1960's Alamo Dart Guitar Amp: Ressurected from the Dead
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ต.ค. 2016
- This video covers the very challenging repair of a 1960's Alamo Dart amplifier. However, the main purpose of the video is to demonstrate how to improvise when a proper schematic is not available for the circuit being worked upon, and how to optimize component values to improve tone and performance. We hope you are pleased with the methods.....and the result.
If videos like this, explaining tube amplifier circuitry in basic, easy-to-understand language, appeal to you, then please check our playlist of 150 similar videos.....and consider becoming a patron of our channel by making a pledge on our Patreon page: / uncledougsvintageamps Rusty, Jack, and I would really appreciate it. Thanks :)
Here is a link to an Alamo Dart schematic, sent in by a viewer: s13.postimg.org/akg4m7ad3/Dar... - เพลง
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"All God's Amps need love." Love it. Please keep 'em coming; all the best.
If we don't take care of lost, helpless amps.....who will ?? Glad you enjoyed it, SG :)
Oh, your videos are like a breath of fresh air in this troubled world.
Wow, thanks, AO. Rusty and I will now start working on achieving world peace :)
I was affraid of making tube amp projects (DIY) ,but after i saw your videos , its all make sense to me now. Thank you very much mr. for "open a door".
You're welcome, JM. Rusty noticed that your screen name is a palindrome.
Every time I play your Channel with Jack the Cat comes on My Cat comes over to watch.
Jack must be a charismatic cat :)
Jack looks like my old cat Spiffy... a great cat and a fabulous companion. He is a beautiful animal and your obvious love of your animals makes me think you are a beautiful animal as well
Thanks so much, Ralph, from both Jack and myself :)
All your videos need to be saved in some way for the afterworld the day youtube dies. That's how great they are. Thanks for everything Doug, and I hope to see some new uploads from you in the future!
You're welcome, Erik. Thanks for the very nice comments.
I am a hobby builder I can build an amp from scratch. I have never commented on here before although I have been watching your channel about two years and have seen all your videos. The electronics side of what you do here has taught me so much and has made it possible for me to build and also understand what I'm doing. I thank you for that very much and look forward to many more lessons. Your explanations are clear and easy for me to understand again thanks. Tony
You're welcome, Tony. It's great to hear that you have benefited from our videos and put your knowledge to good use. We really appreciate your nice comments and input. Best of luck with all your projects.
its so nice to hear a person that is passionate about his hobby or career, I know nothing about electronics but you sound like you would be a great teacher
Thanks, Thomas. I feel certain that if you watch our videos, you would definitely learn about amplifier circuits.
Fender, Marshall, Weber, Kendrick, The list goes on and on of tube amp gods.If there is hallowed halls of the tube amp gods surely your name will be among them! All Praise Uncle Dougs Wisdom!
Wow....high praise indeed, Joel. Rusty and I appreciate it :)
Wow.. A true amp tech/lover.
"All God's amplifiers need Love" and great amplifier work as usual Doug.
I seen "Alamo" and had to watch, as it brought back a memory that I'll share with ya'll.
When I got into buying and selling amplifiers, I was a bit of an amp snob and only kept what was really high on the want or collector scale and sold/traded what I didn't want. About 30 some years ago a man calls me on the phone to come look at a guitar and amp that he wanted to sell, so I end up in some small highway corner tavern type bar restaurant in rural Nebraska.
Just like in the recent movie "Nebraska" with Bruce Dern the actor/man that shot John Wayne in the back, but that's another story. Watch "Nebraska" if you can, it's real as it gets to what's going on, a great movie, imo. Anyway, my girlfriend and I walk in and everyone always turns around to eyeball you (just like in an old western), since everyone knows each other, all the sudden the fella speaks up and approaches us and we find a spot over by the pool table and we chat for a few mins and he shows me the guitar up on the pool table and it's pretty much what I hoped it was and he has a small combo amp already plugged into AC and ready for me to plug the guitar into and I dont recognize the amp, but it says "Alamo" on it and I think it was white, but cannot remember?
I was ready to scoot with the guitar, before some highly intoxicated person who didn't like out of towner's was going to make their presence known, lol.
Most of us have been there before, lol! Well, he's quite the salesman and wants me to plug in and play a little through the little Alamo amplifier.
So, he wants the amp to go with the deal or no deal.
So, I plug in and strum a little and about 40 people are watching and he could see that I wasn't overly impressed with the amp and says this, "I know that amplifier sounds like a little tin can, but you plug that gitt-ar into a nice big amplifier and it will really sing" and gives me a wink while taking a swallow of beer.
I knew that he was right and he knew that I knew it, so we eventually agreed on a price and my girlfriend pulled me by the coat outta there before I accepted a beer from him, lol. There's no turning back after that and she knew it.
Well, the little Alamo sat in with my other little amps and didn't get much use, but looking back, a Tele would have been a great guitar for that amp, as I'm sure it had verb too. It disappeared somewhere along the way of interchanging amplifiers, but as Uncle Doug says..
All God's amplifiers need love".
I hope that it found a good home somewhere.
I remember reading the label "Made in Texas" too.
I got over the amp brand snobbishness many years ago. That poor little Alamo, so I've been saying "Remember the Alamo" for years with a double meaning, truth be told..
It was funny, because I had lived in Texas a few years before this in the Dallas Fort Worth areas and in Houston for a short spell.
I wanted to get to the Texas "hill country" area that I've heard so much about, but never did make it there.
Thanks for sharing this tale with us, Amo.
Uncle Doug, I miss your videos. I hope that you and the family are well.
The Dani-Sonic Tremo-Verb is a huge hit with me and my friends. We love everything about the design. The tone is unbelievable.
I owe you a video and I'll admit that I am a bit camera shy... However, I just graduated a Dale Carnegie class and am feeling enthusiastic about completing this goal. I believe that I owe it to you.
Stay well, Uncle Doug. The world is better with you in it with us.
Greetings, Slog, and thanks for your very nice comments. We are all doing quite well. Thanks for asking :)
We miss you, Uncle Doug, and hope you are well.
We're doing fine, Todd. We're just taking some time off for other hobbies.
This only supports the theory that people who don't have the first clue what their doing should leave well enough alone. Looking at what all you have to fix with this amp scares me. Great job setting things right.
I agree completely, EB, but the world seems to be populated with folks who seem willing to try things they simply are not equipped to properly execute. The upside, I guess, is that they create interesting challenges for those who attempt to right their wrongs :)
...or more accurately- they should leave BAD ENOUGH alone(?)
I was going to reply in disagreement, and state that folks who don't try won't learn anything new, but then I watched the video...
That light bulb is the only component that kept the amp from becoming a glorified breaker-tester.
This is a lifesaver-I have been working on this exact same model for a friend but could never find definitive info - you have the schematic link , and also great explanation and procedures on what to look for and how to check . It lives now! THANKS! :)
You're welcome, Jeff. It's great to hear that the video was helpful. Congratulations on a successful repair.
Another great video, plus ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT riff by the KINKS, heaven 🎸
Thanks, Ian. We appreciate your nice comments and fine taste in music :)
Dear Uncle Doug, thanks for the video, unbelievable who messed up this amp so badly. Keep on posting.
Thanks, TM....we will :)
I'm exactly 3 minutes and 3 seconds into this video and I feel better already. Blessings from the Hoosier state Uncle Doug, Rusty and Jack! I must say that is one fine coat of fur you have there Jack! THE SHEEN!!!! Alright then...
Jack says, "Thanks", WTD :)
..you may be able to get by without a schematic but you could never get by without Rusty & Jack.🐶🐾
Amen, Ben :)
Good to see you all are well, Doug.
Never better, Chout. Thanks :)
Hey, uncle Doug, you learned me everything I know, I started watching you when i was 11... I understood nothing, everyone said that I am too young to build amplifiers, and start to deal with tubes... I was really interested in electronics, and I really loved the sound of an distorted tube... Thank you so much for learning me everything i know... you are a really interesting teacher... My generation today has no idea of this or whatsoever in electronics, now when I am 13... I started to fix things round my neighborhood for a small amount of money...
JoyTheFirst, Good for you young man. I keep trying to get my son into music and teach him about electronics, but to no avail. I know Uncle Doug has retired, but there are others on TH-cam you could sub to. You can go to Uncle Doug's channel and look at the similar channel links on the right side of the home page. I've been watching a lot of The guitarologist lately. He lives in Louisville Kentucky. His format is similar working on vintage amps, and he posts quite a bit. Whether you keep electronic as a hobby, or continue on and make it your life's work; I wish you well and a happy life.
Well... thank you Brian, I like your optimism, and good luck with getting your son in to amps and music, music is a cure :)
Uncle doug - I know you are retired, but, for someone who misses your sage advice and Rusty's nose for the 'real' deal, I hope you may consider, just poppin' in to say hi. I have learned more about amps from you, than anyone else. Miss ya', bud. Thanks from Mike in Fernwood, tonight
You're welcome, Mike. Thanks for your very nice comments. I really do intend to post some new videos, but have been procrastinating for quite a while. Please don't give up on us :)
Nice work, Uncle D! I don't know why people who have no idea what they're doing pretend to be amp techs and then wire things up so badly and so poorly that almost every connection in the amp is incorrect. Great work fixing that mess!
Thanks, Alva.....glad you enjoyed the video :)
Awesome, resurrection. I love all of my tube amplifiers. These Alamo's are cool.
Thanks, James :)
Super fix. You're the man! Yeah, and Jack's the cat with Rusty the dog.
Thanks, 1M. We appreciate your kind words :)
Great Video Doug. Great to see Rusty & Jack too.
Thanks, Dan, from all of us at Rusty, Inc.
Yeah, miss your vids Uncle Doug, but enjoy your retirement, you are the best.
Thanks, NF. We are working on some new concepts and hope to be back on the air in the near future.
Doug: Like many other fans/viewers, I just wanted to check in and wish you well. I look forward to your next project and video.
Thanks, Shaun. We hope to be back on the air soon.
I am always surprised by the amount some are willing to pay to resurrect an old POS amplifier. You do a great job Uncle Doug.
Thanks, WW. It's not always about price.....I guess.
Doug! I am so happy to hear that you and the gang are well! Truly! I'm sure I'm not the only one who's missed you. I really look forward to more videos whenever you're ready.
Thanks for your nice comments and concern, Mike. We really appreciate it :)
Uncle Doug sir,Well done for bringing that amp back to life. sharing the dog biscuits made me think of a madmax moment.very good show indeed
Thanks, Ralph. In case of Armageddon, Rusty would be my first choice for sidekick :)
We miss you, Uncle
Thanks, SL :) Sorry for the long delay between videos.
Love your restoration videos Uncle Doug Greetings to Rusty & Jack!
Thanks, Hadi, from all of us :)
my dog does the same when new pieces arrive to the house. he must analyse every piece. excellent and informative video as always doug. cheers.
Thanks so much, SED. We're fortunate to have such inquisitive helpers :)
Uncle Doug we are indeed!
Best source for inspiration for electronics project.
Cheers from Sweden!
Thanks so much, Lovzi. Regards from Texas, USA :)
Very informative, very organised in the approach, extremely elegant .... Thank you
You're welcome, Ihab. Thanks for your nice comments :)
I cant get enough of this stuff
Thanks, neither can we, HA :)
Just wanted to say thanks for sharing your knowledge about tube amps and taking the time to produce such well organized and thought out videos. They have provided me a great foundation, and I've began doing simple mods on my own amps. Hope all is well with you, and I eagerly await for more of your videos. Cheers!
You're welcome, Danny. We're glad the videos have been helpful and informative.
Hey Doug, I missed this one when you posted it ... man, what a great adventure and exposition of such. Thanks, and I hope your current and past customers are fans of your channel.
You're welcome, Tim. Glad you enjoyed it :)
Just wanted to say how much I miss your videos. I hope that you, Jack, and Rusty are doing well, and enjoying your time restoring your vintage mechanical conveyance machines. Best wishes to you, Uncle Doug.
Thanks so much, Tiny. Rusty and I are working on a video concept (no camera action yet) and may well be back on the air soon.
There's always that magical feeling to hear the amp fire up after being worked on. I love these vids, but I am not a tech. I am a musician.
You're right, Xander. There is a great sense of accomplishment when a previously inert device suddenly regains "life" as a result of your efforts.....much like a doctor must feel when a patient makes a miraculous recovery.
...well, without you musicians, the efforts of the technicians who work on these amplifiers wouldn't mean very much-!
@@UncleDoug ...yes, that is VERY gratifying!!
Hi Doug, boy was Jack ever right on this one. Glad Rusty was there to help you on this one.
Regards, Dave
I'm beginning to trusty Jack more and more, Dave. Rusty sends his regards to the pup in your icon photo :)
Bear says Hi to Rusty and Jack (even though Jack is a cat).
Bear is cute as heck. I really love dogs with his facial features......but don't tell (jealous) Rusty.
Thanks, the explanation about the voltage drop through the tubes was very helpful.
You're welcome, Mike. The voltage applied to a circuit must be dropped to zero (by one or more resistors) before reaching the end of the circuit. Some clever chap came up with a design that allowed the tube filaments (with a supplemental resistor to take up "the slack") to do the voltage dropping. We're glad you found the video informative.
TH-cam gold every time. Thank you for your videos
You're welcome, Sid :)
Excellent video! Thank you for taking the time to document your procedure! Very nice tone and the "adjusted" tremolo has a neat "chime" to it, I guess Jack could tell the work would pay off and Rusty seemed to enjoy the treats.
Thanks, Andrew. We're glad you like the results of this much-harder-than-we-expected resurrection. I think Rusty has taken the notion of "retirement" a bit too far :)
You and your crew are definitely No. 1 on TH-cam!!! Thanks for the great video. Take care!
You're welcome, JT. Thanks so much for your very kind comments :)
I get a kick outa watching your video's.... Keep ' em coming!!!
We're glad to hear it, Jammy....we will :)
I have learned many new tricks watching your videos, thank you very much for sharing what you do and what you know!
You're welcome, TZ :)
And from Jack and Rusty too of course!
Of course :)
Hey Doug - just stopping by to say hello and hope all is well. Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday, whatever you celebrate. Hope to see an Uncle Doug video very soon. Say hi to Rusty and Jack. - Ron
Greetings, Ron, and thanks for your nice comments. We are all doing quite well and should be back on the air soon.
you are the man uncle Doug. thank you so much for your videos!!! I've learned so much watching you.....
You're welcome, Brian, and thanks for your very nice comments :) We're glad you find the videos informative.
You are a genius when it comes to amplifiers. Love your videos.
You are too kind, John :) Thanks so much.
......amp mail.....yeah!........"all gods amps need love"...........love that.....nice work, nice sound in the end........your fingers sound limber...........thanks for the show.
You're welcome, Rick, and thanks for the nice comments :)
Uncle Doug you are truly missed but certainly you must take time to enjoy all of these amazing amp builds - my favorite is the compact bassman amp you built - that build is a work of art
Thanks so much, RV. The little "Mighty Mouse" Bassman demonstrated that (very) loud things can come in small packages :)
beautiful work, great to see passion in what you do
Thanks, BL :)
I always enjoy your videos and your presentation. I have never commented before although I am subscribed and hit like for each of them. I have a Newcomb G12 1953 amp identical to one that you repaired and had high praise for the quality build. Mine was handed down to me from my Dad and I first used it to play lap steel guitar. It was the only amp while learning electric Spanish guitar. I soon went on to a bigger Fender 40w. I, still have and use a blackface 64 Vibrolux Reverb that I bought new. My Newcomb is an exact copy of the one in your video except it is in pristine shape. Thank again for all of your hard work for us You Tubers. Please keep them coming. You can tell that I LOVE tube amps!
If you love amps, you're in good company, 700S. It sounds like your father got you off to a good start with the Newcomb and you have since acquired another real gem, the '64 Vibrolux Reverb. You're welcome for the videos. Thanks for subscribing and commenting.
you have not posted anything in a very long time. I hope all is well & thank you for your past videos.
We're all doing fine, Douglas. We're simply involved in other hobbies at the moment and hope to be back on the air soon.
bringing back bad memories of playing thru practice amps ..!!
nice job, Unk Doug .. :)
Thanks, Embree :)
All your stuff is superb and amazing.
Thanks, Jasin :)
Beautiful work sir on such a little gem!
Thanks, David.
Hey Uncle Doug!
I would like to wish you, your family, and your pets a happy Thanksgiving. I enjoy your videos and look forward to your next post.
Happy Thanksgiving to all the rest of you folks who subscribe to this channel as well.
Thanks so much, Ken. Rusty and I join you in wishing a great Thanksgiving for all the viewers (who celebrate the holiday) out there in TH-cam Land.
You are a real wizard of tube amps !! I am deeply impressed !! A++++++++
Thanks so much, Stefan :)
@@UncleDoug Dear Sir, if you have a liitle bit time to spend, please try the TH-cam-Channel from "Mr. Carlsons Lab". He is a wizard of electronics, too. th-cam.com/users/MrCarlsonsLabvideos
I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to Uncle Doug, Rusty and Jack, who through their combined labors have composed the most concise, informative, and insightful lessons on tube amp theory, design and construction that I have found on the web...These videos continue to inspire me onward and upward. Wishing all of you the best...Darrell B. Winston Salem N.C.
You are quite welcome, Darrell. Thanks for your very nice comments. Hearing from viewers like you makes all the work associated with our channel thoroughly worthwhile :)
I think it is extremely important that you had a cat-scan done before you started this very difficult project. I think it gave you a great deal of insight into the project. Well done, Douglas; well done. And Jack & Rusty, too.
Indeed, I have come to rely heavily upon the extraordinary senses of my four-legged assistants. Let's face it, if dogs and cats can sniff out cancer, they sure as heck should be able to sniff out bad capacitors and resistors.
Two reasons they provided isolation transformers for the V1 tube - one is as you mentioned, noise, the other is to provide increased safety in the even the V1 tube's grid shorts to filament internally.
This makes sense. Thanks for your helpful input, Brad.
This amp sounds great. OK... maybe not much of power, but with a mic or a 0 dB out to PA the sound is incredible. Liked it a lot. Another great video and tech tips. Thank you, Sir.
You're welcome, PK. Glad you enjoyed it.
I always enjoy your amp restorations. The Cat Scans are a huge plus. Nobody else does that :) I'm pretty impressed with the hum and obvious high grade particle board construction so far :o)
Wow... it sounds pretty nice now that you've completely rebuilt it. Nicely done!
Thanks, Michael.....glad you liked the outcome :)
Yeah. Maybe a little was leaking through the neon somewhere. Great video. That was a tough one. You have amazing patience. Thanks again. 🎸
You're welcome, Rick. Thanks !!
Hi Doug. Very interesting and different amp repair. Thanks
You're welcome, Charles :)
another good one, thank's doug & rusty & jack,
You're welcome, Paul :)
if you made and sold amplifiers, I would buy one because 1, you seem trustworthy. 2, you're knowledgeable. 3 you're a fellow Texan.
Thanks :) I do make and sell them (occasionally), Kevin. If any you see in my videos are of specific interest, please send a private message for details.
Awesome troubleshooting video. That was a very enjoyable tutorial. Thank you Uncle Doug! Subscribed :)
You're welcome, GS. Thanks for your nice comments.....and for subscribing.
Just wanted to thank you very much for teaching me as much as you have ( in the past 24 hours haha). I’ve been binge watching your videos because I’m preparing to build my first Amplifier. I build Guitar amplifiers and JFet based preamps regularly but needless to say work with JFets and working with vacuum tubes are entirely different as one can kill you lol
You're welcome, Jesse. Best of luck with your tube amp project :)
just found you... your videos are fantastic. im just starting my journey to building my own stereo tube amp. so much out there to sort through.
Welcome, LP, and thanks for your nice comments. Best of luck with your self-education in tube electronics. You'll find the Internet to be a valuable resource.
Merry Christmas Doug, Rusty and Jack! Hope you're all doing great and are working your tails off making the next amp videos!
Same to you, Matt. We have indeed been working our tails off lately.....but on other hobbies. Hopefully, we can get back into video production in the near future.
I have one of these amps. will open it up and take a look
Let us know what you find, Way :)
Wow, nice save! I was surprised seeing that 35W4 rectifier tube. It's a fairly common AA5 radio tube. Kudos to Rusty, Jack & Uncle Doug A.K.A. The Three Amigos!
Thanks, Tim. Yes, these transformerless amps borrow their design from radio circuitry. Glad you enjoyed the video :)
Doug that amp circuit looks like a "Spaghetti western" you did an incredible job on the fix. As always I'm enjoying the precious information you provide. Many thanks, I'm currently creating a Vox AC-15 (1961) circuit and single speaker enclosure
You're welcome, Rick.....and thanks for the very nice comments. Best of luck with your Vox project.
excellent amp info Doug!! I was laughing and enjoying the entire video!
Thanks, Nathan. We try to be informative and entertaining at the same time :)
Hello! Very interesting as usual. I don't know if I've mentioned that, back in the late 50s - early 60s, us guitar guys would use an old radio to amplify the signal. We would connect the inner core of the cable (if using co-ax!) to the top pin on the first valve. I don't know exactly how safe that was, but we're still here!
Greetings, Ben. Conversion of radios to guitar amp use has once again become widespread. I guess that history does repeat itself.
Great Work Uncle Doug.
Thanks, Andy :)
Very educational, beautiful sounding amp!!!
Thanks, F1 :)
Hi Uncle Doug, I miss your videos, I've watched them all multiple times now :) I hope you and your pets are well :)
We are Dave. Thanks for your concern. Hopefully we will be back on the air soon.
Really like your channel, very informative and i always learn something new.
We're glad to hear that, RA. Thanks for watching :)
Great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills.
You're welcome, Joseph :)
I like how things like this can snap from "Oh god, what do I do with this mess?" to "Hey, what's the best I can build with what I've been given?" It goes from being a problem to an opportunity.
A good philosophy, Joseph. I hope we made the most of it :)
God Bless Texas, Saw this video on the large LCD Television, via PS3 running sound through stereo, and today I got my moneys worth. Uncle Doug and crew...and an Alamo Dart Amp. What could be a better program to watch while busting sudz
Great video, I feel like I got a little bit of your insight on how to approach working on amps, Although I don't know how you found this other schematics of similar designs to help you piece this amp back together. There must be thousands of them and like a needle in a haystack, you found them. Got to say, I'm a little bit impressed.
When you opened her up for the first time, (even with my limited knowledge) I looked at her and thought, I hope Uncle Doug knows that aint original... and of course you knew too. LOL I seen those schematics on line and I am glad I was not the only that thought they were confusing, I will for sure come back to see your diagram and do your mod for tremolo. it sounds real good. As you know, on mine I built a custom cab. able to switch speaker cabs and I will tell this. It is a fact. Running through my Silvertone 1484 cab and a tube screamer pedal, This amp is a true contender for ANYTHING! out there. OK, Uncle Doug if you read this far. You know I always got at least one question for you. Here it is.
Q: Running my Alamo Dart this way. Will this hurt the amp, or burn up the tube faster or maybe catch Fire?
Good to see you again.
Greetings, Amlon. It's good to hear from you. Rusty and I download all our schematics from the Internet, after sometimes lengthy searches. If your output tube is properly biased, there should be no harm from using the amp as you described. Just to be safe, however, periodically check your output transformer to see if it is overheating. It can be warm to the touch, but should not be uncomfortably hot.
Doug, I love your videos! Your explanations and dry delivery never fail to make me chuckle while I learn. Wonderful stuff! One thing though, please buy yourself a tuner for Crimbo! ;) Much love from the UK!
Thanks, Phil :)
Great little amp Doug... goes to show what can happen when somebody starts fixing and doesn't have a clue what they are doing. Nice save pal.
Carl
Thanks, Carl. This was a tough one. Thank heavens the circuit was rather simply and easy to re-wire.
I would being willing to bet, Uncle Doug could troubleshoot , repair, and modify any amp he chose to do. Thankz
Thanks for your kind words, ATL. With the able assistance of Rusty and Jack, how could I go wrong :)
Hi Uncle Doug. Outstanding job, figuring out the hack job on that poor Amp. It sounds great !.
All my best.
Bobby & Molly
It was very rewarding to revive a long-lost patient, Bobby. Thanks !!
Awesome video. Awesome cat. Awesome dog. Some fine guitar playing. And nice work on that old amp.
Wow....thanks so much, Ica. We all really appreciate your nice comments :)
Very clean amp, well kept for its age.
Yes, it is in relatively good shape.....especially after some repairs.
Hey Uncle Doug, a friend lent his '70s Alamo Montclair. He wanted to know what I thought of it, and to my surprise I thought it sounded very good. The Montclair had two 6V6 power tubes and I think the Preamp was s.s, but I liked it. I thought it was the best poor man Deluxe Reverb I had ever used. The clean sound with my byrdland was nice. It was made kinda cheap and I liked that too.
Greetings, Henry. It's always good to hear from you. Sometimes the cheaply made amps sound better than some of the much more expensive ones. With your exceptional playing skill, however, I would imagine that any amp would sound pretty good :)
Hey Doug - stopping by to say hello..... hope all is well with you.. Miss your videos very much my friend.. Hope Jack and Rusty are faring well.... Look forward to your return - Ron
Thanks, Ron. We hope to see you soon, on air :)
Greetings Uncle Doug.
At approx 8 minutes when you traced the hot lead through the switch, neon light and found it terminated to the common lead, it reminded me of a time when I was on the job and sent to troubleshoot a Uninterruptible Power Supply because a piece of equipment stopped working when we lost city power. I found the equipment was plugged into the wall outlet, and the UPS was plugged into itself. Good grief!
Thanks for another great video.
I guess someone was trying to create a perpetual motion machine, Donnie ;) You're welcome.....thanks for watching and commenting.
Perhaps whoever plugged the UPS into itself was trying to protect the UPS from city power spikes. :)
I would pay good bread if you provided these videos on a DVD or drive of some sorts. By far my favorite video series on youtube-- would love to have a copy offline for my reference library!
Thanks for your kind offer, Greg. We have no plans to create any DVD's in the immediate future, but that may change. Meanwhile, we hope you continue to watch and enjoy our videos on TH-cam.
Hope you (+ family) and Rusty are doing ok and that you didn't get hit by Harvey. Hope the Lone Star will rise and shine again quickly. Greetings and stay safe!
Thanks for your good wishes, KL. Fortunately, we are 800 miles from Houston (Texas is a big state) and have, so far, been spared from any weather issues. No doubt, in a day or two, some rain will reach us, but it will be mild compared to what the gulf coast received.
Very glad to hear that! It's all over the news here in Europe and - man! - that looks terrible. Thanx for the update, much appreciated!
More Videos please. Great Job!
Thanks, Paul :)
Hope this finds you well. You have provided many fantastic videos on guitar amps. We miss you! Your approach to guitar/electronics repair/building is top self! The best! Since you are retired but have the soul of an 18 year old, you must be busy having fun. You may think you have covered tube amps fully, but there is never enough from the Master! Any more up your sleeve? Stay well. Thankz
Thanks for your very nice note, ATL. It's always good to hear from you. We've been sidetracked by a new obsession with building hot rods, but am awaiting the arrival of a very old and interesting amp which may be a good video candidate......so stay tuned.
Uncle Doug Great to hear from you and you sound like you are busy and having fun! No hurry! It will be good to see the dynamic trio back in the saddle again! Thankz
I'm sorry to say that we're down to being a duo, ATL. Rusty passed away, very peacefully, a few months ago. To be honest, his loss has been a major reason for our absence from YT :(
We are all so sorry to hear of Rusty passing away. I know you have been, and will be grieving. So now it will be Jack helping with the video duties. So to help you past the time, we are hoping you can find it in your soul to do a another video. It would maybe take your mind off of Rusty or just let you remember all the good times you two spent together. Sorry for your(our) loss. Thankz
Thanks for your kind words, ATL. Hopefully, we'll be back on the air in the near future.
Amazing restoration Doug !! I was totally surprised to find that the entire amp had been re-wired incorrectly. What could they possibly have been thinking? Basically - their design resulted in a neon lamp circuit and then some miscellaneous amp components hanging on the side - laugh !! I suppose having done this professionally - you've seen enough horrors that this didn't take you by surprise ! But - had I tried to tackle it - it would have taken me a long time to come to grips with the fact that someone actually did all that mess to an amp !!
Thanks, Donald. Although I was unable to find an original Dart schematic to compare the circuit to, the glaring mistakes I pointed out could never have been done at the factory.....so I must assume that some unqualified person or persons unknown inflicted them after the fact. I have indeed seen some strange "repairs" over the years, but must say that this one was near the top of the list. It would have been a good final exam for an electronics course :)
happy holidays uncle doug
Likewise, Damian :)
Phew, enjoy your time off. Glad you're ok.
Thanks, Rac. We hope to see you in the near future.
i´m impressed of your skills / Keep up the good work
Thanks, will do!