Mystery Tube Amp

[edwardofhuncote]

Anybody seen or heard of one of these, or got a guess on the maker? Old logo says meloSonic, or maybe meloFonic.

I got it a long time ago with a Gibson lap steel... it doesn't work, at least not for a guitar amp, but it will give you a nice curly-perm if you got the fortitude to hang on.   

(remember that scene from Napoleon Dynamite where Uncle Rico tried the mail-order time machine? it's *exactly* like that)

[elwoodblue]

I found these...my vote is for Melofonic.






 (I was thinking about the christmas tree lighting scene in Lampoon's Christmas Vacation  )

[edwardofhuncote]

Well, there ya' go. 

Without even looking, I'd gamble that guitar is Chicago-made, mid/late-1930's. Couldn't find anything on the amplifiers, but that's definitely the same logo. Wonder who made them, or if it's worth fixing?

Hmmm... reckon maybe the original owner traded in his Melofonic lap steel for a Gibby sometime in the 50's but couldn't swing the new amp to go with it?

[pauldo]

Absolutely worth fixing, that is a coffee table classic conversation piece!   

[gtrguy]

Any old tube amp is worth fixing! What tubes does it have?

[cozmik_cowboy]

I found these...my vote is for Melofonic.

Or mayhap it follows 18th century convention, where the first s that's not the first letter is written ƒ, and it really is Melosonic.

Peter (who's not suggesting that it's of quite that vintage......)

[elwoodblue]

hehe..I tried that first Peter.I learned there was an electric organ company called Melosonic in the 60's.
No amps though by that name.



 Did I mention how much I love my Farfisa compact organ?
(would that be Farfifa in olde english? )

[cozmik_cowboy]

 Did I mention how much I love my Farfisa compact organ?
(would that be Farfifa in olde english? )

It would, verily. To be fully equipped, a keyboardist needs a piano, a Rhodes, a B3, a Vox Continental, and a Farisa compact.  A harpsichord is a nice bonus; all else is superfluous.

[edwardofhuncote]

David, not sure what those tubes are... the larger ones are 6L6-G-something maybe. I'll look closer at the others this evening.

It's funny... that thing has been gathering dust in a corner of my (ever shrinking) music room for at least 8 years, or about the last time I had a gig involving a need for a lap steel. Incidentally, that was about the time I figured out the really hard way it didn't work. Lesson learned: some mistakes are painful, but if the mistake is big enough, the pain only lasts a second.   

I must admit, if it could be made to work for less than a certain amount, I'd be all for fixing it... right now it's a cool-looking footstool, that smells a lot like my old Lionel trainset. 

[gtrguy]

I made an insulated box that has a cord, an on/off switch (like any power strip so far), and then I placed a simple light bulb socket in the circuit (with a 60 watt light bulb), and then an outlet in the box.


Any suspect amp gets plugged into this device first. That way the caps get a slower charge (initially light bulb goes dim showing juice is flowing). After a short time, the bulb should than go to its normal light output, if things are going OK. If it stays dim, that means electricity is still flowing after it should have tapered off. This indicates a short or some bad components, like caps that just keep sucking juice and not getting topped up, etc. (I am sure the electrical engineers here can give a better explanation of all this).


If the bulbs stay dim, that means the amp will NOT get plugged into the wall and will be opened up for inspection and fixing.

[gtrguy]

Most amps I have seen metal can tubes in were designed for electric organs. The tubes are not too hard to find or too expensive when you do, if you search out old electronic shops like me. Many vintage Ampeg guitar amps also used them, if I remember right.

[keith_h]

Not being able to see the amp or schematic given the apparent age of the amp it might have a hot chassis. This means there will be voltage on the chassis as soon as it is plugged in. It is fairly common in old radios and TV's. I have an old Zenith radio where you don't want to change the band when standing on a cement floor in your bare feet. It is also reasonable to assume that a component has broken down or there is a wire with a break in the insulation causing voltage to be applied to the input jack. I would expect it is pretty straight forward to fix and shouldn't be too expensive either.

[edwardofhuncote]

Yes, plugging it in, or turning it on (I can't remember in which order) puts voltage on the chassis... we need an emoticon for: YEEEE-OWWW!!! @$!#/^&*

Checked with a buddy today who works in a local music store I do upright bass repair and setup work for... tells me there's an amp shop in Lynchburg with a guy who came highly recommended. I got a gig down that general way in a couple weeks, so I'll see what he says.

Thanks Fellas... it wouldn't have even come up but for a running email thread I keep going with a couple Club Members here on weird old music-related stuff. One day I'll post a thread on that Gibson lap steel. Wonder if anyone ever Alembicized one of those...? 

[cozmik_cowboy]

This thread has me missing my late, great, Gibson BR-1 amp; 15 tubular watts  into a 12" electromagnetic speaker - pure scream!  Built late '40s, found at pawn shop for $25 about '78, died in a flood in '96.

Peter