Anyone recognize this amp?

[cristobalwj]

Hey guys,

I've been searching all over for some answers to this, and someone at another forum recommended this place...so here goes:

I was picking up an effects processor from someone liquidating his studio when I saw this busted up head in the corner. I asked him about it, and it was obvious he didn't know much about it and hadn't even tried to fix it. It was missing the tubes and a filter cap or two but I'd been looking for a serious first project for a while and I figured the vintage transformers alone would be worth a few bucks, so I offered him $25. Needless to say, it's mine now.

Now to get this thing back up I was hoping to find some more information about it, schematics and all that. But I can't figure out who made the thing. I've been posting all over the place on forums and showing the logo (hand-drawn) to a few folks, and I've gotten a few insightful responses, but no leads that went anywhere concrete (I still haven't found any amp with the same logo, nevermind an amp like this one). Some of them have been: Montgomery Wards Airline series, West Grande (I'm partial to this one because the power transformer has a handwritten label that says "Grande, tech checked 1-18-1971", but it seems to me there are no other West amps with this logo, so...), a company someone couldn't remember but they said the logo was this one with a blue trumpet involved?, and of course homebrewed (the guesses have been modified Univox, Peavey, Sunn, or Music Man), which I don't want it to be since I'm looking for schematics (plus there's a serial number plaque in the casing, 2860).

So if any of you have any ideas or want to corroborate anyone else's suggestion I'd really appreciate it. I've got more pictures if anyone thinks it'd be helpful.

Thanks,
Chris

Front:
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/m...balwj/Amp1.jpg
Guts:
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/m...j/Chris001.jpg

[Guy G]

the links are bad..

[cristobalwj]

the links are bad..

Whoops...sorry about that.

Front:
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm80 ... j/Amp1.jpg
Guts:
http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm80 ... ris001.jpg

[CaseyJones]

Here's my opinion: The case is Lafayette or Univox I'm fairly certain. The guts look homebrew, they're homebrewed by someone who had half a clue unlike other rat's nest homebrew amps. Pull some numbers off the transformers, that's a big clue. The guts certainly are not Univox.

A shot of the top of the chassis would be handy.

Schematic... we don't need no stinkin' schematic! I can't remember the last time I read the directions for anything, either. Seriously, go at it with a tube manual in hand and work backwards. The only thing that might throw you for a loop is if some clever tech used 6EU7s rather than 12AX7s.

My final answer: It's a homebrew and it was built around the early '70s. It might have started out as a Lafayette and then might have been re-built using parts sourced from the same Lafayette store.

[ampdoc1]

Can you post a few more pics,..some of the top/back of the chassis? The chassis looks a little like something like an early Peavey, and i think they or Sunn used those big knobs for the cord winder.

ampdoc

[tubetek]

Sure looks like an early West amp to me... Go to the westlabs website and look for the grande schematic. The leverswitch in the corner is a West trademark and He used the drawer-pulls for cord winding as well. This amp probably had 2x6550a GEs as original power tubes and was pretty loud and clean. Can you tell if the output is UltraLinear wired? (Another West clue)
Hope this helps.
tubetek
PS: I'll bet Dave West would be happy to see pics of this amp and the story behind it; I think he is trying to document the West amps still out there and he offers rebuilding to spec for the ones he built/sold in the day (Think Grand Funk Railroad)

[CaseyJones]

Sure looks like an early West amp to me... Go to the westlabs website and look for the grande schematic. The leverswitch in the corner is a West trademark and He used the drawer-pulls for cord winding as well. This amp probably had 2x6550a GEs as original power tubes and was pretty loud and clean. Can you tell if the output is UltraLinear wired? (Another West clue)

I'll go along with the early West opinion. It's a quality piece with U.S. parts. I'll bet that 1-18-71 date is the build date or close to it judging by the components. That's cool because all the West preamps are the same. That hole in the front panel must have been the pilot light.

I can spot differences from the West schematics but I'll bet they're close.

To me the cabinet still looks like Univox right down to the feet.

[Andy Le Blanc]

it does look like a west
Ive got one.... the chassis and the wire
look right ..... funny dash and knobs seem out of place
but the ground buss looks right
and the imp. select switch and plate is correct

[tubetek]

Follow up...
Did you contact Dave West about this amp? www.westlabs.com
I'm convinced that it at least started life as a West; if not a Grande then
perhaps the Avalon. (2xEL34 instead of 6550) Email Dave the pics and He'll tell you for sure...I'm interested in the story.
tubetek

PS: I think there's a slight chance this amp could've been built for/used by
Dick Wagner (Lou Reed / Alice Cooper) It'd bee cool to discover something like that. If true, I would cough up the bucks for the blueprint service and
keep it as a collector's item / investment!

[Lorendo]

That's a West Grande, or some sort of version of a Grande. I just rebuilt one and the circuit boards, tube layout, cheesy drawer pulls for the power cable, are what I've been looking at for the last couple of weeks while waiting for parts. Gawd, its a great guitar amp with a 4x12. I will not sell mine unless I get a dear, dear price. Mine did not exactly match the schematic posted on the West Labs web site as mine shared a PS cap for the first two stages. There were some other minor differences too, in the tone stack. I added an output vol where the loop jacks were on the schematic, but were not on the amp. Great growl!

[selloutrr]

I can tell you it's not Univox, Peavey, Sunn, or Musicman.

I've seen a similar logo in the last month but i'm drawing a blank I'm sure i'll wake up in the iddle of the night and remember. It was on an Effect pedal. It was a dark blue logo. 3 Knobs, Flanger, had a 120v 2 prong power cord. I don't believe it's a USA brand. From the gut shots I don't think it's a Home Brew, If all the holes that are labeled are filled it's probably a factory production. It's possible it's been modified but most of it should be stock.

Repair:

You don't need a schematic.
work with what you know. Test the iron for shorts if they are OK move on to the circuit. If the electrolytics are over 15yrs old or look blistered replace them. if you have a signal tracer you can test thru the circuit. set the bias and bring the amp on a variac or light buld limiter and watch your Amp draw if it goes high, power off and figure out why. If not fire it and enjoy your new amp. If you give up and want to part with it give me a shout I'll put it in the studio.

[stratjmp]

I have that amp...it is a west amp for sure. I can post pics of mine if needed.