Just to offset the amplifier posts for the pedal folks - here’s a set of three tone benders that I just finished
Guitar Related Ramblings - Vero, P2P, Vintage Effects and Amps
Vintage fuzz, guitars, amps, guitar effects and other things that make noise.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
PROJECTOR: Bell & Howell Gaumont, Model 601
I know, I know—this is starting to drift even further from pedal circuits with each post, but stick with me for a moment.
These old Bell and Howell projector amps have quite the following, so I’ve been keeping an eye out for one for a while. The catch is, they don’t pop up on the secondhand market very often—at least not the older valve-based models.
So when this one showed up on Marketplace at a reasonable price, I couldn't resist. It came from an older couple on the Sunshine Coast, which is about an hour from my place (Queensland, Australia). According to them, the amp originally belonged to a great uncle who bought it new in the early '50s. It had been in storage for about 20 years, and no one in the family was interested in keeping it. Apparently, it was still working when it was put away.
Basically the amplifier is hidden away under the projector (which is built like a tank by the way).
BELL & HOWELL GAUMONT, MODEL 601 (FILMOSOUND 179)
BELL & HOWELL, MODEL 179 SCHEMATIC
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
HAMMOND: 1751M Output Transformer Datasheet
From the Hammond 1750 output transformer series, this is listed as a drop-in replacement for a Fender Vibrolux Tweed, 5F11 - they're supposed to look similar to the original Fender transformer where possible. That being said - this sticks out like dog’s balls when mounted on a crusty old amp.
Materials etc are also supposed to be similar to get as close as they can (within reason I suppose).
It was a bargain, at $76 +GST (Australian dollars) from Mouser, including free delivery. Like all things Hammond, it feels well made.
- 8,000 ohms plate to plate
- 16, 8 & 4ohm secondary windings (these options would not have been on the original)
- rated at 15w
- bobbin wound
HAMMOND 1751M OUTPUT TRANSFORMER DATASHEET
Saturday, November 2, 2024
THIRD MAN: Fuzz A Tron
If you're in the USA, for $75 you may as well buy the kit.