Help with tube compliment of Alamo Amp 6A

TimC · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:13 pm Post subject:

Bigsbyguy, ebays policy against firearms keeps me from ever considering using them to buy anything. I've forgotten the details on using pot codes to identify dates. I'm sure it's in one of my books, but it would take a lot of digging to find it. I don't work on amps much anymore. I've been giving away some of my amps to my son and nephew who still play regularly. I hate to see these old amps just sitting there gathering dust.
I live way out in the sticks also. Usually this is just to my liking, but can be a pain when you run out of something and need it now.
I'll check back in a week to look at those Alamo pictures.

Bigsbyguy · Tadpole Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 23 Location: NM

I love living out here. Billy the kid probably rode right by my place since Tunstall was shot up the canyon and the Lincoln County War was started. UNtil I got B&E'd! They swiped my model 99 Savage and 12ga SxS, a compound bow Tools. Didn't take any good instruments though. Sinc ethen I've beefed up security!
The pot codes are 6 digits , the first 3 are the manufacturer's EIC code and the last 3 are liek this, the first one is the last number of the year and the next 2 are the week of that year. For example
304311 304 is Stackpoles # 3 is 53, 11 is the 11th week of 53 or March. That tells you when the part was made and the amps aren't alot older usually.
I'm guessing you know there's a web site similar to eBay just for guns?

TimC · Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 6:18 pm Post subject:

Hey Bigsbyguy, I just looked around and I'm an Alamo owner too. I have a little Alamo Dart that I forgot I had. Someone probably gave it to me and I tuned it up, only to stick and away and forget about it.

Bigsbyguy · Tadpole Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 23 Location: NM

As promised here's some shots of my current 1952 Alamo Amp-6a. The last shot is of the first one I owned, a 1955 model. The 1960 catalog shows Birch cab amps but I've seen the later 50's amps covered with cloth tweed style covering. I wasn't aware it was that figured until the flash went off! Laughing

The 12AX7 under the cover between the 5881's and 5AR4 is for the tremolo. It came with tube covers for the other 12AX7's but I had them off when I took the shot.

The Jensen P15N in this amp is the cleanest one I've ever seen. You could literally eat off it! You can make out a bit of the tube chart in the bottom of the amp. If you want to see a pic of the chart just ask.

The cover was an EXTREMELY exceptional find! Thanks to the worlds largest flea market, eBay!

The steel was built in Amarillo circa 1956, so this could have been a real rig for some lucky guy to play Panhandle Rag on!

Bigsbyguy · Tadpole Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 23 Location: NM

Here's a picture of typical pot showing the EIC (I used to know what that stood for) code.

What this shows is 100K pot, made by Stackpole (304) 1956 50th week (650)

TimC · Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:30 pm Post subject:

That is one nice looking amp Bigsbyguy. Finding the right cover was the icing on the cake. It looks like it was well made.

Bigsbyguy · Tadpole Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 23 Location: NM

Tim the chassis is not deep enough really and the 5 push button switch makes repairs a pain. At least that's what my tech tells me Laughing

And he's service both the ones I've had.
The cab is pretty solid. The veneer on them usually chips badly. This only has 1 real bad spot on the back panel. All in all it's in excellent shape. The amps still off being serviced so I haven't gigged with it yet. It's done, I just gotta send payment so it should be back soon. The first couple days I played it, it sounded great. I figure even if it's just a practice/ living room amp it's worth having casue it looks so freakin' cool!!
I gotta say again I've never seen a cleaner P15N, in an amp or out.

Bigsbyguy · Tadpole Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 23 Location: NM

I realized I had a shot of the Tube Chart in my files so here it is. I took a piece of that hard clear plastic packing material and stapled it over the chart so it won't get destroyed.