A sweet Supro 1x10 from the 1950s. These combos are prized by harp players, as well as guitarists and lap steel players looking for singing, low-wattage tube distortion.
Time capsule: This is how amps were wired by hand more than half a century ago.
The amp is powered by a single 6V6 and sports a 12AX7 preamp tube and a 5Y3 tube rectifier.
Hi Jeff,
Recently I was reading several of your
columns concerning old amps and caps
[“Bringing a Gibson Duo-Medalist
Back to Life, Parts 1 & 2” and “Dusting
Off a Pignose G40V” in the March,
April, and June 2011 issues].
Well, they struck a chord. I just got a ’50s Supro from a drummer friend. I assumed it was a Comet because of the look, but the schematics would point to a Spectator because the only schematics that fit this chassis are for a Spectator. [Our money says it’s a ’50s Supro Comet 1610 made by Valco of Chicago. —Editor]
My friend put this amp in a closet 30 years ago when it stopped working, and there it sat in the land of dust bunnies until I bought it. Someone had bypassed the fuse—crudely, I might add—but other than that, it all seems to be stock and everything looks fine. Should I rewire the fuse correctly and fire it up? (Maybe “fire it up” isn’t the best term to use here.)
I know a visual check only goes so
far. Because of the amp’s age, should I
remove all the caps and put them on a
tester before attempting to power it up?
Or perhaps you have another suggestion?
Thanks,
Mark
Hi Mark,
Since your question contains the phrases
“stopped working” and “someone bypassed
the fuse,” my initial thought is that worrying
about the state of the caps might be a
bit premature.
First, I would pull all the tubes (mark their positions, if necessary) and remove the chassis. After repairing the fuse holder and properly fusing the amp, plug the amp into a Variac or similar unit (quite a handy device in situations like this) and connect an AC voltmeter to the high-voltage output leads of the amplifier transformer. Turn the Variac’s output voltage to zero.
Now turn the amp on. Slowly raise the output voltage of the Variac and see if you measure any output from the Supro’s transformer. If you can raise the Variac to the 90V to 100V range and voltage is still present, the transformer may be okay.
Reduce the voltage to zero again and connect your meter to the 6.3V filament output of the transformer. Raise the Variac to approximately 100V and check for the presence of about 5-6 volts.
If this is also good, I would then drop the Variac to zero, substitute a solid-state rectifier for the rectifier tube, and once again slowly raise the voltage from the Variac, while monitoring the DC voltage on the main capacitor. Do this with the capacitors facing away from you in case one decides to vent. If you can raise this voltage to the 350V range or so, reduce the Variac voltage to zero, and remove the solid-state rectifier.
Now test all the tubes. If they’re good, reinstall them. If not, get replacements—either new ones or used tubes you can confirm are working. Now you’re ready to check the amp’s operation. With a little luck, the Supro may work, but you may still want to replace the filter caps in a unit that old, as there’s no telling how good they are or how long they’ll last.
Wishing you cool Supro tones!
Warning: All tube amplifiers contain lethal voltages. The most dangerous voltages are stored in electrolytic capacitors, even after the amp has been unplugged from the wall. Before you touch anything inside the amp chassis, it’s imperative that these capacitors are discharged. If you are unsure of this procedure, consult your local amp tech.
Jeff Bober is one of
the godfathers of the
low-wattage amp revolution,
co-founded and was
the principal designer for
Budda Amplification. Jeff recently launched EAST
Amplification, and he can be reached at
pgampman@gmail.com.
Effects Bakery MECHA-PAN BAKERY Series MECHA-BAGEL OVERDRIVE
Konnichiwa, guitar lovers! 🎸✨
Are you ready to add some sweetness to your pedalboard? Let’s dive into the adorable world of the Effects Bakery Mecha-Pan Overdrive, part of the super kawaii Mecha-Pan Bakery Series!
🍩 Sweet Treats for Your Ears! 🍩
The Mecha-Pan Overdrive is like a delicious bagel for your guitar tone, but it’s been upgraded to a new level of cuteness and functionality!
Effects Bakery has taken their popular Bagel OverDrive and given it a magical makeover. Imagine your favorite overdrive sound but with more elegance and warmth – it’s like hugging a fluffy cat while playing your guitar!
Resistance to digital amps might just be futile at this point. Many tunes you hear—and an increasing number of live gigs—feature a bit of faux-tube tone somewhere in the mix. But while the sound of pro-level modelers can be nearly indistinguishable from their analog counterparts in a mix, the feel and simplicity of a real amplifiers remain appealing and even indispensable to many players. That said, modelers that make usability, convenience, and price priorities can convince even die-hard tube users to see what’s on the other side of the fence. IK Multimedia’s TONEX ONE is one modeling device that might make the cut. It’s likely the smallest, most portable modeler out there. And at $179, it’s easily the most affordable.
Big Tones, Tiny Controls
The TONEX ONE isn’t designed to put a million different options at your feet, and that economy may be the unit’s strongest feature. It features several different modes, but the primary operating mode allows you to either switch between two different models, or simply use the unit as a stompbox. Each model can be an amp, an amp and cab, a pedal, or a pedal driving an amp and cab. Judging by how deep the online repository tone.net is for user-created presets, the options are nearly endless, which speaks to the already sizable user base. It’s a little strange to consider a modeler in a package this small with so few controls. There’s a large main knob that controls volume and gain (when you’re in ALT mode), and above that are three illuminated mini knobs that control the 3-band EQ, gate, compression, and reverb. You can also plug your headphones directly into the pedal, which makes it a dynamite silent practice amp.
My experience with modelers is that high-gain tones and clean tones are relatively easy to achieve and typically very good. After unboxing the TONEX ONE, I loaded up a slightly dirty Vox-style amp to evaluate the edge-of-breakup tones. I paired the pedal with humbuckers (with a coil split option), Stratocaster single coils, and P-90s in a T-style solidbody. With each one, the Vox-style amp was punchy and clear but could also range to very nice higher-gain sounds. Naturally, each version of a modeled amp offers different gain structures, so it pays to experiment. Combining the humbuckers in a PRS SE DGT with a few hot-rodded Marshall emulations and the growl offered tones nearly as good as those from much more expensive modelers. In a blind test, I’m not sure I could hear—or feel—much of a difference. As I explored further and fine-tuned things a bit more, the ToneX One felt more alive in my hand,s and sounded much less shrill in the top end than other digital solutions I’ve encountered.
One of the most obvious tone fixers in a modeler—and maybe one of the most underutilized—is the EQ section, and kudos are due to IK for placing those controls at the fore. Being able to adjust the most immediate tone-shaping options without having to dig through menus or touchscreens is a pleasure.
There are many possible uses for the TONEX ONE. It can serve as a high-quality direct solution on your pedalboard, a portable recording interface, and a plug-and-play practice solution when high volume is a no-go. One handy setup I tried was disabling the cabinet emulation in the pedal and then plugging into the effects return of a combo amp, in this case, a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. I immediately imagined many backline amp headaches being a thing of the past. You can always plug directly into a flat-response cabinet or PA system too.
Because it has such a small footprint and streamlined controls, harnessing the unit’s full potential, and accessing all the different modes, takes a bit of effort. You can store 20 different presets within the pedal and assign them to any of the three active slots (two for dual mode and one for stomp mode). And although doing this on the fly is handy, I found it much easier to program the presets via the easy-to-use desktop editor.
The Verdict
TONEX ONE benefits from a rather singular focus and its biggest advantage is that it’s not shrouded in unnecessary layers of tweakable options. You can simply load up a base sound or two, drop it at the end of your pedalboard, and go.The included software allows you create your own models and makes swapping presets easy. I did find the multitude of modes, and their color-coded indicators, a bit confusing at times, but IK’s documentation was very clear and got me through any trouble spots. The TONEX ONE would serve well to those who want to explore digital modeling but still hold on to their analog pedalboards, and at $179 it’s a steal.
For over five decades, audiences worldwide have marveled at Baxter’s inimitable and instantly recognizable guitar playing and generational songcraft. His output spans classic records as a founding member of Steely Dan and member of the Doobie Brothers in addition to hundreds of recordings with the likes of Donna Summer, Cher, Joni Mitchell, Rod Stewart, Dolly Parton, and many more. During 2022, he initially unveiled Speed of Heat, showcasing yet another side of his creative identity and introducing himself as a solo artist.
On the Storytellers Edition, his fascinating commentary pulls the curtain back on both the process and the message of the music. This version traces the journey to Speed of Heat and its core inspirations as shared directly by Baxter in the form of detailed anecdotes, candid stories, and insightful commentary on every track.
The 12-songalbum, co-produced by Baxter and CJ Vanston, is a riveting and rewarding musical experience that features a host of brilliantly crafted originals co-written by the guitarist and Vanston, as well as inspired versions of some of the great classics. Along the way, Baxter is joined by guest vocalists and songwriters Michael McDonald, Clint Black, Jonny Lang and Rick Livingstone. Baxter notably handled lead vocals on his rendition of Steely Dan’s “My Old School.” Other standouts include "Bad Move" co-written by Baxter, Clint Black, and CJ Vanston, and “My Place In The Sun”, sung by Michael McDonald and co-authored by McDonald, Baxter and Vanston.
As one of the most recorded guitarists of his generation, Baxter’s creative and versatile playing has been heard on some of the most iconic songs in music history, including “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton and “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer.
The stunningly diverse collection of material on Speed of Heat presents a 360-degree view of the uniquely gifted musician.
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