Is it worth it to take apart an old tube radio?

sillycheesedude · Post by **sillycheesedude** » 13 Jan 2011, 02:04

I have a Stromberg Carlson AM tube radio from 1947 with a non working phonograph. Is it worth opening up for parts or is the mojo too old? The model is 1110 and the am part works fine.

DrNomis · Post by **DrNomis** » 13 Jan 2011, 02:22

sillycheesedude wrote:I have a Stromberg Carlson AM tube radio from 1947 with a non working phonograph. Is it worth opening up for parts or is the mojo too old? The model is 1110 and the am part works fine.

It depends on if it is economical enough to repair/restore,there are quite a few people collecting and restoring old vintage radios like the Stromberg Carlson radio you have there....

Scruffie · Post by **Scruffie** » 13 Jan 2011, 02:24

The Mojo other than the Tubes is too old I think, Now if you Fixed it and turned it into a guitar amp

Or as Simon Says, it may hold Value to a collector, Repaired or Not.

DrNomis · Post by **DrNomis** » 13 Jan 2011, 02:38

I agree,if you can find a schematic for it,you shouldn't have much trouble modifying the radio for use as a guitar amplifier,Queen's guitarist,Brian May,actually did something like this with his family's radio when he was just starting out...

My Dad bought an old Valve Radio from an Auction,for me,I'm not sure what vintage it was,but it used some later noval (9 pin) based valves,I did some very simple mods to it to enable me to plug my guitar into it,it sounded pretty cool,but the power supply filter cap blew,and I had to replace it,then the tone control didn't work anymore,a pity because it sounded really warm for something using a single EL84 Power Pentode in Class-A operation,you should have heard the really warm bassy sound it used to have,I since pulled it apart for bits and pieces....

Just be careful that the radio doesn't happen to be using what's called a Live-Chassis power system for the valve heaters and HT supply,these types of radios can be death-traps for the unwary,if you find a schematic and you can see that the Chassis is connected to mains earth,then it should be safe enough,but make sure that there is no way the chassis can become live....

sillycheesedude · Post by **sillycheesedude** » 13 Jan 2011, 14:49

After further testing it appears that the problem with the turntable portion is just the motor. it is connected to the amplifier via a phono jack in the back. As soon as I make sure it is properly grounded I think I am going to do some tinkering. I may just pull the phonograph portion out and use the vacant space as a pedalboard.

DrNomis · Post by **DrNomis** » 13 Jan 2011, 14:52

sillycheesedude wrote:After further testing it appears that the problem with the turntable portion is just the motor. it is connected to the amplifier via a phono jack in the back. As soon as I make sure it is properly grounded I think I am going to do some tinkering. I may just pull the phonograph portion out and use the vacant space as a pedalboard.

Sounds like a cool idea....