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'52 Valco Supro Tweed


gtone

Question

The only Tweeds I've played are Fenders, so I really have no experience with the National/Valco/Supro line. I can pick up a non-running one in very good shape for fairly low bucks. Seems like a very simple circuit, so prolly wouldn't be much to get it back up/running (suspect a short/open in the field coil speaker).

A worthwhile project or a waste of time/money?

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All the tubed Valcos and Supros from that era that I've tried have been really cool, and some have had tone and dynamics that are stupendous. If I had the knowledge to restore one I could pick up cheap, I'd sure go for it.

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The Valco's I worked on were real PTP. No eyelet board, no turret boards but a tag board and components interlinked together. Little works of art.

One was a harmony, the other an Airline.

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Brought it home and electronics check out, but speaker does not. Placed a call to Doug Scarrow (Western Speaker Works, Saskatoon) to see if he can handle field coil speakers. Says he fixes 'em all the time for old jukeboxes and radios. I'll pack it up and take it Doug, maybe throw in an old '61 Alnico Wharfedale for a new cone/voice coil while I'm at it.

Plan is to fix it up for modest amount and then try it out. If it works good as a nice vintage practice/recording amp, I'll keep it; if not, on the block she goes. Something tells me we have to preserve these little gems for posterity reasons (be a shame not to, really...).

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Doug just called and informed me he's finished working on the amp. Turns out there was an open on the field coil speaker which has been spliced/repaired, as well as a bad filter cap, which has also been repaired. He's tested it out and says it sings, but is not overly loud (not surprising given it's modest output and the field coil speaker). Maybe make a great recording or practice amp, methinks...

Anyhow, an HFC'er has called dibs - if he passes on it, up on the block she goes...

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