Univox ULM6 anyone have/played one? Japanese Champ amp

[Robster]

I saw one of these today. Its basically a Japanese Champ copy with 12ax7 and 6v6GT and a 10 inch speaker. Sounded good and quite loud too. Anyone familiar with this amp? What I can find about it online is that people seem to like them.
Thanks
Rob

[selloutrr]

Univox made pretty good gear. They copied designs that sold well and brought them to the consumer at a lower price point. A few of the Univox models became pretty well know for endorsements or use by pro players.


http://www.univox.org/amps/uniamp.html

Pics on website - scroll down to UNICORD STAGE AMPS - 3 pics in the description of the ULM-6 amp labeled 1,2,3 (front, Back, Top)

ULM-6 Special Effects Amp - (also refered to as UM-6) class A one 16ohm 10" speaker, two guitar inputs, one 'unidrive' output, one volume knob, two tone knobs (no reverb or tremelo). Here is an expanded description for a visitor to the site:

Cabinet: H - 14.5" W - 12.5" D - 7.5"
Cover is black Tolex, black grille cloth w/ 1/8" silver trim, and steel corners
Black 8.5" vinyl strap handle on top held by steel brackets.
UNIVOX logo plate screwed onto grille in lower left corner - white oval line surrounding white letters on black plastic - 1" X 4.5"
Tube compliment is one 12AX7 (w/ old Fender style aluminum cover) & one 6V6.
One 1 amp Slo-Blo fuse.
Viewed from above the rear of the amp, left to right, the controls are: 2 1/4" inputs with # 2 above #1. Volume, treble, bass and line out controls. Knobs are all small Ricky types with "0 - 10" painted on the black chassis. There's another 1/4" jack just below the line out knob with a white curved arrow from the jack pointing to the knob. This is the line out, apparently this was one of the first amps with a direct output like this for recording or PA use. Next is a push-button power switch with a small circular red jewel power light above it, along with the model number in white letters and a big red 6. Internal circuitry described as similar to a Fender Champ.

[selloutrr]

schematic

[TB46]

Hi everyone, I bought a ULM-6 new back in the 70's - can't remember what year - mine is apart at the moment - need to replace a quad filter cap - has a 15K resistor for the mids rather than a 10K or less like in some Fenders. Has a negative feedback loop that connects to the Unidrive output that is a cool feature allowing direct- in another amp or console.

The original speaker is rather light and cheap sounding - connect to a better open or closed back speaker cab and it's another story - similar to a champ. I believe one or two of the tone caps are the oil type. Has a circuit board which I wanted to replace and go Pt to Pt. I replaced the 15K mid resistor with a 25K pot (temporarily) and it allows more flexibility. I don't think the transformers are anything to brag about but for practice or even recording, the amp may be just fine for some.

Hope this helps, TB - btw, I uploaded the schematic that is posted to one of the schematic sites long ago - got the orginal which is part of a 4-page
booklet that I can scan and upload if anyone is interested. Where I marked the input jacks J1 and J2 - that may or may not be correct - will verity that in the near future, need to put the amp back together and make a couple sound clips

[selloutrr]

i'd like a copy for my archive

[Robster]

Thanks folks! I may make an offer on this. I think they are too high at $150 but they always negotiate with me. The speaker in it may not be stock, seems like it had a metalic dust cap on it...Anyone got a clue on the speaker? I see from the schematic its 16ohm, Just wonder if its any good. Is the circuit board like a Fender with eyelets or more of a circuit board with traces on it?

[selloutrr]

if the speaker doesn't look like this it's not stock

[Robster]

Thanks! That looks like the speaker I saw. I think it had a speaker code of 285 (Rola) on it. Is that yours in the pic? If so how do you like its sound? I have a similar amp a 70's Fender Champ I just restored so I know what a Champ should sound like. I actually have had about 10 Champs and Vchamps. I did not get to play this one loud or much the other day.
Rob

[selloutrr]

it's not mine the picture is the "2" on the link i posted earlier.

I'm not a huge fan of univox, not that they are bad amps. they are just not a high ticket rental item. So the few I have spend most the time in the case. $150 for it seems high, I'm sure that sounds weird to think of a tube amp only costing $150 and being over priced but you can pick up a champ off craigslist for $150. so with the thought process that a name brand like Fender will hold it's value and possible go up as the economy swings, and the Univox ULM-6 has no real history or pro players "as of yet" playing them to drive up the market. I would place the Univox at a lower price then the champ. IMHO This how I think when I purchase an amp.
1.) How much can i sell it for a minute after i buy it?... can i break even? - truthfully I have more projects then I have time, what if i never get around to fixing it or a part proves hard to source.
2.) it's vintage... ok it's broken or needs work
3.) how many tubes - tubes = $$$$ ( new tubes get it working, often NOS tubes voice the amp )
4.) if it's over ten years old - filter caps. = $$$$
5.) based on the cost I may have to put into the amp can I break even if I had to sell it tomorrow?

If it all makes sense or enough sense I own another amp.... Then I try not to tell the wife

as an example of a bad purchase I picked up a risson LTA that was "working" ??? turned out to have a shorted OT I picked it up for $300 I've sunk $650 into it getting it back up and running. the amp sells for about $450 on a good day.. I'm going to be sitting on this one a while before I break even, so with little to no motivation it sits on the shelf with a box of parts waiting to get fixed.

A good purchase was the Sundown prototype I picked up a couple weeks back. At the end of the day it's all a wash but just things to think over.

IMHO If you can make it work for under $200 for a completely reliable working amp gor for it.

[Robster]

Thanks Selloutr, Good advice on the amp buying. Around here you never find a Champ for less than $250. In the past I have got them for $100 but that was many years ago. I have been lucky in all the amps I have bought/restored and sold only a 1957 Silvertone cost me much to get up and running. It needed all the caps, nearly all the resistors, tube socket, tube, output transformer and new speaker. Luckily I got it for $40 and was able to sell it for near $400.

[martin manning]

schematic

Interesting... Looks like it is identical to an AA764 Champ except for the FWB rectifier, a 16-ohm speaker (with appropriate adjustment to the feedback loop), and the addition of the line-out.

[mrstrat2222]

I've had one of these for years. Anyone modify this amp to get it more "tweedy" Any suggestion would be appreciated?

Brian

[Stevem]

Make it more like what tweed?
There are some 6 different model of tweed amps just in the Fender line, so are you talking about Fender , Gibson tweed ,Peavey tweed or a plane Jane tweed champ with just a volume control?