Silvertone 1482: Modifying & Replacing Power Transformer
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- In this video we will go through the process of replacing the power transformer (PT) in a vintage 1967 Danelectro made Silvertone 1482 112 Tube Combo Guitar Amp with a beefed up specimen and doing some minor mods. Although Mercury Magnetics and Classic Tone both make transformers for this model, they were deemed too expensive to be economical. Furthermore, some less expensive options had more attractive features like 3A windings and larger iron. The transformer I opted for was model P-TF41316 from Antique Electronic Supply. This transformer would require some minor modification to the chassis, but would prove to be a good stand-in, working transformer replacement for this model, at less than half the price of the Mercury!
www.tubesandmo...
After changing the transformer out, we'll also talk about some easy modifications (mods) for the 1482, such as grounded inputs and virtual center tapped filament winding. Then finally, we will demo this little monster and check out the awesome crunch tone with a Fender Telecaster!
I have two of these and very good working condition
I had one of these as my first amp in high school. Decided I had to have a Fender and got a Bandmaster. Every club I played in told me to turn the BM down to where it sounded like a$$. Should have stuck with the 1482 in retrospect.
being an old guitar picker with an interest in amps and electronics I must say this is one of the best videos I've seen. Thank you dude!
***** Cool! Thanks for watching and taking time to comment. Be sure to subscribe to my channel if you haven't already. There are more videos of amp repairs and demos in my channel. Lots of vintage goodies.
I miss Sears & Radioshack
Just viewing one of you oldies but goodie Brad! Just awesome tone after the trans upgrade and solid mods to reduce noise and increase reliability. Incredible how great these "catalog budget student" amps from the 60's sound when working properly.
Your channel is gold. Working on an identical model right now for a friend. Hasn't worked since the 70's and was in storage until last weekend. 6.3V winding appears to be varying - sometimes 3V, sometimes nearly 12. Initially thought my multimeter was dying. More troubleshooting to do but may be a power transformer problem here as well..
A 6X4 rectifier is a tiny thing, rated at 325V 70mA (max). Just wondering if a dead power transformer happens rather often...
A single heater winding does place extra stress on the heater-cathode insulation of the rectifier.
A h-k short causes massive plate current to flow, which would explain why the power transformer is getting hot.
Before you start to work on it the easiest check is to pull every tube and then switch on. There would be no load on the transformer at all & you'd expect it to stay cool.
I would have expected to find two heater windings, one being centre-tapped maybe. It would give the rectifier an easier life.
I'd also look closely at the filter capacitors & change them if they show the slightest sign of being stressed.
I think I was 13 or 14 when my dad bought me that amp....that was like 51 years ago..in those days he bought everything at Sears...He started me first with the amp in the case models and ended up with the twin 12....I wish I would have kept this amp your showing....only difference my speaker baffle board was cut diamond shape...
The diamond cut predated this one by a year or two. It was the 1472.
Yeah mine has the diamond cut too....most do I think
I had a Twin Twelve combo w 4 6l6s...have never seen one since So wish I would have kept it But recently picked up one of these and love it
Im working on a 1484 restoration, I had the same 6.3v blow out, but since its the outer windings I went and rewound it with new wire and also went with the pot instead of the center tap. Also, I did multiple taps towards the end to see what would get me closest to 6.3 with modern voltages.
Gotta ask, why do you pronounce tremolo like "tra-mo-lo" instead of "trem-o-lo"?
Really digging your videos, even though I have no idea how to work with amps!
Those Brown caps are Cornell-Dublier (CDE) caps & i rarely ever see one of those go bad. as far as the transformer goes, it most likely has leakage from the primary winding to the frame of the transformer. if you pull the end bell off, you might find that the problem may be caused by one of the primary leads (where the wire lead is soldered to the winding) may be touching the inside of the end bell. i have seen this before in other transformers.
Sorry, posted this before finishing watching the video.
I've got a 1472, wanting to know about those caps, they are .1, what to change them with? If they don't go bad?
Excellent video, thanks for sharing. I just picked up that sane Amp with matching Silvertone guitar untouched for many years. Do you have a Amp parts supplier you suggest for tubes and grounded inputs? Also you guitar tones from that little box was perfect!
LOL the transformer 6 volt burn up because the rectifier was pulling too much current because the output tubes are bias too hot........................please don't say YOU CAN"T SET THE BIAS ON THIS AMP, you can think about but don't do it!
I have a bone stock 1484 including Silvertone tubes, footswitch, owners manual and cover. It still sounds pretty kool. I would love to hear it updated. I bought it on ebay several years ago.
Interesting video, thanks for posting. My 1482 is a closet classic, very clean. Only 1 tube changed out, still has original 2-prong cord (I have a replacement cord, just haven't installed yet). A les Paul thru it cranked rips! But overall mine is pretty dark. So much much so that I generally have to use an EQ pedal (Source Audio Programmable works a treat!). Is that par for the course with these amps or might something be amiss? Maybe the stock speaker is at least part of the problem? With the EQ pedal to brighten things up the tone is fantastic.
Birchblaze the silvertone I had was very dark with humbuckers sounded great with old cheapy underwound pickups
i agree with the cry foul. Appreciate the rationale, though.
Amp sounds killer.
That:s one of the all time great sleeper amps. It was the go to amp for chilling out angry Dads back then, and it will probably chill out passive aggressive milennial snowflakes today.
Some things never change. No matter how far you turn down, you're too loud. Especially if it sounds good.
"Turn it down till it sucks, then get a haircut and get a real job."
These amps were a great way to beat the turn it down police.
My favorite amp and my favorite vintage guitar buddy......well done Brady. Thanks for your time and effort!
ajp33green Thanks for watching.
They have one of these at my local pawnshop for 499 dollars. I think it still has the original tubes in it because they say silvertone on them. Is that a decent price anyone???
I have a couple & was wondering if it's possible to just get all top parts rewire same schematics & rebuild cabinet in order to make what boutique amp's are Today 🤔?
Thanks for posting this! I just got a 1482 with a well-toasted power transformer - so glad I don't have to spend $120+ for the Mercury...
Very simple man...then they got all Alien Robotttt on all the shit and further shit where damn thing will seem xformer like and not want to be pushed.
I had one just like it back in the mid '70s.It was my first amp.I gave $25.00 for it.
I once had the opportunity to play a 1954 strat serial number 00012 through one of these. It was a totally descent amp. 20 years ago, they were crap, now I'd LOVE to have one. For a bedroom amp, at reasonable volume, these 1482s rock.
Yes, Danelectro amps are very underrated.
Do you grounded all input jacks? Doing this, you put the 68K resistor in parallel with the 1M resistor and changed the instrument inputs 1 and 2 to low Z and low gain when only one are used. Am I right?
Thanks for all your videos Brad. Here in Brazil we just have a few brands of old tube amps and just some different circuits, so, to watch your videos is awesome. Few people here know about these old brands. Usually Fender and Marshall are only known.
Ok, the 6 volt winding is the outermost winding on the transformer. that being said, you might be able to rewind that winding without actually disturbing the other windings, thus, saving that transformer.
Robert Cikovic I used to know the winding order of a similar amp that had center tapped secondaries on the heaters.
Would you mind correcting me if I'm wrong?
1st winding =primary
2nd winding=b+
3rd winding =5v
4th winding =6.3
Thanks
I love your channel.
Thanks, man! My channel loves you too. :P
The blue wire on the new power transformer gets taped off?
I have this amp. I did not change anything but grounding power cable. It has a unique personaity. I love this nice combo. Sometimes you have to tighten up speaker if weird vibration noise occurs. GREAT VIDEO THANK YOU!
glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment!
So I have this amp and the transformer is the issue. I don’t want to do as extensive work that you did. The black wires on mine have no continuity so I’m probably gonna spend the money for the mercury magnetics one. But thank you for having a video digging into one of these.
Your depth of knowledge an experience is just a tad astounding.
Best wishes from England.
I don't consider myself an expert, but thanks for watching. Keep watching and we'll keep learning together.
Yea both channels sounded great!
Lose that 6X4 rectifier and punch a hole for an Octal base and fit a 5 volt rectifier, utilising the unused 5V transformer winding.
The 50 volt winding was for a bias voltage supply?
The sound at 35:10 on the bend is bizarre. It almost sounds like someone imitating a guitar with their teeth closed.
i tried selling one of these in my dads yard sale a long time ago for $10 but it didn't sell and got left out in the rain and for sometime. i ended up selling it for $5. it still worked...
OMG ... a Silvertone like that was my first amp back in like 1967. Brings back such memories seeing one alive and well! Wish I still had it ...
Thanks for sharing. I have one of these all stock in great condition and it hums on idle about like yours is at the 34:00 mark before you start to play. I did the virtual ground tap and it did nothing to stop the hum. If all tubes, caps and resistors are good, is it common to still have a hum in these amps? My 66 Princeton is dead quiet compared to this amp. Is there any plan B mod you can come up with that won’t change the tone but will kill the idle hum? Thanks!
I've got a 1472 & guess I need to change out the caps, I saw some Electrolytics in this, I thought they were to be avoided. What parts do you use the Sozo's on? My tremolo does not even sound close to this one, guess I have some problems. Another great video.
I would never run a rectifier tube filament at or near ground potential, and I woukd never operate the triodes with their filaments near the B+ level. Moral of story: NEVER share a rectifier filament winding with the other tubes. Rectifiers deserve their own private filament winding.
Would it not have been better to replace the rectifier tube with a W005 Bridge Rectifier and lose the centre tap and use a 5v regulator to power the heater filaments better to be safe rather than sorry maybe a High Voltage bridge rectifier driving a high voltage voltage regulator might solve the problem, just a suggestion as I would think that 5v would prolong the life of the filaments of the vacuum tubes, I have seen the use of regulators used in vacuum tube amps that are made in Dungannon, Northern Ireland
had one,,one of the greatest amps ever,,used it for all types of gigs,,,the other I had was a 1485 which was so loud it would piss u off,,headroom out the wazoo and took pedals very well and the tone was unreal.
Awesome repair of an awesome amp! I really appreciate your insight on the need to balance usability & functionality with the ideal of keeping things original. I'm just beginning to learn about electronics now and really enjoy learning from your videos Brad! Thanks for all that you do!
this video helped me so much. think I'm going to try to fix my Vibro Champ and maybe buy another 1484
Hi Brad. Very interesting video. Lovely little amp and great demo! You are correct about those moulded capacitors absorbing moisture. All such caps like orange drop and especially old Mullard mustard caps or tropical fish caps will absorb moisture if the legs have been bent too close to the body. This breaks the hermetic seal so absorption starts. It can take years but any vintage caps with broken seals on the legs are worth changing. If the seal is good then the cap probably will be too. Thanks
Where do you get most of you component from ,Caps mainly I have looked on line ,but it is more difficult here in Central France.
like the guy a lot as a guitarist too.
My 1482 is the exact same date as yours judging by the capacitor and pot dates. Thanks for the video!!!
excellent playing and tones!
have a near mint 1481 with a sound. Also have a Gibson GA-5 that could use your attention.
Well, my workshop should be set up in the next two or three weeks and ready to accept some outside work. I'm not taking in everything, just the stuff I want to work on. Hit me up in two or three weeks: bradlinzy at gmail
Your videos and style have changed my life ....and your authoritative repair with great videos makes you indispensable in the realm of UA-cam. A great teacher you are Brad!!
I may be no expert, but the tremolo on this amp sounds pretty good for something that came from Sears Roebuck and Co.
What is this amplifier worth
Crappy cab is the tone
I have a sears amp> love it
My first guitar amp was one of these.I bought it at a music store for $25 in the mid '70s.It was a good amp.
watching this in 2023
The amp sounds incredible. I have the same amp but it hums a lot. It is somewhere in my basement.
Sounds amazing, you're an amazing vintage amp man! Good on you for putting up these videos! 😆
Another one right outa the park Brad! Very nicely done my friend a!gain.
CDE Cornell Dubilier coupling caps.
Robert Luedeman Thanks! My eyes can't even read that anymore. :)
where is best place to start buying parts resistors capacitors transistors potentometers, transformers etc
Thanks for another great video! The date code information on the pots was very helpful. The one I have appears to be from 1963. They must have switched the manufacturers of the coupling capacitors.between mine and yours. The amp I have uses Sangamo, the same as the larger value cap and are a light blue color and cylindrical in shape.
+Mike Choffin Yep, Dano used a lot of those in earlier amps. At least back to the mid 50s.
Hi Brad love your channel, i have a 1482 all the components in the guts check out fine but the power trans gets hotter than a Pistol, any idea as to why? the comments reflects this is a problem but know one says why? HI Buddy!
brian emmons read the comment just above yours.
Awesome restore... thanks for sharing and demo, too.
I see in the video you replaced the coupling capacitors, do you think that is a suggested modification like the virtual center tap?
Yeah Mike, if one still has the brown CDE caps, those aren't good caps.. High fail rate.
great sounding amp also some good picking.
Back before Brad had gray hair. 🤣
Awesome video. The circuit, if memory serves me right, is almost the same as a 5e3 fender deluxe although I am open to correction. Their is a company that does make proper wooden replacement cabinets. A truly unique amp in my humble opinion.
I prefer these to the Fender. Better tone IMO.
The Guitologist : I agree with you on that. I would love to see someone remake the classic amps but with one difference. Some designs I’d love to see redone with better build practices than what was done back then.
nice one!!!
William Honda Thanks for watching and commenting,William!
Walkthrough of mods: 27:44 to 31:00
I have one of these 1482s that someone set on the curb for bulk trash pickup back in the late 90s. Back then, all it needed was a fuse to get it going. I'm going to get it running again with the guidance you provided in this video. Planned on selling it but if it sounds this sweet, I might be compelled to keep it.
Awesome video!
Brad, I have this exact model and I noticed the transformer gets very hot. I can play for hours with not problem, but was wondering if this is normal for this silvertone model? (in your opinion) Keep up the great videos my friend!
I think this PT was underrated, or rated on the slim edge of accceptability, yes.
Thanks for the great video. I am looking for a 240v PT option for my 1482 that is reasonably priced. (Step down autotransformers are not a great solution.) Antique has the following: www.tubesandmore.com/products/transformer-hammond-240v-champ-princeton-etc, which is supposed to be the Princeton replacement, with 70 ma from the 650V CT primary. (A cheaper international Princeton replacement is www.classictone.net/40-18027.html.) Do you think it/they would be suitable? Any reason to go for the more expensive Deluxe PT (like the one you used)?
Nice. Now get rid of that cheesy speaker
Nah. The speaker is actually a good match for the circuit if you are looking for breakup. Sounds awesome. Why 'fix' what ain't broke?