Lectrolab Tube Amps
Lectrolab Amplifiers are cheaply made tube amps from the 1950s and 1960s. They
were made by Sound Projects Co. Cicero, Ill., which might suggest that they
had something to do with Valco. Once source tells me that Sound Projects was
a subsidiary of Bell Labs. Gibson, Valco, Epiphone, Kalamazoo and Lectrolab
were all made within 50 miles of each other. The Chicago area built some of
the great guitar amps. Workers moved from factory to factory and some set out
on their own to start their own factories.
Lectrolab amps are the great tube amp in the cheapest box that could be made.
The cabinets for these amps are made of pressboard. No shortcuts were left untaken
in their manufacture. As a result, there are not that many of these around.
On the plus side, off the shelf electronic components were of fairly good quality
in the late 1950s, and the amps that have survived have great tone and are a
good inexpensive alternative to expensive collectable amps.
I have collected a few pictures here. If you have some good photos of a model
that I don't have, please mail it off to me. Click on the images to see full
size. There seems to be three series. The later ones have a 'B' and a 'C' appended
to the model number.
| Lectrolab R200 - Tubes are 12J5 - 12J5 - 50L6 - 35Z5 (Pots Dated 1957) |
|
| Lectrolab R300 - Tubes are 6SN7 6V6 5Y3 |
|
| Lectrolab Model 402 - Tubes are 35w4, 50c5, 12AU6. This was made in
Venice Florida. If it is not a Harmony, I don't know what is. |
|
| Lectrolab R500B - Tubes are 2-12AX7s, 2-6V6, 1-5Y3 (Speaker Date 1961) |
|
| Lectrolab R500C - Tubes are Two 12ax7's, two 6BQ5/EL-84, a 6AU6 and a
6CA4 (Dated 1965) |
|
| Lectrolab R600B - Tubes are 2-6v6, 1-65h7?, 1-5y3, 2-7025/12ax7 (Dated
1961) |
|
Read about Jeff Brobofsky's experience restoring a derelict
R800.
| Lectrolab S950 Head - 2 - EL84 and several 12AX7 |
|
| Unknown Model Early Lectrolab (looks like a Valco to me) |
|
I will be adding more amps as I can find them.
