Wabash Deluxe

[Big Jim]

This showed up at my house today. Anyone know anything about them? 12Ax7's and 5y3gt on one side fail to heat. The 6v6 on the other side is not heating either. I just got it opened up, and I noticed the broken ground on the metal shield, and the 2 80uf caps look a bit suspicious (replaced). I did try tube substitutions, and reconnected the ground but no luck so far. I have never seen an amp like this, and there is almost nothing online about them. I heard that Hubert Sumlin used to play one of these. Man, talk about long leads to the pots!

[M Fowler]

Kool project lucky dog.

[xtian]

Well, I see three more electrolytics that will need to be replaced (including one that's leaking). But why not start easy? Pull the tubes and check PT secondary voltages. Then put the rectifier back in and check B+ voltages.

Let me know if I'm talking too fast!

[Big Jim]

Well, I see three more electrolytics that will need to be replaced (including one that's leaking). But why not start easy? Pull the tubes and check PT secondary voltages. Then put the rectifier back in and check B+ voltages.

Let me know if I'm talking too fast!

Not at all. That one cap that looks like it was leaking out the side? Nope.... some kind of old bug cocoon or something. Came right off. Not to say this thing isn't overdue for a cap job. Can anyone put an age on this thing?

[rdjones]

I'm guessing early '50s.

What is the rest of the number on the speaker that starts with 28x ?

rd

[Reeltarded]

That's all. 28. It was the highest anyone had ever counted.. at that time.

hah

Looks no later than '55-6 for sure.

[Big Jim]

I'm guessing early '50s.

What is the rest of the number on the speaker that starts with 28x ?

rd

The number I see is 6230....

[rdjones]

I'm guessing early '50s.

What is the rest of the number on the speaker that starts with 28x ?

rd

The number I see is 6230....

[Big Jim]

Got it RD,
285131, I'm guessing maybe 1951???

Update, PT and rectifier are making power. The guys had a 6V6 in the rectifier socket, and a Rectifier tube in one of the power tube sockets. It's looking like a 4 X 6v6 amp. All tubes except 12ax7's are heating now. Need to do a little poking around there now! Man that tiny PT seems awful small for 4 6v6's

[Prairie Dawg]

Some Wabash amps were made by Danelectro. A picture would be helpful.

[Big Jim]

Some Wabash amps were made by Danelectro. A picture would be helpful.

Yes , I read that the Wabash was a Danelectro design. I'm just trying to take my time, do as little as is needed, and wake this old amp up in one piece. I just hope they didn't cook the anything with the tube misplacements. The rear panel is missing, I wonder if the tube chart was on that?

[Phil_S]

Just speculating here...4x 6v6, was there any interest in an amp with that much power and that configuration in 1951? My impression of that era is no and not in that configuration. Maybe 2x 6L6 to get 30-40W. On that set of assumptions, I'll go out on a limb and say it's 1961, not 1951. But I don't really know.

It sure would be nice to find a 7 digit EIA code with a decade digit. Check everything you can -- pots, caps, tubes, transformers. Maybe you'll get lucky.

[Big Jim]

You got it. It had 6v6 and 6y6g in it. Like I said, and not where they should be. I have been able to find zilch online about these amps. Looking at the wiring up to the controls, it seems impoossible that all of that stuff could still be working. But yet we press on......I'll scour the thing and see what I can find.

[Firestorm]

The Danelectro Commando was 4 x 6V6, but not made until mid-to-late 50s (also had 8 speakers). Check the octal socket wiring: if more than two of them are output tubes, you can tell pretty quick. The few things I can find for this amp suggest 2 x 6L6, but it also looks like there may have been some with 15" speakers and some with 12"s, so who knows what else may be different. You should see what impedance the OT is wound for.

[M Fowler]

The amps I have seen online used two 6V6, PI 6N7, preamp 6SJ7 and 12AX7s.

Mark