Anybody know the model?

[RHGraham]

Old National, single 12", 2 6V6 and 5Y3 recto... is this the Valco 510-2 ?

Any intel would be appreciated

Randal

[tubeswell]

What does it say on the inside?

[Andy Le Blanc]

Manufactures used make for several brands, like National made by valco.
I'd like to find more info about production numbers too, it is confusing.

Even the schematics of different brands show common manufacturing decisions.
Like wards had one tone control scheme and supros had another.

[Sonny ReVerb]

A guy by the name of Terry Dobbs was christened 'Mr. Valco' by the TQR. Here is an interesting read about him and some of the many Valco amps out there. (The section about the theft of some of SRV's equipment was interesting as well.) You can reach Terry here. Evidently, he doesn't live too far from me, but I've never met him. I should probably look him up one of these days...

[Structo]

Great story thanks!

[RHGraham]

Manufactures used make for several brands, like National made by valco.
I'd like to find more info about production numbers too, it is confusing.

Even the schematics of different brands show common manufacturing decisions.
Like wards had one tone control scheme and supros had another.

This amp came to me a while back for a rush re-tube and the pictures I took inside didn't turn out, as it turns out..... way big bummer.

It's of course a Valco amp from Chicago, and I'm fairly positive it's a 510 model, just not sure of the sub-number. I'd like to know though, because when I played it, it blew away pretty much every other amp I've played through in my 35-odd years of playing, the little sucker was unbelievable!

I had taken a slew of pics, but I didn't get to talk to the customer directly ( long story) so I didn't feel it was right to pull the chassis and check it out further. I did take a bunch of pics, but the whole deal was rushed and I didn't think to make sure the pics were good.

In any case, I'm fairly sure it's a 510-2 , as it had a weird pre-amp tube that looked like it must have been a 6j7, had the lead on the top of the metal case, and had another octal besides, which would have been the PI.
All I had time to do was install the 6V6 pair and the 5Y3 and plugged it in... and wow.... made my tweed deluxe seem anemic in comparison.

I have the schem I think, that's why I was trying to confirm the model for sure, I'm gonna have to build one, or a variation, for sure.

Randal

[Andy Le Blanc]

There really is no substitute for "old", 16/13th of the tone. You can make
good general assumptions about the power side but pull your self together
a good pile of old bones to find caps, the material and age counts, the value
drifts up, and don't discount ceramics. It most likely has a fixed paraphase inverter,
likely no global feedback, and preserves the high impedance between
the pre and inverter with very simple tone controls.

[Sonny ReVerb]

I sent Terry Dobbs an email to see if he could help. Here is his reply:

That amp sounds like an early National 1220 amp, the same amp as the early model Supro Supreme made in the early 50's. It should have a 5Y3, 2-6V6, a 6sc7 and a 6J7, 10" 4 ohm field coil Rola speaker, really just a great old time Chicago sounding amp. Pass this on and hope it is helpful.

Thanks for the kind response, Terry!

[RHGraham]

Thanks Sonny, and Terry !
Very helpfull, and deeply appreciated, gives me more to work with.

Randal