TR50 Amp question

Tube and solidstate amplifiers made by Rickenbacker

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slowbass
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TR50 Amp question

Post by slowbass »

Hello to all, sorry for my "technical english", I hope I'm intelligible !

I own a TR50 amp which I bought some 15 years ago. As it has 4 speakers (I replaced one that was broken), I assume it's the TR50G model :
Image

The serial number decoder from Rickenbacker site says it's been manufactured in 1977.
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http://www.rickenbacker.com/service_serials.asp

But I'm not sure my amp is standard. Are there other owners of this model who could help me identificate it ?
Is the front standard ?
Image
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I'm not a specialist at all and maybe I'm totally wrong, but, seeing some pictures over the web, my amp looks like a mix between the TR50G and the TR50B models.
When I opened it, I tried to compare with the schematics of the TR50G :
http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electron ... rtr50g.pdf
One can see two parts named PRE 6 and PRE 7 on the diagramm.

But my TR50 has instead parts named PRE 5A and PRE 7 :
Image
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Whereas curiously, the TR50B schematics has parts named PRE 5A and PRE 6 :
http://www.freeinfosociety.com/electron ... rtr50b.pdf

Is this normal ?

Thanks for your answers !

Here are other pictures of the amp :
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blueflamerick
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Re: TR50 Amp question

Post by blueflamerick »

Front panel looks pretty standard to me. According to the solid state amplifier catalog I have, the main difference between the G & B amps was the speaker configuration ( 4 10's for the G, 1 15 for the B) and the lack of reverb in the B (the reverb knob was replaced by a volume knob on the B).

As far as the preamp circuit boards go, I don't think it really matters which one you have. From what I can make out on the schematics, the PRE 5A and PRE 6 appear to be very similar. I'm no expert when it comes to reading these things though. Maybe the factory was out of the PRE 6 when your amp came down the line and they just threw the PRE 5A in there.
slowbass
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Re: TR50 Amp question

Post by slowbass »

Ok, thanks for your response ! I wasn't sure about the amp because when I bought it secondhand from a music shop (in the early nineties), the seller told me it was one of their "demonstration amps" : I was a bit surprised when I saw it had been built in 77 ! :)
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jwilli
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Re: TR50 Amp question

Post by jwilli »

Not sure if this will help: My TR50 (4x10) is QS 3994. Mine is a guitar amp as per JH. Our amps are indentical on the outside. I haven't opened mine up though.
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Ontario_RIC_fan
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Re: TR50 Amp question

Post by Ontario_RIC_fan »

Very cool amp! I have a TR25 coming soon!
Brian Morton
A Rickenbacker Fan
in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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67 FG 625
74 JG 4000
76 JG 430
77 JG 620
77 JG 320
79 MG 450
79 JG 4001
80 FG 620/12
81 BG 480
91 JG 610
02 BG 620
78 TR7
83 TR25
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