Carlos Colina and The Straight Up Blues Band

April 26th, 2011

<index2.html   index4.html>

Carlos Colina and The Straight Up Blues Band


[First] [Prev] [Next] [Last]

[Click to enlarge image] [Click to enlarge image] [Click to enlarge image] [Click to enlarge image]
[Click to enlarge image] [Click to enlarge image] [Click to enlarge image] [Click to enlarge image]
[Click to enlarge image] [Click to enlarge image] [Click to enlarge image] [Click to enlarge image]




40 Comments

 

40 Responses to “Carlos Colina and The Straight Up Blues Band”

  1. Michael Lopuch says:
    May 5, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    Hello:
    I have inherited my father’s 1960′s tube Premier 71, and by chance have a friend who repairs old tube amps. It needs cap work. The leather handle is destroyed. Do you know of where I may find a leather handle that closely matches the original? I have seen the vintage Fenders, but was wondering if there is anything closer.
    Thanks,
    Mike L.

    Reply
    • admin says:
      May 5, 2011 at 12:55 pm

      http://www.tubesandmore.com or http://www.angela.com are sites that specialize in restoring old tube amps. They have several different styles of the old “Dog Bone” leather handles.

      Keith

      Reply
    • ZSeth says:
      September 8, 2011 at 4:50 am

      Where are you?? I can get some handles and may have a Premier handle kicking around. If it is the leather one that goes under two metal cover caps take the old pieces to a boot and shoe repair shop. They can approximate the shape from the rotted leather (maybe) and cut two or three pieces and stitch them together into a thicker piece I have had to do this myself and use a Mexican shoe repair shop. I am within 3 hours of Mexico in sunny hot (will it ever cool off hottest August and July ever) Phoenix Az. As for the cap job, if you were close or willing to ship I can only say ask around your area. Find some old burnt out musicians that have been there a while like myself who know some of the shop and repair people’s history. I am an anal SOB who would look at what caps are bad check the rest, and try to find a cap that preserves the original sound. Most techs just stick either orange drops or what they can get cheap in an amp. Most techs do not have 2/3rds of Mc Intosh’s Danish audio analyzer console and $10,K in other sound and distortion analyzing instrument on their bench either. Hopefully you might be OK with just the filter caps swapped out, and make sure nothing else is too leaky. Some of those caps that leak a tad, but not enough to cause any real problems can make for an awesome blues guitar or harp amp sound. I finally put aluminum foil and paper with bee’s wax caps in my mom’s old Supro 1624. The Q was not audiophool stupid high, and they do not dry out. They are the low end cap in the Amp Ohm Cap line. The sell silver foil, or copper foil in oil with paper, and silver leads. (STUPID MONEY EXPENSIVE) Best wishes, and I hope you get it back to a better state than it is now.

      Reply
    • ZSeth says:
      September 8, 2011 at 1:52 pm

      I still say boot and shoe repair shop. You will get new leather, and they have sewing machines that will sew it into the layers. An old leather handle found on line will likely look good then crumble away in short order, unless it comes from one of the miracle climate areas in the country. I tried luggage repair, but it was very expensive, and they had no real interest in doing the work right. The population of Mexican immigrants here keeps cowboy boot repair as well as normal shoe and boot repair shops alive, so there is enough competition they gladly make any leather handle shape I need for around $25. Tubesandmore is across town in Tempe Az. It is about a 20 minute drive. They only do will call order pick up from 3:00-4:30 PM but ship world wide every day. Angelina or Angela has more of the Fender stuff and is pretty pricey. Premier was a neat company. I have one or two of their amps, and a snare drum the marketed under the name Olympic. Tubesandmore essentially has what Angela has but you pay less for it. They are also a great place to buy new old stock USA, UK, German,, or Holland made tubes. They also sell the new Russian, Slovak, and Chinese stuff. Oh yeah Groove Tubes makes a 6L6GC in the USA now from roughly 80% USA parts.

      Reply
    • dc says:
      January 6, 2012 at 10:37 pm

      You’ve probably replaced yours by now, but if anyone else needs a handle, contact Bob Schell at http://www.brookwoodleather.com/

      He made a dead-on copy for my ’50s Premier 71 handle (with the arrow-shaped ends). Super fast service, and reasonably priced. His work is amazing.

      dc

      Reply
  2. JAnderson says:
    November 17, 2011 at 8:16 am

    Looking for some insight into an old Japanese build amp and its applicability to being used with GB mic. Its Teisco Melody using 6AU6 drivers and 6RA5 outputs with a small 6 inch speaker. Very little info on the web, and a total nob on these tubes. I won’t have a chance to test this item out before purchasing due to meeting the owner some several hours drive at a Timmy’s.

    Reply
    • admin says:
      November 17, 2011 at 9:25 am

      I don’t know about the 6RA5. I am assuming that the tubes are about what you’d find in a radio (Teisco made radios), so the power output will be low, just enough to drive the 6 inch amp.

      It will probably start out clean and get dirty as you turn up the volume. It is most likely a neat practice amp and will work well with the GB.

      If you like the sound you can mic it through the PA and the amp becomes a neat little effects box to give you some tube overdrive and a little protection from feedback by tweaking the volume controls on the amp and the PA.

      Keith

      Reply
  3. JAnderson says:
    November 18, 2011 at 12:37 pm

    Picked up the Teisco Melody last night and unfortunately one of the axial caps (a 80MFD x 150WV) is broken right at the cap (unable to solder back on), so the task of trying to track down replacements is on. There’s nothing in Vancouver, BC that I can purchase from local suppliers (with the exception of a couple of radial 100MFD x 160WV or 100MFD x 250V).

    Any advice on where I can buy replacements would be most welcome as I can put in the radials now to get the amp up and running but would like to get axials as they look more like stock units.

    Jim

    Reply
  4. Jonathan says:
    December 6, 2011 at 10:22 am

    I replying to your wanting more info about Multi vox amps. I purchased a “lot” of vacuum tubes and radios from an old guy that’s giving up the hobby. Within the lot I purchased is a Multi Vox P.A. Single ended push pull with 2 7591′s and 3 12ax7′s (tubes are labeled Multi Vox with what I think is Sylvaina’s yellow stamp). It has a Mic “Z” adaptor, hum balance and bias adjustment.

    Outputs are 2,4,8,16 ohm’s and 70 volts, 35 Watts R.M.S. Inputs are Tuner, Phono, P.A. and Mic.

    Model EA35-6 Made in Montreal, Canada. I have put the bottom cover back on yet there is at least 10 Mullard mustard .022 tuning caps dated 1965 within.

    Jonathan

    Reply
  5. gary says:
    January 5, 2012 at 6:13 am

    i have a premier twin 8 “widow’s peak” version with the gold foil grill and i’m trying to find the gold foil grill any info will help thanks
    gary

    Reply
    • admin says:
      January 5, 2012 at 9:06 am

      Art stores have metallic sheets for use in art projects. If you can find a gold colored one that is the right size, it will look like the original. You can try the big online art supply houses, but there is so much stuff on these sites that I could not find anything quickly for you.

      Keith

      Reply
  6. Ron Thomas says:
    January 20, 2012 at 10:11 am

    Hi,
    Could you tell me how to contact Mic Kaczmarczik?
    I have an amp repair service shop in Edmond and
    would really like to ask him some questions.
    Thank you for your time.
    Best Regards
    Ron Thomas
    Edmond, OK

    Reply
    • admin says:
      January 20, 2012 at 10:51 am

      I only communicated with Mic once many years ago about using his usenet archives. I found his email through his university job, but I don’t know if he is still there.

      Keith

      Reply
  7. Jim Zintz says:
    January 20, 2012 at 4:44 pm

    Help, Picked up premier model 88N. Someone cut all the wires out of the audio output transformer. I know there is not a schematic. But if I could get some close up pictures it would help ALOT. Thanks guys for any help. I don’t know why someone would do this. Jim

    Reply
  8. david vincent says:
    January 31, 2012 at 1:41 pm

    i love my amp,a”4-10 deluxe” by Blues Pearl but i need a back up. i’ve been doing some research and it seems most people would agree 8in. speekers work best to achieve a great blues sound but it’s a pain to always have to mike it.i’ve seen amps with 2,3,6 and 8 8in.configureations but no 4′s.it seems to me (for my purposes)4 8′s,2 6v6′s and a weak preamp would be ideal.there must a good reason why even boutique harp amp manufacturers and kit cos.don’t offer such a set up.i’m considering having one built or modding an old ampeg gemini two but before i do i’d like to know why it might not be such a good idea.any thoughts?

    Reply
    • admin says:
      January 31, 2012 at 1:56 pm

      There is an old Valco, Silvertone, or Danelectro (can’t remember which) that had eight 8-inch speakers. It came apart like a suitcase with 4 in each half. There is a legend that it was Little Walter’s favorite amp. The Gibson GA-90 had six 8-inch speakers, and is supposed to be a great harp amp.

      Keith

      Reply
  9. david vincent says:
    February 1, 2012 at 12:09 pm

    i appreciate your speedy reply! i spoke with a buddy (bass player not harp) who insisted that with 8in. speakers,i would no doubt get the tone i want but they have no business on stage as no matter how many speakers in the cab.,i’d still have to mike it or go direct.something about limited power to smaller speakers.i’m still on the fence about this…as you know (as a working musician)TONE is the priority not convenience or practicality.i have also heard those silvertones and valcos make great harp amps but might need some reenforcent even in small to medium rooms.maybe i’ll save my dimes a little longer and buy a boutique harp amp with a 12 and two eights?…man that a lotta dimes…a lotta cheap gigs…yeah, i said it!

    Reply
  10. John Fields says:
    March 3, 2012 at 10:58 am

    I have read a lot of good reviews of VHT tube amps. I want to buy a new amp that I can get a dirty sound from. There is a VHT special 6 1×10 guitar combo amp for $229 and a VHT special 6 1×12 guitar combo amp for $329. Which is the better harmonica amp? Is the 1×12 worth the xtra $100 dollars. Should I get a delay pedal also or is it unnecessary? Let me know of any better alternatives in this price range. Thanks

    Reply
  11. Captain Ogre says:
    March 24, 2012 at 12:39 am

    On the MASCO gallery:

    “The MA-60 had four 6L6′s four 6J7′s one 6sj7 two 6sc7′s and two 5v4 rectifiers.”

    I think you might have slipped a digit on this amp. I have a 1951 MA-60, and the tube layout is four 6J7′s at the input, 6SC7, 6SJ7, 6SL7GT, 6SN7GT, two 807 power tubes, and two different rectifiers- 5Y3GT and 5R4GY. It has four inputs, a phono input, and a booster jack in the back.

    And yes, I have a TON of pics, in case anyone is interested in seeing this amp. Also, I’m wondering if this amp is an anomaly or something, because I’m finding very little info on it. I can find plenty on the MA-17, 25, 35, and 50, but next to nothing on the MA-60.

    Reply
  12. Don says:
    April 7, 2012 at 11:41 pm

    Anyone know the correct ohms of the 3-inch Jensen P3VH speakers/tweeters used in the Premier Model 71 amps from the mid-1950s? Any schematics showed up for one of these amps? Thanks.

    Reply
  13. randy herron says:
    May 22, 2012 at 8:14 pm

    Anyone tried the new 2-6V6 Fender Pawn Shop amps for Harp??Like to hear informed opinions. thanks, randy

    Reply
  14. ken says:
    June 21, 2012 at 5:37 pm

    Need help- playing through a sonny jr 4-10 and getting a clicking noise when i really tweek a note. I’m going through a reverb pedal and a shure 707A. What’s up. thanks

    Reply
  15. Hawkeye says:
    June 29, 2012 at 12:22 pm

    I’m geared up to try one. Only shop in my town who’s carrying them is still awaiting delivery of them. But he HAS gotten the Greta desktop amp in, and I tried that. I’m seriously considering getting one to use like a preamp head on my Kalamazoo Model 2.

    Reply
  16. Ron Thomas says:
    August 9, 2012 at 8:47 am

    Hi,
    Am I right in assuming that most of your site is related to harp and guitar amps?
    I am a bass player and have an amp repair and service business here in Edmond,OK.
    I had a customer bring in 3 old vintage Fender amps which I serviced and did any needed repairs and got him going very well. One of his amps was a 59′ Blonde Bandmaster that was immaculate. He has taken care of these jewels.
    Anyway, he gave me a 67′ SF Bassman with the AB165 circuit. I did a cap job, replaced all three transformers with new Mercury Mag trannys and modded the hum balance as a true bias. I tested and kept the original pre amp tubes and installed a pair of Winged C 6L6′s. Right now I play it thru my old SVT 8-10.
    This cab I removed and plan on having the originals 10′s re coned thru Ted Weber Company. The tens in it now are cheap cast speakers and my SVT head really did a job on them. Learned my lesson about the stuff sold by some eBay sellers. At low volume they sound good but the coils are slapping here and there with amp at 4 and my bass up pretty loud. Anyway I have acquired to old Eminence 15s and I’m going to build my own cab just for this bassman.I had read that the AB165 wasn’t really liked as a bass amp. My BF in 65 with 2-12 cabs was incredible. So why the dislike as a bass amp for the AB165?
    Also what circuit are you referring to when doing a bias mod on these to be like the 63 bassman? I have looked a the 6G6′s and I see no bias control pot.
    Can you set me straight on this mod?
    Thanks much for a very informative site.
    Regards
    Ron Thomas
    Edmond, OK

    Reply
  17. Robert says:
    October 20, 2012 at 12:01 pm

    Hi, I inherited an old Peavey Classic 30 tube amp. I have ordered a green bullet mic, will this work well together?
    Thanks for your help

    Reply
    • admin says:
      October 20, 2012 at 2:46 pm

      It should work well. There are some Shure bullets that are low impedance that might not work. If it has a guitar type plug then it would work fine. The tube Peaveys are underrated. I think they have a good sound. They might have too much gain for a microphone, but you can swap out the 12AX7 tubes for 12AU7 tubes and lower the gain and get a nice response out of it.

      Reply
  18. Hawkeye says:
    October 22, 2012 at 9:50 am

    I agree! Peavey Classics are some of my favorite amps. I’ve been craving a Delta Blues 115 or 210. To me, those are the best in the line for harp. They’re still gainy, but like you said, the preamp tubes can be swapped.

    Reply
  19. Mike B says:
    October 25, 2012 at 7:36 am

    I have a premier model50 I am thinking of adding
    a line out to it. Anybody know how to wire resistors
    to output jack? I would like to be able to keep
    the speaker functioning to use as a monitor.
    Thanks,
    Mike B

    Reply
  20. Jim Buoy says:
    November 13, 2012 at 12:33 am

    I have a old Magnavox tube amp that I am trying to make into a harp amp it has a 12AX7,2 6v6,s and a 5Y3 tube I am willing to do what ever it takes to make this the best it can be for a harp amp anything I can do to improve it the reason I bought this amp is that I have read in different articals that these are very good tube displacement to use on harp amps I have not tried it out yet to see what it sounds like the way it is,because I am new to all this and need to install an input jack,I am not sure where it would wire in? I have a book about old tube amps it has a schematic of a Fender Princeton 5F2 it is spot on down to every resistor cap everything looks the same wired the same,anything I can do to improve this amp?

    Reply
    • admin says:
      November 13, 2012 at 10:00 am

      Try swapping the 12AX7 tubes with 12AU7 tubes. This will mellow it down and help fight feedback. You will get a smoother sound with less distortion, which may sound better with harp.

      Keith

      Reply
    • kirb says:
      November 13, 2012 at 1:38 pm

      You might want to try some lower values instead of 68k for those series input resistors . I’ve had good luck with 10k and 33k at #1 and #2 input jacks . This puts a bit of drive on the pre-amp tubes that’s lost with the 68k ones . I use a large 1 or 2 watt carbon type for the sound quality I prefer , but you should experiment with your own ears . I’ve seen people use no resistor here at all also . Very spanky with a weaker mike . Try one of each you have around with strong clips and then you can solder in what you land on as the best one for you and your mics !

      Reply
  21. Jim Buoy says:
    November 13, 2012 at 11:11 am

    ok I will but does,nt that swap make the amp allot more quiet? it only has one 12AX7 tube do you think I should wire in 1 more so each 6V6 tube has a seperate preamp?

    Reply
  22. Jim Buoy says:
    November 13, 2012 at 11:55 am

    this amp only has one 12AX7 two 6V6,s and one 5y3 I have read that it is really good for a harp amp the chasis has pleny of room to add another tube or tubes one thing I am wondering is if this amp has a self balancing phase inverter also is the 5Y3 tube the rectifier and can it be swapped out for a GZ34 rectifier tube I read they are the best for harp

    Reply
  23. Jim Buoy says:
    November 13, 2012 at 2:15 pm

    I will try that soon as I get the input jacks installed thanks

    Reply
  24. Jim Buoy says:
    November 15, 2012 at 12:20 pm

    hi again I am working on a different amp now it is a Electromuse Model 10A It has a strange tube line up they are 6F6GT,then it has a 8 pin tube that does not have the letters/numbers then it has a 6F6,and a 5Y3Gt question is this a model 10a and what tubes interchange with the ones I listed here. All the schematics I can find don,t have these tubes in them. so I am wondering if this is a different model or these tubes will interchange like the 6F6 is it the same as a 6V6 same with the 6F6GT is it the same as 6L6GT I am trying to get this amp working again the tubes light up but it has a loud buzz (might be a multi cap?)any advice?

    Reply
  25. admin says:
    November 15, 2012 at 12:49 pm

    Jim,

    I saw your posts at one of the forums. The Magnavox turned out to be a puzzle.

    The 6F6 is a like an older version of the 6V6. Push comes to shove you could use a 6v6. The 6F6 was probably a metal can. The GT just means Glass Tube, so they are the same tube.

    The strange tube is probably a 6sl7, 6sj7, 6sn7 or something like that. These are old style preamp tubes with a sweet sound, but without much gain. Probably a 6SJ7 tube. Look at the oldest champ circuits.

    Buzz is 99.9% electrolytic cap. This amp is old enough that the caps all have to be dried out so change all the big caps. It can sometimes (rarely) be one of the fat cement style resistors or very fat resistor with high watt and low value. These resistors sometimes crack or change their value over the years. It is cheap and never hurts to change these resistors to get the amp back into spec.

    Reply
  26. Jim Buoy says:
    November 15, 2012 at 11:43 pm

    I found a schematic for this electromuse as it turns out they were made by Valco the ones with the electromuse name did not have model numbers on them but i think it is same as a Valco model ,10A anyway the tubes in the schematic are the one by the output transformer by it,s self is a 6J5GT,labeled preamp 2 on schematic mine is a 6F6GT the next one below that tube in the schematic is a 6SH7GT, labeled preamp 1. mine has a tube without markings,but I think I see a 7 on it,so it is probably a 6SH7GT, the next tube is a 6V6GT,in the schematic,labeled power amp,mine has a metal 6F6 tube. the last one in the schematic is a 6X5GT,labeled rectifier,mine has a 5Y3 in that place. I guess my question is are the tubes in my amp interchangeable with the ones in the schematic. do the tubes in the schematic do the same function as the tubes that are in my amp?

    Reply
  27. admin says:
    November 16, 2012 at 11:36 am

    I could be just random tubes that someone plugged in and the amp never worked with them. The 6F6 would not be any kind of replacement for the 6J5. The 5Y3 and the 6X5 are both similar kinds of rectifiers, although I don’t remember if the pins correspond.

    I doesn’t look like the tubs would match. Check the circuit underneath the chassis and see if the wiring looks the same as the schematic to make suer that you indeed have the same amp.

    Keith

    Reply
  28. Bill Kossuth says:
    February 19, 2013 at 10:52 pm

    Any luck on finding a B 160 schematic? I’ve seen 6l6 around but not much about the ones that have 7591′s.
    Thanks.

    Reply
  29. Eddie Baker says:
    April 23, 2013 at 7:43 am

    I am just starting out, having alot of fun, looking for that sound ! I inherited a Fender Blues Deluxe from my son; I think it’s from the 90′s. Someone has suggested swapping the pre-amp tubes, and getting a Weber smooth cone, Signature series Speaker. The tube swap looks pretty straightforward, but the special Weber Harp Speaker is 6″, and the Fender it’s replacing is 12″. Also , the Fender is 40 or 50 Watts, and the Weber is 15 Watts.
    There is a Weber 12″ Speaker, also smooth cone, for 25 Watts. What would work ?
    Should I just buy a lower Watt Amp made for Harp ?
    Any suggestions for me ?
    Thanks,
    Eddie

    Reply

Leave a Comment