~Space and and O' so 50's ~
That's a rocket in your pocket!
Transistor Radios make great guitar amps!
How to convert a vintage cassette tape deck player into a cool lil' guitar amp
There really isn't much in a radio amp conversion, other than adding a 1/4th input guitar jack, everything is already part of a radio or tape player. That's the wonderful part!
it's also very easy, this video says it all, watch it from begining to end and you'll be a pro...
and the overdrive on this thing is just heavenly!
it's also very easy, this video says it all, watch it from begining to end and you'll be a pro...
and the overdrive on this thing is just heavenly!
The ins and out and what it's all about
If you have found yourself here, spend some time and watch a few of the videos to see just how easy it is to turn any old radio into a guitar amp.
It usally only take an hour or so and only cost a few dollars. I have posted this short blog for the person seaching the net for information on this subject as I have noticed there isn't much out there and it is not organized.
There is also another reson I put up this page. I enjoy building and playing cigar box guitars and I hope in sharing this information with you about homemade guitars and amps, that you also become interested in making or playing a cigar box guitars or radio guitar amplifiers. It's the only guitar I play, in all of the videos on the site, no regular guitars were used.
If you like vintage Delta Blues or early Rock n' Roll just a simple 3 or 4 string cigar box guitar is alls you need to achive the tone you've always been after.
What & How to basics
First, before I begin, I would like to state that I know absoulutly NOTHING about electronics, so if I can do it so can you!
That being said, I am also not responsible for any damage you might cause yourself or property. This is not advice, just ramblings that might help you find an interesting way to amplify your guitar.
This is a simplified explanation here and the intro point, there will be more detailed instructions below, but you can convert just about anything that has a speaker....old radios ( both tube and transistor) Tape players, reel to reel, 8 track cassette and micro tape, portable record players and any handheld music device with a speaker.
A few quick thoughts,
They all so so very different, you never know what it will sound like, that's the suprise in every one.
Try to find battery powered items, especially if you are unsure of the age or if you feel uncomfortable about plugging it into the wall, tinkering with old electronics can be dangerous with AC current, however DC battery power you can experiment without much worry of danger.
A radio that is too small is difficult to get a full sound when recording, but at the same time, could be the perfect sound for you, just as a "rule of thumb" try a speaker 3 inches or better.
Tape players are the easiest to convert, it is a simple 2 wire cut, nothing more...just follow the wires to the head, cut and splice in a guitar jack...the to and from (override) and that’s it! You will also need to cut the belt or remove the motor to keep the wheels from spinning as you play.
Radios, will be covered more in depth but you simply tap into the volume power, first ground the guitar, then touch the positive ( hot ) on the back of the volume potentiometer till you find the correct lead with either a volt meter or a guitar cable spliced and strumming it while in your lap.
What Radios make a great guitar amps?
For me, this is an ever evolving answer, but so far I have a style and theme that works and I will share with you what I have discovered.
First, I don't know anything about electronics, so what I did was tore apart a bunch of radios to see how they worked, I took apart several old tube radios, clock radios, transistor radios, big and small, portable, battery power and wall plug in types, from the 40's to modern day. I just tryed to figure out how they were made, some taking many hours to take apart as most often I had no clue how to even get the dang grill off other than cracking it off!...some were simple to disassemble, some were space age deceptively confusing!
Here is the short on what I have learned.
Battery Powered Geranium TRANSISTOR Radios are the guitar amp hackers dream!
Vintage Transistor radios from the late 50's to late 70's are easy to override and have the sound of traditional amplifiers. News flash...that's what the are...they are small amplifiers!
The ones you want are the early transistors that are made of geranium., They have a unique sound all there own. They started making geranium transistor radios sometime mid to late 50's and they all sound really great, there is ALOT of volume, they ring clear at low volume but breakup just like a solid state amp at around 6. If you find the right radio to hack, the overdrive can be awesome at 8.
Best of all, they are low wattage and battery powered, no need to plug them in a wall, that means two important things for you... they are safe, and just as important, that have a long battery life that will be cheap to operate and use. They sound exactly like guitar amps of that time.
When you don't know what your doing, only fool with battery powered radios!...period...otherwise, you can really regret tampering with vintage electronics and plugging them in your wall.
The pocket radios suck, they are too compact ...basically if it has no handle and a wrist strap or is in a little leather case it will be a bit too small to waste you time with. I have noticed as soon as you turn them on, they are distorted, it's the small speaker that is the biggest problem. Look for a radio that's at least 5 by 5 inches or so with at least a 3 inch speaker that will ensure the speaker is big enough to have an effect on the tone....other wise the pocket radios or Walkman style are gonna be a very limited conversion and will not record well.
Radios with a slider volume dial are not as easy to tap wire as the knob volume style, The side mount slider dial you have to remove the whole inside board (or free up access) to free up space for your operation on the volume and the slider is very difficult to access without breaking it because the plastics are usually brittle, its also usually pressed on one way! However the volume knob style, you don't even need to remove it from the body because its prongs are exposed on the backside and ready to tap and solder.
Allot of the time in the 70's they also had a tone knob. This is just great, No hack needed once you tap the volume knob...the tone knob works just like an amp!..it will either brighter or darken the sound....how cool is that!
If you look for the 70's models, they also almost all have earphone outputs (remember that one white hard plastic secret service little ear bud T thing???) that out put spot is recording gold!...that can be used as a mono preamp out, you can then record with it into 4 track or 8 tack or a USB port and run it into anything from of digital interface to a Protools type DAW software...the possibilities are endless for any mad musical scientist!....are you a "Johnny Analog" purest??? .....run it into an amp and use it just like you would as a overdrive pedal...it works really nice and will surprise you!
Lastly best advice and quickest way to learn, is get some old cheap radios from goodwill or the flea market and take them apart and see whats inside, after a few different types and styles you will figure it out what makes a good amp and what looks cool but will not be very practical as a guitar amplifier conversion.
**** Here is the section I will add to as I learn more thru experimentation.
Radio battery size effects tone!
The bigger the size of battery the fuller the tone and the more volume the radio will have.
A "D" size 1.5 is loud...Radios, with the small 4 "AA" penlight batteries are not very loud, even with big bodies and nice speaker setup!
when looking for a radio look for ones that use C batteries and D batteries, 4 or 6.
It usally only take an hour or so and only cost a few dollars. I have posted this short blog for the person seaching the net for information on this subject as I have noticed there isn't much out there and it is not organized.
There is also another reson I put up this page. I enjoy building and playing cigar box guitars and I hope in sharing this information with you about homemade guitars and amps, that you also become interested in making or playing a cigar box guitars or radio guitar amplifiers. It's the only guitar I play, in all of the videos on the site, no regular guitars were used.
If you like vintage Delta Blues or early Rock n' Roll just a simple 3 or 4 string cigar box guitar is alls you need to achive the tone you've always been after.
What & How to basics
First, before I begin, I would like to state that I know absoulutly NOTHING about electronics, so if I can do it so can you!
That being said, I am also not responsible for any damage you might cause yourself or property. This is not advice, just ramblings that might help you find an interesting way to amplify your guitar.
This is a simplified explanation here and the intro point, there will be more detailed instructions below, but you can convert just about anything that has a speaker....old radios ( both tube and transistor) Tape players, reel to reel, 8 track cassette and micro tape, portable record players and any handheld music device with a speaker.
A few quick thoughts,
They all so so very different, you never know what it will sound like, that's the suprise in every one.
Try to find battery powered items, especially if you are unsure of the age or if you feel uncomfortable about plugging it into the wall, tinkering with old electronics can be dangerous with AC current, however DC battery power you can experiment without much worry of danger.
A radio that is too small is difficult to get a full sound when recording, but at the same time, could be the perfect sound for you, just as a "rule of thumb" try a speaker 3 inches or better.
Tape players are the easiest to convert, it is a simple 2 wire cut, nothing more...just follow the wires to the head, cut and splice in a guitar jack...the to and from (override) and that’s it! You will also need to cut the belt or remove the motor to keep the wheels from spinning as you play.
Radios, will be covered more in depth but you simply tap into the volume power, first ground the guitar, then touch the positive ( hot ) on the back of the volume potentiometer till you find the correct lead with either a volt meter or a guitar cable spliced and strumming it while in your lap.
What Radios make a great guitar amps?
For me, this is an ever evolving answer, but so far I have a style and theme that works and I will share with you what I have discovered.
First, I don't know anything about electronics, so what I did was tore apart a bunch of radios to see how they worked, I took apart several old tube radios, clock radios, transistor radios, big and small, portable, battery power and wall plug in types, from the 40's to modern day. I just tryed to figure out how they were made, some taking many hours to take apart as most often I had no clue how to even get the dang grill off other than cracking it off!...some were simple to disassemble, some were space age deceptively confusing!
Here is the short on what I have learned.
Battery Powered Geranium TRANSISTOR Radios are the guitar amp hackers dream!
Vintage Transistor radios from the late 50's to late 70's are easy to override and have the sound of traditional amplifiers. News flash...that's what the are...they are small amplifiers!
The ones you want are the early transistors that are made of geranium., They have a unique sound all there own. They started making geranium transistor radios sometime mid to late 50's and they all sound really great, there is ALOT of volume, they ring clear at low volume but breakup just like a solid state amp at around 6. If you find the right radio to hack, the overdrive can be awesome at 8.
Best of all, they are low wattage and battery powered, no need to plug them in a wall, that means two important things for you... they are safe, and just as important, that have a long battery life that will be cheap to operate and use. They sound exactly like guitar amps of that time.
When you don't know what your doing, only fool with battery powered radios!...period...otherwise, you can really regret tampering with vintage electronics and plugging them in your wall.
The pocket radios suck, they are too compact ...basically if it has no handle and a wrist strap or is in a little leather case it will be a bit too small to waste you time with. I have noticed as soon as you turn them on, they are distorted, it's the small speaker that is the biggest problem. Look for a radio that's at least 5 by 5 inches or so with at least a 3 inch speaker that will ensure the speaker is big enough to have an effect on the tone....other wise the pocket radios or Walkman style are gonna be a very limited conversion and will not record well.
Radios with a slider volume dial are not as easy to tap wire as the knob volume style, The side mount slider dial you have to remove the whole inside board (or free up access) to free up space for your operation on the volume and the slider is very difficult to access without breaking it because the plastics are usually brittle, its also usually pressed on one way! However the volume knob style, you don't even need to remove it from the body because its prongs are exposed on the backside and ready to tap and solder.
Allot of the time in the 70's they also had a tone knob. This is just great, No hack needed once you tap the volume knob...the tone knob works just like an amp!..it will either brighter or darken the sound....how cool is that!
If you look for the 70's models, they also almost all have earphone outputs (remember that one white hard plastic secret service little ear bud T thing???) that out put spot is recording gold!...that can be used as a mono preamp out, you can then record with it into 4 track or 8 tack or a USB port and run it into anything from of digital interface to a Protools type DAW software...the possibilities are endless for any mad musical scientist!....are you a "Johnny Analog" purest??? .....run it into an amp and use it just like you would as a overdrive pedal...it works really nice and will surprise you!
Lastly best advice and quickest way to learn, is get some old cheap radios from goodwill or the flea market and take them apart and see whats inside, after a few different types and styles you will figure it out what makes a good amp and what looks cool but will not be very practical as a guitar amplifier conversion.
**** Here is the section I will add to as I learn more thru experimentation.
Radio battery size effects tone!
The bigger the size of battery the fuller the tone and the more volume the radio will have.
A "D" size 1.5 is loud...Radios, with the small 4 "AA" penlight batteries are not very loud, even with big bodies and nice speaker setup!
when looking for a radio look for ones that use C batteries and D batteries, 4 or 6.
Build a vintage transistor radio guitar amp ~ How to make a guitar amp from a hacked radio
How to hackwire circuit bend an antique Vintage portable tube or transistor radio
Looks like a radio and a guitar..It's the Delta Tramp!
If you are looking for info on how to convert old radios into guitar amps, you also should try building a cigar box guitar!
Here is what the Do-it-Yourself music scene is all about!
Check out one of the legends of the Cigar Box Guitar Revival, Shane Speal, if you have ever wondered just what is possible with a simple homemade guitar, no one else could even begin to explain as well as him!
Cigar Box Guitar Pickups
visit http://www.harrisonguitarpickups.com/
I will be posting more info about his "Americana" series pickups as soon as I can record some videos, if you build cigar box guitars, he has by far the most creative and best sounding handmade pickups for cigar box guitars.
click below to see some of the Cigar Box Guitar music CDs and DVDs
that I can send you in the mail, click here or the photo below
Thursday
Saturday
Radio Guitar Amplifier ~1968 Silvertone Tweed Amp~ still in Box
After 40 years this cool little radio was still in the box and made an awesome radio guitar amplifier.
Have a listen to my Sunday morning AM Gold.
Cigar Box guitars, making music fun again!
Friday
Tubes Vrs Transistors
The great "tonal" debate
Portable tube radios were made popular for about 15 years from after the 2nd world war in the mid 40's till about the late 50's. they are expensive to operate nowadays because the batteries are not common, they use "B" size batteries that are up to 20 dollars a piece and they are only sold by radio parts shops and online.(they look and plug in like a 5 inch long 9 volt battery)
Most often they came equipeted with AC/DC power options, so you could also plug them in the wall.
For the novice they are not good candidates, espically if you are a beginner, the 2 prong wall plug in ones are strait up dangerous, if they are old and if you don't know what your doing it will trip your circuit breaker in your house or worse, once I plugged one in my house backwards and it tripped the circuit breaker, and the worse part, I didn't know at the time it hit the reset thing on the back of my fridge...I found out about 8 hours latter when all the food in my fridge was hot!
The first issue is they are NOT guitar amps, there is no 3-prong power cord and an isolation transformer. The radio connects the AC directly to the heaters, which is a real hazard and can present danger to the user....live AC on the metal chassis!!!.. If you plug the 2-prong cord in the wrong way, the chassis would get 120 volts.
Old tube Radios do not have a isolation transformer, the wall power has physical access to the chassis/circuit. If things go wrong, you are holding the wall voltage in your hands. The isolation transformer provides a physical disconnect between the wall power and the chassis.
So, old outdated tube radios are a risky venture!
But,
They do have have a pleasant and wonderful chime, however they are not very loud when converted,there is also is no overdrive and very little volume boost, it's like medium, to medium with sugar on top, those little radio tubes has no drive and lack power like solid state transistors (thats one of they reasons why electonric makers switched).Transisitors offer small size, lots of power and use very little DC power compared to vacum tubes.
All that said, tubes do however have an indescribable warmth or tone color that is really nice and very interesting. For more info, check out valvechild.com, he makes just tube radio amp conversions.....Remember, before attempting to plug a guitar into a radio you've hacked that's plugged into to the wall, it needs to be properly grounded to be safe. If you only have the vintage 2 prong plug and you have some wires loose or you've hacked the wrong lead......hello, you might not have a very good day when you try to plug it in.
Radio Tube Amp Conversions
Most radios from the 40's,50's and 60's are usally broken and far to dificult to repair, espically the portable tube radios. However, they are THE BEST LOOKING RADIOS!...man the portable Art Deco tube radio designs of the late 40's are so ridiculously awesome! No worries, they can still be used for a transistor conversion.
This is the exciting part!
You can use thier bodies and add the do-it-yourself "cigar box amp kits" and install your own speaker or parts within a vintage radio body.
There is alot of creative directions you can explore by building your own amp with a kit, even if its your first time ever trying a project like building an amp from a kit.
You can build them to suit your musical taste, make them chime clear like a bell or add a distorion knob and gain for a mondern Rock sound.
Portable tube radios were made popular for about 15 years from after the 2nd world war in the mid 40's till about the late 50's. they are expensive to operate nowadays because the batteries are not common, they use "B" size batteries that are up to 20 dollars a piece and they are only sold by radio parts shops and online.(they look and plug in like a 5 inch long 9 volt battery)
Most often they came equipeted with AC/DC power options, so you could also plug them in the wall.
For the novice they are not good candidates, espically if you are a beginner, the 2 prong wall plug in ones are strait up dangerous, if they are old and if you don't know what your doing it will trip your circuit breaker in your house or worse, once I plugged one in my house backwards and it tripped the circuit breaker, and the worse part, I didn't know at the time it hit the reset thing on the back of my fridge...I found out about 8 hours latter when all the food in my fridge was hot!
The first issue is they are NOT guitar amps, there is no 3-prong power cord and an isolation transformer. The radio connects the AC directly to the heaters, which is a real hazard and can present danger to the user....live AC on the metal chassis!!!.. If you plug the 2-prong cord in the wrong way, the chassis would get 120 volts.
Old tube Radios do not have a isolation transformer, the wall power has physical access to the chassis/circuit. If things go wrong, you are holding the wall voltage in your hands. The isolation transformer provides a physical disconnect between the wall power and the chassis.
So, old outdated tube radios are a risky venture!
But,
They do have have a pleasant and wonderful chime, however they are not very loud when converted,there is also is no overdrive and very little volume boost, it's like medium, to medium with sugar on top, those little radio tubes has no drive and lack power like solid state transistors (thats one of they reasons why electonric makers switched).Transisitors offer small size, lots of power and use very little DC power compared to vacum tubes.
All that said, tubes do however have an indescribable warmth or tone color that is really nice and very interesting. For more info, check out valvechild.com, he makes just tube radio amp conversions.....Remember, before attempting to plug a guitar into a radio you've hacked that's plugged into to the wall, it needs to be properly grounded to be safe. If you only have the vintage 2 prong plug and you have some wires loose or you've hacked the wrong lead......hello, you might not have a very good day when you try to plug it in.
Radio Tube Amp Conversions
Most radios from the 40's,50's and 60's are usally broken and far to dificult to repair, espically the portable tube radios. However, they are THE BEST LOOKING RADIOS!...man the portable Art Deco tube radio designs of the late 40's are so ridiculously awesome! No worries, they can still be used for a transistor conversion.
This is the exciting part!
You can use thier bodies and add the do-it-yourself "cigar box amp kits" and install your own speaker or parts within a vintage radio body.
There is alot of creative directions you can explore by building your own amp with a kit, even if its your first time ever trying a project like building an amp from a kit.
You can build them to suit your musical taste, make them chime clear like a bell or add a distorion knob and gain for a mondern Rock sound.
Tuesday
How to hackwire circuit bend an antque Vintage portable tube radio
Build a vintage transistor radio guitar amp ~ How to make a guitar amp from a hacked radio
What a dreamy radio guitar amp!
Here is a hack in progress.
Here it is in action!
What a dreamy radio guitar amp!
Here is a hack in progress.
Here it is in action!
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