Love the new look and format, very professional! Also, it was great to see you and Lyle doing a stream together, we are so lucky that you two fools have a platform.... 20 years ago, your stories and knowledge would be contained to your local circle. Thanks for the great work Brad.
Ha! I restored one of these couple of years ago. Never thought I'd see another. They're really good amps, the speakers in them surprised me how good they sound. Hope this goes well!
Hi Brad, this is what the first sheet says (according to the remainders of my school Italian from over 25 years ago): Funcional description / instructions of the Amplivox 8 ====================================================== Main characteristics -------------------- 8W max. power 2 high efficiency speakers 4 Tubes with 6 tube functions (meaning 6 tubes in 4 enclousers as the ecc83 and the ebc91 contain two systems) 2 inputs - 1: normal sensivity - 2: high sensivity Tremolo incorporated with two adjustment controls: frequency (speed) from 3 two 9 Hz intensity up to 90% Input jack for tremolo footswitch Tape / phono input Mains supply from 110 to 250 Volts, 50/60 Hz with isolation transformer Pilot light: 6.3V at 0.15 A Removalbe cover of whashable plastic Weight 7.5 Kg Dimensions in cm: 37.5 x 40 x 20 Installation ------------ This apparatus is only suitable for ac mains supplies. Before plugging in the power cable make sure the mains voltage selector is in correct position. Mains voltage selector ---------------------- The amp can be supplied with voltages from 110 to 240 Volts, 50/60 Hz. For normal operation it is required to set the mains voltage selector at the right of the control panel according to your mains voltage. Attention! ---------- When the power cable is plugged in, do not remove the back panel. It is dangerous to touch parts inside the apparatus under voltage.
The Farfisa organ sound was a critical component of the New Wave music in the '70s and early '80s. Jimmy Destri, the keyboardist for Blondie played one in '75.
The tape/phono input was probably for a ceramic phono cartridge, with similar input sensitivity level to an input designed for a crystal mic, and without any RIAA phono equalization (ceramic phono cartridges wouldn't need the EQ). It might also have been intended for use with a tape-head output directly and not the usual line-level you'd get from a modern tape deck or CD player. You'd have to try it with a guitar to see if it overloads the input stage too easily, or not.
I have a 1970s or 1980s small Japanese made AM/FM radio/ black & white CRT television set that came with a full repair manual as in the full schematic, loads of test voltages points and all of the oscilloscope wave forms at various test points for complete troubleshooting. I need to get a digital TV converter for it. Time shares used to lure in potential suckers (I mean customers) by giving away those tiny Japanese made radio/TV sets, but you had to sit through an all day very high pressure sales pitch. Weird to get a full repair manual with such an item as that. The things worked great and they are built like a tank, and a lot of them worked on 120VAC/240 VAC and 12 VDC too, so a tele for the car? It's been with me for 40 years now and it still works.
What a cool little project, and even more fun to have the old documentation with it. Your production quality is stellar on this one. The lighting in the opening shot was so good!
No way! Amazing to see this amp on your channel. I have one of those sitting in my workshop waiting for restoration. Traded it in for a cap-job on a Marshall, simply because I couldn't stand to see this pretty little amp go into the landfill otherwise. Also never seen one of these before. I'm very curious to see what you do with it.
Cool looking little baby..! Nice retro exterior, and great to see these old relics get cleaned up again for further annoyance to the neighbours..! Look forward to the repair and hearing it sound out..Interesting Brad..Ed..uk..😃
Brad, I'm still laughing at "having a whack" from your Psionic video. Love how you Aussies are mostly no-BS folks. Please don't change a thing. Your and Lyle's amp critiques are pure gold.
Very cool amp! Very much looking forward to how it sounds when you are finished with it. I enjoy these videos much more than the typical Marshall, Fender or Vox stuff. I think it will sound pretty damn good (Hopefully) when it is finished.
Seems like the 6AV6 tube pops up a lot, when only one half of a 12AX7 is needed. I have seen it used as a driver for single output tubes quite a lot. Guess it was cheaper than a 12AX7.
I bought a 1964 sears silvertone 1484 tube amp for $250. Because the tolex was kind of ratty and it was missing a couple knobs, handle's broken off, with 2 prong cord, never serviced. After working the knobs back and forth all the static went away and everything works on it including the reverb which is notorious for being faulty, everything works on it and no buzz. ..so $250. bucks for a tatty looking amp, that works perfectly, ..who knew, ..? 🤷
Brad says "I like the little weird ones from every corner of the planet". That's probably how and why people like myself have found their way to your channel (although Im certainly not "little").! 😉🤣 PS, IIRC "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians was played with a Farfisa organ.
@@BradsGuitarGarage , I'm 6'2", and with somewhat expanded waistline, so not little; and I may be weird but not Jimmy Saville weird, yikes! Anyway, I do appreciate oddball amps and geetars; Lyle gets a little snobby sometimes about Silvertone/Danelectro, Valco (Gretsch, Airline, Supro, National etc) and so on, but those brands played a big part in the history of blues and rock and other American roots music. Not as easy to work on as a Fender, but easier than a Mesa; hell, easier than a classic old Vox!
@@BradsGuitarGarage , speaking of weird amps, a UK UA-cam tech, Vintage Guitar Amp Repairs and Online Guitar Teacher, has been repairing a bunch of WEM amps,, which are unobtainium in the States. He's a pretty good tech, and a terrific guitarist with a very unusual blend of influences and stylings. Trigger alert for Lyle, the guy (named Martyn) plays a PRS; but anyway he seamlessly and fluidly blends rock, country, jazz and blues ...
I don’t get “snobby” - it’s that those amps are crazy faddishly sought after but owners don’t realize how poorly made they were and how expensive repair can be as a result of slapdash assembly - and they don’t always sound all that great, no matter their garage band caché.
@@PsionicAudio , as something of a misfit myself, I self-identify with misfit toys! My wife is something of a misfit as well, and you could even say the same about our rescue dogs. Anyway, I enjoy a repair challenge, to some extent. Working on the weirdo, misfit amps can be frustrating, and principles of triage may apply,, but can also be a good learning experience for those with the patience, or sheer stubbornness (I flirt with the latter category). The process isn't for everybody, however, and can become prohibitively expensive if one has to pay somebody else to do the work; even more so because schematics might be unavailable or may not match the example at hand, and perhaps somebody else has tried and failed to fix or modify it and only made a further mess of things ---- or if inappropriate storage conditions have taken a toll. It is, of course, a testament to Leo that this long-suffering Bassman ---- "it's seen some things", to be sure ---- is still repairable after everything it's been through. A Dano/Silvertone compressed-paper cabinet would have collapsed and turned to moldy mush after a few years in a Mississippi barn or damp garage!
Yes, yes, and yes. It has a single EL84 output tube and therefore it *must* be class A (Class AB requires two output tubes in push-pull operation). It's almost certainly cathode biased because single ended class A amplifiers with only one output rtube are invariably cathode biased (although they don't absolutely have to be, except to keep the original selling price low). The EZ81, also known as a 6CA4, is the rectifier tube.
I find it not so remarkable that they included schematics etc as they probably expected their product to survive long enough to require maintenance of some sort... rather than return information for when it collapsed in a smoking heap a day out of warranty. All the best Brad
Love the new look and format, very professional!
Also, it was great to see you and Lyle doing a stream together, we are so lucky that you two fools have a platform.... 20 years ago, your stories and knowledge would be contained to your local circle.
Thanks for the great work Brad.
I own the Farfisa Amplivox 18. Killer amp.
Looking forward to hearing this Brad!
Ha! I restored one of these couple of years ago. Never thought I'd see another. They're really good amps, the speakers in them surprised me how good they sound. Hope this goes well!
Hi Brad,
this is what the first sheet says (according to the remainders of my school Italian from over 25 years ago):
Funcional description / instructions of the Amplivox 8
======================================================
Main characteristics
--------------------
8W max. power
2 high efficiency speakers
4 Tubes with 6 tube functions (meaning 6 tubes in 4 enclousers as the ecc83 and the ebc91 contain two systems)
2 inputs - 1: normal sensivity
- 2: high sensivity
Tremolo incorporated with two adjustment controls: frequency (speed) from 3 two 9 Hz
intensity up to 90%
Input jack for tremolo footswitch
Tape / phono input
Mains supply from 110 to 250 Volts, 50/60 Hz with isolation transformer
Pilot light: 6.3V at 0.15 A
Removalbe cover of whashable plastic
Weight 7.5 Kg
Dimensions in cm: 37.5 x 40 x 20
Installation
------------
This apparatus is only suitable for ac mains supplies.
Before plugging in the power cable make sure the mains voltage selector is in correct position.
Mains voltage selector
----------------------
The amp can be supplied with voltages from 110 to 240 Volts, 50/60 Hz.
For normal operation it is required to set the mains voltage selector at the right of the control panel according to your mains voltage.
Attention!
----------
When the power cable is plugged in, do not remove the back panel. It is dangerous to touch parts inside the apparatus under voltage.
Love your channel, btw.!
WHOA! Thanks mate!
You know I could just use google translate, too.
Just wanted to show it for any Italian viewers to read for their interest.
The Farfisa organ sound was a critical component of the New Wave music in the '70s and early '80s. Jimmy Destri, the keyboardist for Blondie played one in '75.
If I remember correctly, the 1960s classic "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians was played on a Farfisa organ.
@@goodun2974 - yes, the whole punk/new wave movement was heavily inspired by pre-Beatles '60s music.
@@DisabilityExams , David Lindley's 80's records with ElRayo-X also featured a Farfisa or Vox Continental organ on a number of songs.
Lot of ska bands used the Farfisa... cheaper than Vox?
The tape/phono input was probably for a ceramic phono cartridge, with similar input sensitivity level to an input designed for a crystal mic, and without any RIAA phono equalization (ceramic phono cartridges wouldn't need the EQ). It might also have been intended for use with a tape-head output directly and not the usual line-level you'd get from a modern tape deck or CD player. You'd have to try it with a guitar to see if it overloads the input stage too easily, or not.
Yes Sir, you are right. It overloads easily. It gives a kind of saturation.
I have a 1970s or 1980s small Japanese made AM/FM radio/ black & white CRT television set that came with a full repair manual as in the full schematic, loads of test voltages points and all of the oscilloscope wave forms at various test points for complete troubleshooting. I need to get a digital TV converter for it. Time shares used to lure in potential suckers (I mean customers) by giving away those tiny Japanese made radio/TV sets, but you had to sit through an all day very high pressure sales pitch. Weird to get a full repair manual with such an item as that. The things worked great and they are built like a tank, and a lot of them worked on 120VAC/240 VAC and 12 VDC too, so a tele for the car? It's been with me for 40 years now and it still works.
Wow, what a weird business model!
Nice looking amp, and such cool old doco with it.
Cool little amp and can't wait to hear it. Excellent vid mate.
What a cool little project, and even more fun to have the old documentation with it. Your production quality is stellar on this one. The lighting in the opening shot was so good!
No way! Amazing to see this amp on your channel. I have one of those sitting in my workshop waiting for restoration. Traded it in for a cap-job on a Marshall, simply because I couldn't stand to see this pretty little amp go into the landfill otherwise. Also never seen one of these before. I'm very curious to see what you do with it.
Quello schema è fantastico!
Cool looking old components. Good viveo
Cool looking little baby..! Nice retro exterior, and great to see these old relics get cleaned up again for further annoyance to the neighbours..! Look forward to the repair and hearing it sound out..Interesting Brad..Ed..uk..😃
Such a cool little amp. Looking forward to hearing it after you refresh it.
Brad, I'm still laughing at "having a whack" from your Psionic video. Love how you Aussies are mostly no-BS folks. Please don't change a thing. Your and Lyle's amp critiques are pure gold.
I believe it was “having a wank” 😂
Very cool amp! Very much looking forward to how it sounds when you are finished with it. I enjoy these videos much more than the typical Marshall, Fender or Vox stuff. I think it will sound pretty damn good (Hopefully) when it is finished.
Seems like the 6AV6 tube pops up a lot, when only one half of a 12AX7 is needed. I have seen it used as a driver for single output tubes quite a lot. Guess it was cheaper than a 12AX7.
Cool find. I’m glad that amp found you..!😊
Looks like Marshall “Bluesbreaker” JTM grill cloth
try and put that documents on the internet archive Brad, so important
I bought a 1964 sears silvertone 1484 tube amp for $250. Because the tolex was kind of ratty and it was missing a couple knobs, handle's broken off, with 2 prong cord, never serviced. After working the knobs back and forth all the static went away and everything works on it including the reverb which is notorious for being faulty, everything works on it and no buzz. ..so $250. bucks for a tatty looking amp, that works perfectly, ..who knew, ..? 🤷
The 'case candy' with that amp is amazing. I wonder how much that amp retailed for back in the day?
Hi Brad, it's just the same in England with dickheads doing burnups, my wife calls em all Mr Revvit! Love the vids, keep em coming.
YOu do seem to find some very unique amps! Does this circuit look like its based off of anything more well known, like maybe a Gibson?
Not sure, mate. We don't get many old Gibbos out here. I'll have a look, though.
Brad says "I like the little weird ones from every corner of the planet". That's probably how and why people like myself have found their way to your channel (although Im certainly not "little").! 😉🤣 PS, IIRC "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians was played with a Farfisa organ.
In hindsight, that sounds a little "Jimmy Saville" when you say it like that. LOL!
@@BradsGuitarGarage , I'm 6'2", and with somewhat expanded waistline, so not little; and I may be weird but not Jimmy Saville weird, yikes! Anyway, I do appreciate oddball amps and geetars; Lyle gets a little snobby sometimes about Silvertone/Danelectro, Valco (Gretsch, Airline, Supro, National etc) and so on, but those brands played a big part in the history of blues and rock and other American roots music. Not as easy to work on as a Fender, but easier than a Mesa; hell, easier than a classic old Vox!
@@BradsGuitarGarage , speaking of weird amps, a UK UA-cam tech, Vintage Guitar Amp Repairs and Online Guitar Teacher, has been repairing a bunch of WEM amps,, which are unobtainium in the States. He's a pretty good tech, and a terrific guitarist with a very unusual blend of influences and stylings. Trigger alert for Lyle, the guy (named Martyn) plays a PRS; but anyway he seamlessly and fluidly blends rock, country, jazz and blues ...
I don’t get “snobby” - it’s that those amps are crazy faddishly sought after but owners don’t realize how poorly made they were and how expensive repair can be as a result of slapdash assembly - and they don’t always sound all that great, no matter their garage band caché.
@@PsionicAudio , as something of a misfit myself, I self-identify with misfit toys! My wife is something of a misfit as well, and you could even say the same about our rescue dogs. Anyway, I enjoy a repair challenge, to some extent. Working on the weirdo, misfit amps can be frustrating, and principles of triage may apply,, but can also be a good learning experience for those with the patience, or sheer stubbornness (I flirt with the latter category). The process isn't for everybody, however, and can become prohibitively expensive if one has to pay somebody else to do the work; even more so because schematics might be unavailable or may not match the example at hand, and perhaps somebody else has tried and failed to fix or modify it and only made a further mess of things ---- or if inappropriate storage conditions have taken a toll. It is, of course, a testament to Leo that this long-suffering Bassman ---- "it's seen some things", to be sure ---- is still repairable after everything it's been through. A Dano/Silvertone compressed-paper cabinet would have collapsed and turned to moldy mush after a few years in a Mississippi barn or damp garage!
Is this class A and cathode biased? And tube rectified? I don't know how to read schematics yet.
Yes, yes, and yes. It has a single EL84 output tube and therefore it *must* be class A (Class AB requires two output tubes in push-pull operation). It's almost certainly cathode biased because single ended class A amplifiers with only one output rtube are invariably cathode biased (although they don't absolutely have to be, except to keep the original selling price low). The EZ81, also known as a 6CA4, is the rectifier tube.
And yes, from seeing the schematic, it is indeed cathode biased.
What, no spider nests? 😊
Luckily, no!
"Bob's Tone Review" can help with the translation.
Good call, excellent idea!
10:40 Lieutenant Haulk?
That's the one!
"And if you DOOOOOO, and if you DOOOOOOO!"
Aloha Brad!
Google/UA-cam offered to translate your comment!
I find it not so remarkable that they included schematics etc as they probably expected their product to survive long enough to require maintenance of some sort... rather than return information for when it collapsed in a smoking heap a day out of warranty. All the best Brad
True words, mate!
Weird Al-anyone?