I know, I know, you're jealous.

June 14, 2009 5:14 PM

I just lucked out huge on Craigslist. Sitting next to me is a combo organ and a Fender Princeton Blackface, which I got for free (tried to offer money, but it was refused). Now how to get the two back to working conditions... Question #1 - what can I plug in here?

The organ is a Doric combo organ of Italian lineage (has Italian on the inside of the case, even) and I don't know what to think of this power adapter. It was long before the Euro plug design, obviously, 60s area, and I don't know even if it is a power plug, as it might be the plug for a dedicated power supply. I'm going to search through Italian historical plugs, but any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

The Princeton turns on sort of, and has a nongrounded plug, and makes noise, but not music at this point. Plugging it in at one point (well, putting the power plug near the outlet) resulted in sparks, possibly caused by the polarity of the plug, which is not noted at all. As far as this goes, I would be totally cool with paying a hundred or two hundred dollars to get this shipshape - it's a hugely awesome amp which I have a definite use for and it appears to be all-or-mostly original. So, any places in the DC area (preferably not requiring lots of driving, I don't have my own car) which I could bring it to a genius who will hand it back to me sparkling and awesome?

Thanks for all your help!

posted by tmcw to media & arts (9 comments total)

I wouldn't recommend trying to fix the amp on your own unless you're really good with electronics. A vintage amp can carry a huge risk of electric shock if it's not properly grounded, and in your position (of relative ignorance) you should assume it's not properly grounded.

I found a message board post from 2008 recommending a fellow named Eric at Viking Amplifiers in Warrenton, VA. Maybe give him a call.

Yes. I'm jealous.
posted by wabbittwax at 5:51 PM on June 14

(My reference to your being relatively ignorant was to suggest you are [from what I can tell] relatively ignorant about the history and provenance of this particular amp, not that you are relatively ignorant about amplifiers or life in general.)
posted by wabbittwax at 5:53 PM on June 14 [1 favorite has favorites]

-- EDIT --

The amp works perfectly. The cable the extremely benificent individual included was a dud. Sounds beautiful, so that narrows my question down to the bizarro power plug, which almost exactly like a Europlug except for an unusual female plug. Plus the Europlug might not have been that common in the mid-sixties since it was introduced in 1963?
posted by tmcw at 6:15 PM on June 14

My guess is that that plug runs to an external adapter(s) that allow it to run on different voltages because the voltage was not common across Europe in 1963. (They're still not afaik). You'll probably have to find the correct one for the US electrical system and might have to have it built.
posted by fshgrl at 6:39 PM on June 14

If I had to guess, I'd say it's just a power input for 220v/50hz.

If you go down to the bottom of this page, you'll see an open organ -- all of them have similar power supplies inside the case. Now, I know those organs are from a different company, but seeing as how the audio output and power are all clustered together similarly in your organ, I'd wager that there's a lot of empty space inside your organ inside which a power supply exists. Can you open up the organ and see if there's an info plaque inside?
posted by suedehead at 7:53 PM on June 14

Oh, lookee what this site says:

Power cords for Vox, Doric, Howard, etc: An oft-requested item, these are virtually impossible to obtain. You basically have four options:

1: Replace the cabinet jack with a standard IEC connector. Functional, but offensive to many vintage gear enthusiasts
2: Visit a thrift shop and peruse the coffee pots, waffle irons, etc. You may find one with a connector that fits just fine, or at worst, will require some whittling of the housing to make it fit
3: Visit a hardware store and purchase a new replacement cord for a coffee pot, waffle iron, etc. I found several at my local Ace Hardware, with different pin spacing. They'd require some whittling, too.
4: Make your own, using the handy guide here: (photos)

So I think I'm right based on the instructions for #4. It's just a normal power cord. Open up the organ and if the power supply is modular and has a fuse, then I say that you should get a step-up transformer (assuming that you live in the US) and plug and jam away!
posted by suedehead at 7:59 PM on June 14

I have an old vox jaguar organ, and it looks a lot like mine. I whittled down a coffee pot cord that I bought at a hardware store. Then I wrapped it in enough electrical tape so that it was the right size to stay plugged in.
posted by umbú at 8:17 PM on June 14

A slight aside: I think 1963 is old enough that it'd have been built using paper-wrapped capacitors that might have gone kaput in the mean time. It would probably be worth taking it to someone who deals with old electronics and having them look inside, maybe replace the older caps.
posted by hattifattener at 11:12 PM on June 14

Update: Retrofitting an IEC jack did the trick as far as the power input (although, note to the wise: There are no actual, knowledgable, good electric supply places in Washington, DC. Just hang your head and buy online).

Now I've got about 50 keys working, three capacitors replaced so far, and a project on my hands...
posted by tmcw at 10:18 AM on July 21