Premier Amplifiers

rob · Post by **rob** » Wed Jan 14, 2004 7:51 pm

I have an old Premier amplifier, a Model 120 dated from the mid-1950's. Although it has been known best for harp use, I still play my 330 through it. It doesn't have much power (25 watts, maybe???) but it does the job for just practicing. Does anyone have one or has had one? Comments?

http://www.harpamps.com/premier/model110.html

Scroll down about halfway. I have one just like it. The Model 120.

philco · Post by **philco** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 9:49 am

That looks like a nice amp. What happened to them? Were they very limited production? It looks like better wood and workmanship than you would usually get back at that time. Notice the top and front from a single curved piece of wood. How often do you even see that in a modern boutique amp?

rob · Post by **rob** » Mon Jan 19, 2004 8:18 pm

I actually got this amp a few years ago from this guy I work with. He was going to throw it, so I took it from his garbage pile. What I spent to fix it is probably what it's worth. I see a few from time to time on Ebay going for a few more dollars than what I paid to fix it.

They were made by Multivox in NYC from the 1930's/40's till about the mid 70's. I took this amp because it's just so darn cool to look at. It's definately a "Head Turner."

As I said before, it doesn't crank out much power for guitar, but at a moderate volume, it does sound very nice. But it was cheap!

philco · Post by **philco** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 9:53 am

I like the looks of one on the very bottom, but the photo isn't clear enough to tell if it is solid wood or vinyl/veneer covered plywood.

rob · Post by **rob** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 9:20 am

Most likely, it's the best vynil/veneer covered plywood that money could buy. That's basically what mine is. Premier amps were the amps you bought if you couldn't afford the Fender Tweed.

The wierdest thing about this amp is that it has a metal "grill" set at an angle behind the speaker. It looks similar to a heater vent in a house. I emailed Keith Graham (The webmaster at JT30.com) about this, and he said that it is supposed to "break up" any back pressure by the speaker. I guess this means it makes a better quality sound? The only time I know it's there is when I crank on it and hear it rattling.

philco · Post by **philco** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 2:00 pm

Mount any metal grills between 2 rubber washers or o-rings and that will stop any rattling.

rob · Post by **rob** » Thu Jan 22, 2004 8:29 pm

I was actually thinking about removing it, but that will be one more extra thing to trip on around my place. I think I'll try that rubber washer thing the next time I have it apart.

I was thinking of doing a retubing job on this ol' geezer pretty soon, and was thinking of going with GT brand tubes or maybe a set of Sovteks. Do you have a preference of tube manufacturer that you could recommend, Phillip?

I'd like to get a little bit more power out of it. Maybe a little more bite, but not too harsh of a sound. Any recommendations?

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Jan 24, 2004 7:53 am

Those are really cool looking amps, I love those old 40's and 50's amps.
Does it have 6V6 power tubes like the other 120? If so I think 6L6's may be direct replacements, I doubt you would get any more power out of it though, I think you are limited by the plate voltage. You may get more head room though.

philco · Post by **philco** » Sat Jan 24, 2004 4:38 pm

6V6 tubes are quite a bit different from 6L6 tubes. You can get more volume by putting in something like a Celestion Vintage 30 or G12H30 speaker. My G12H80 speaker that I got for $50 delivered will tear the house apart in my 40 watt YCV40 amp. If Godzilla played guitar, the G12H80 would be his speaker. It even makes a really decent bass speaker at home practice volumes. You lose the vintage vibe, unless paint peeling 70's hard rock is your vibe.

Angela Instruments has fair prices on NOS tubes, and their Ei ECC83 tubes at $7 each are the best value in a 12AX7 type tube. NOS 6V6 tubes are in short supply, and one of he eastern European tube factories are now turning them out, I think. www.angela.com

Avatar Speakers has great deals on Celestion and Eminence speakers. I also like JJ tubes, and they are probably the quality leaders in European tubes right now, being made in the Czech Tesla factory on Philips production tooling. Electro-Harmonix is premium Sovtek. Sovtek is just a US marketing trademark for tubes made in the Russian Reflektor factory. New Sensor Corporation owns both trademarks.

Groove Tubes is just a relabeler with a lot of marketing hype behind them. I would buy from Watford Valves in England before I would buy from them, because WV is a lot more up front and honest about where the tubes came from. A lot of what they sell is not their relabeled Harma brand. I bought some NOS Mullard tubes from them, at very fair prices.

rob · Post by **rob** » Sun Jan 25, 2004 12:37 pm

Yes, my output tubes are 6V6GT's. Kinda "Old School" looking, if you ask me. Meaning, they have been around for quite some time. But, they still look good and work quite well. I really don't use the amp much, so they aren't worn out yet.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 10:35 am

You can get new 6V6's I can't remember the manufacturers but I've seen them. Just get a matched pair, that's all you need, and I know I read somewhere (maybe wrongly) that you could substitute 6V6s with 6L6's, that you could go right up the power rating ladder with the 6V6, 6H6, etc. series of power tubes as substitutions, just not back down, but Philco knows tubes better than I do so he's probably right.