I had dug out my records and was putting a system back together, and finding out that most modern stereo systems do not have the option to plug in a turntable. I needed something older, naturally I went to the flea market. There is a guy at our local flea market who specializes in old stereos and guitar amplifiers. I explained my frustration of being unable to find any good stereos with phono stages. I also shared with him the frustration I had around not being able to repair the stereo I did have. He politely suggested to me that what I wanted was something with vacuum tubes in it. He was able to convince me to buy a small integrated Bogen tube stereo amp, without the tubes. He told me what I needed to do to make it work and also told me that I would find the experience of rebuilding it useful when the next one came my way. He was 100% correct. I am going to start off this series by sharing some of my favorite places to find Tubes, amplifiers, and parts, outside of the typical E-commerce economy.

The flea market, is a great place to start your search for anything. Most flea markets have at least one vendor selling electronics. Some have an entire section. Don't be surprised if you don't find anything immediately. You have a lot of very experienced competition in this endeavor, and they have money. I ask the stereo guys about what they have but I also keep an eye peeled for someone who wasn't there last week, who appears to be selling off grandmas junk. Talk to them. find out if grandma had a stereo, or if grandpa was into "old radios" you would be surprised what people have tucked away, if you ask them. Good flea market and yard sale instincts take a long time to learn. Treat people like you want to be treated. Be humble, ask questions, and always say thank you.

Yard sales are another great resource for finding old junk. Once again there are other people out there looking for this stuff, and they will be there within 15 minutes of opening. They hustle the stuff on Ebay to buyers in the far east and they make a killing doing it. You have got to be on your game and have cash. Also know which yard sales to stay away from, and which ones to hit. Avoid the suburbs unless you are looking for bicycles and clothing. Go to the areas where upper middle class people live and where a high percentage of residents are in their 70s. The country estates on the outskirts of town, where there are lots of out buildings and junk from several generations tend to be the best yard sales.

Ask those around you! Talk to the people you work with, people you have known for years and people who you just met. You would be surprised what you'll find when you simply ask for it. I was doing work for a friend of mine and asked about a Heathkit I saw in his garage. He told me I could have it! It was a really cool score because he built the unit himself. It was a mono UA1 If I remember correctly. the next time I was at his house doing work he had another one for me along with a bag of assorted vacuum tubes. the photo below is of one of those amplifiers. It took about $20 worth of electrolytic capacitors to bring each one back from the dead.

Help people. Help people even if they have nothing to offer you. I was helping my friend Susie move, and I found a Scott 299D. This is the amp my pal at the flea market was refering to when he told me that the skills I learned on that Bogen would prove useful down the line. A HH Scott 299D is a highly sought after tube amplifier, which was built at the peak of the vacuum tube era. I found mine in the corner of her new place under a pile of other Hi Fi gear covered in dust. The previous owner of the house had been a radio operator and had collected thousands of tubes. all of them were gone by the time I got there, but this stereo remained. Once again all I had to do was ask, and it rode home with me.

There are other places to find tubes, and amplifiers. I am not above going into abandoned houses and factories. I have made some of my coolest finds rummaging through basements of abandoned houses. This practice is highly illegal and I can't recommend it. I have however stumbled upon some amazing hoarder-stashes of antique electronic parts by simply going into abandoned houses which I find in my travels. One locally belonged to a TV repair tech. I have not found any great audio gear in there but I was able to find vast quantities of used TV tubes. Tv tubes can be used to build unconventional amplifiers. For example these sweep tube amplifiers were built using the horizontal deflection output tubes from TV sets instead of typical "audio power tubes". This exciting topic will be covered in a future post.

Never drive by a stereo console, old TV set, or Organ without stopping to check for tubes. I once found an organ which had enough tubes to build 2 amps and several preamps All in all I pulled like 56 tubes out of it, along with an amplifier and 2 speakers. I was gone in 5 minutes with everything of value. Often times this gear gets thrown out people who are ignorant of its value or who simply don't care will leave it on the street for you to pick for parts. try not to make a mess.

I rarely go to the internet to buy things. It costs way too much money for this stuff, and you are rewarding the pickers who prioritize profit over the love of the music. I recommend using craigslist and ebay with extreme caution. Everything regarding tube amplifiers should be done with extreme caution. These amplifiers all have over 300v DC inside them. combine that with the fact that the newest ones are now going on 50 years old, and you have a disaster waiting to happen. Next installment we will talk about how to apply power to your newly acquired tube amplifier.Please for the love of god don't just plug it in. I hope you enjoyed what I have shared with you today, and I hope you tune in next time.