Red Bear Mk60

[xtian]

There's a Red Bear Mk60 on my local CL. Guy says it's wired for 240vac.

See photos of similar amp here: http://www.chambonino.com/work/miscguitar/misc21.html

Is it possible this PT has a 120vac tap, and could easily be rewired?

If not, does this amp have any business being here in the US?

[Phil_S]

I don't know about the PT, but, if the price is right, I wouldn't worry about it. For not very much money, you can get a 110:220 (or 120:240) converter like this: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdet ... TR=120-800

[Prairie Dawg]

Schematic at http://www.triodeel.com/schindex.htm

[Phil_S]

If the PT is the one on the schematic, the primary wired in series is 220/240 and in parallel it is 110/120.

[xtian]

If the PT is the one on the schematic, the primary wired in series is 220/240 and in parallel it is 110/120.

Awesome. Thanks.

An often voiced complaint on the intertubes is that this amp is too bassy. Should be easy to correct, no?

[selloutrr]

It's a great sleeper amp. Pretty much a Sovtek Mig 60. Gibson imported, Russian Military Surplus. You can find them for $300-$400 in full working order. The amplifiers are great! They scream best with a power brake and some kind of modern cabinet, i.e. JCM1960, Rivera, etc. The speaker cabinets made by Sovtek and Red Bear are very cheap and the speakers are dull sounding. I went out of my way to located matching cabinets a few years back for both amps and after a couple minutes of playing through them I put the cabinets in storage, and haven't seen them since. I still use the Mig60 on about 30% of all recordings as a layering amp.

[Gaz]

I picked one of these up years ago for $400 in new condition. It sounded bad. I traced the circuit to the schematic and found a bunch of wrong parts (must've been using what was on hand). I replaced the parts (mainly pots), and the amp sounded great. These amps are not too bassy. Too shrill if anything.

[xtian]

Bought it! Needs tubes, but otherwise seems great. It's really a nice build! Those crafty Russians.

Right now it's wired for 220v operation. So, Phil, about rewiring the PT for 120v… the attached schematic seems to show the two primary coils wired in parallel, doesn't it? But you suggested wiring in parallel would be for 120, and series for 220.

[xtian]

Never mind! There are only one pair of inputs on the PT primary side. No obvious way to rewire.

[Phil_S]

Just buy a step up/down tx at Parts Express. For $20 or so, you will have what you need and you move on. IMO, it isn't worth the hassle to deal with it another way. Make sure it has an adequate power rating for primary side of the amp. It's a nice looking build and plenty of room inside to tweak anything you don't care for.

[sonicmojo]

I had one of those for a little while. It was quite the beast. Good luck with it!

[xtian]

Just buy a step up/down tx at Parts Express.

I have one that came with the amp. Says it's rated for 150 watts. Hasn't blown a fuse, and doesn't get hot while playing. Guess I'm good.

Anyone have a few 6n2P tubes lying around? The only ones I can find are from Eastern Bloc countries. $23 for eight on fleabay, but it takes three or four weeks for delivery.

[ChrisM]

Just buy a step up/down tx at Parts Express.

I have one that came with the amp. Says it's rated for 150 watts. Hasn't blown a fuse, and doesn't get hot while playing. Guess I'm good.

Anyone have a few 6n2P tubes lying around? The only ones I can find are from Eastern Bloc countries. $23 for eight on fleabay, but it takes three or four weeks for delivery.

Rewire your socket to 12AX7s. Really simple mod, only a few connections.

[Structo]

Interesting amp.

What are those components that I have circled in this photo?

[NickC]

Interesting amp.

What are those components that I have circled in this photo?

Soyuz era can caps, like the type used in the Sovtek MIG50.

Mounted topside beneath the doghouse as can be seen in this image (between the transformers, behind the output tubes):

[img:750:436]http://www.chambonino.com/work/miscguitar/misc21c.jpg[/img]