Converting Vintage Tube Radio to Guitar Amp

[Scott aka Farmer Ted]

This is a Phillips 7-tube radio (circa 1931) I got for $40. Still works, however, it needs some "freshening" of some caps and resistors. The power cord also needs replacing. The bakelite case and grill cloth are nearly mint. Plan is to take it to my local electronics tech for an overhaul.

Old schematics I found online indicate the output is 1 watt.

[Ellwood T Bear]

Nice FIND!!! and a GREAT PRICE!!!

[Arnold Kelly]

AWESOME! :)

[Christopher Wittmann]

That is so cool. I had a few like that when I was a kid. My grandfather had an old junk store and I bought the ones that didn't work and use to put tubes in and resell them.

[Buttermilk Music aka Norm]

I'm interested in doing this. That's a great looking radio. When I was a kid maybe 4 or 5 I lived on a farm and we didn't have a TV.  The old tube radios were our source of entertainment.

I would also be interested in learning how to pull the basic insides out of old trashed radio bodies and place them inside cigar boxes that are too small for instruments.

Norm

[Scott aka Farmer Ted]

Hey Norm,

Another option for cigar box amps is making (soldering up) a simple amp circuit for those "boxy" cigar boxes. I picked up a supply of components off Ebay (very inexpensive) and found a few simple circuit diagrams online (try Runoffgroove.com).

Speakers can be found at local thrift shops (old stereo speakers) that measure 3-6 inches, which will fit well in the smaller cig box. Just be sure it's rated at 8 ohms (or two matching 4 ohm speakers wired together in series to make the 8 ohms) and look for speakers that are from one to 20 watts.

A google search for "LM386 guitar amp circuit diagram" will help.

I have made numerous amps like this and cost no more than $15 (including cigar box, components, speaker, wire, etc.)

 

Cheers

[Buttermilk Music aka Norm]

Thanks for the great info Scott... I certainly see amps in my future