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MMD > Archives > March 1998 > 1998.03.03 > 16Prev  Next


Strange Storytone Piano
By Darrell Clarke

Hello Dan,  In your MMD posting you said:

> I'm planning on restoring it to original, possibly minus the tube-type
> amplifiers.  They may be replaced with solid state since vacuum tubes
> are difficult to come by.

That might not be the case, as many tubes used in WW2 and later were
made in very large quantities and are often available new at reasonable
prices.  There is, however, a buoyant market for power audio tubes and
some of the more exotic types command a high premium.  It would be
worth checking some of the sources of these tubes, such as Antique
Electronic Supply.  Here is their address; they are available on the
Web:

  Antique Electronic Supply
  6221 S Maple Avenue
  Tempe, AZ 85283
  Phone 602-820-5411
  Fax 800-706-6789 (U.S. and Canada) or 602-820-4643
  e-mail: info@tubesandmore.com
  www.tubesandmore.com

Might I suggest even if you do use solid state amplifiers, that you
restore the tube amplifiers as far as possible or at least retain them
intact for originality (future restorers will appreciate this!).  Other
components such as capacitors may also need replacing and these are
available from the same sources.  If you can get a set of new tubes
plus spares, unless you intend to use the piano on a regular basis,
they should last for many years.  In years to come, the solid state
components may be even harder to replace, although originality would
not be an issue!

Good luck,

Darrell Clarke,
Adelaide, South Australia
(restorer of vintage radios as well as mech. music instruments)

 [ The former Soviet Union manufactures for export many of the old
 [ standard audio tubes.  Much Soviet electronic equipment was never
 [ replaced with transistor designs, and so their factories have been
 [ in continuous operation for many decades, still making exactly the
 [ same components that the West quit making in the 1970s!
 [ -- Robbie


(Message sent Wed 4 Mar 1998, 01:14:05 GMT, from time zone GMT+1100.)

Key Words in Subject:  Piano, Storytone, Strange

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