Prestige 007 Amp

I've been on a quest to find a cheap, light, vintage, and hip amp that also sounds good, to play on my patio and at friends' houses. I found it the other day in my new "Prestige 007" amp by Gregory Amps, which is reportedly a line associated with Harmony but made in the Bronx, NY. This is a super-simple, poorly-constructed amp from the early 60's. It has three tubes (12AU6, 50C5, 35W4), a 6" or so alnico speaker, and not much else. It's probably around 3-5W? It weighs just a couple of pounds. The only control is "Volume", which is also the "On/Off". It overdrives with even the slightest attack and the baffle will buzz if it doesn't like how you're playing. The OT appears to be attached to the speaker, which is a new one for me. But the amp is fantastic!

Here it is:










I think my CE-100D is too classy for the 007, so I've been playing my Harmony and Silvertone guitars with it. Of course they're a perfect, as-intended match--especially the ones with Goldfoil Dearmonds. The pictured 1963 H74 I recently acquired (pretty mint, huh?) really brings out the fuzz. The amp actually cranks pretty good and sounds a lot like Neil Young's tone, so I may be irritating my neighbors by playing it outside.

Thanks For Looking,
Caleb

Point one, is there a fuse on that thing? I don't see one.

Point two, that's a transformerless amp, the power is straight from the wall socket and the only thing protecting you is a thirty cent capacitor that leaks ac by now. Take it to a shop and get a hammond N51X isolation transformer put in.

DON'T PLAY THROUGH THIS UNTIL IT IS MADE SAFE BY A REPUTABLE AMP TECH. IF YOU PUT IT IN THE WRONG WAY THE CHASSIS WILL HAVE WALL VOLTAGE ON THE CHASSIS!

If there is an electrical fault, you find yourself holding on to a guitar whose strings are charged with 115 volts @ 15 amp or whatever the circuitbreaker's rating is at the breaker box..

It had just come from a radio tech when I bought it. I'll take a look in detail and make an appointment with a tech. I know those old Supro Bantams didn't have transformers and were supposed to be sketchy. What's the history of isolation transformers in amps--why weren't they put in to begin with (other than cost)? It seems there should have been some system of safety standards in the 60's. Why weren't 100s of guitar-playing children killed?

Cause life was cheap and death was free?

Cost is the only reason.

Guild Beginner said:

... It seems there should have been some system of safety standards in the 60's .... Why weren't 100s of guitar-playing children killed?

Click to expand...

Hi Caleb and congratulations on your new-to-you amp. This is a link to an LTG discussion including good pics of the ins and outs of an isolation transformer for member ChrisB's Danelectro Cadet including some very strong stuff from the Gent who for years was the heart and soul of the Magnatone/Valco BB, CJ (that would be the real CJ ... no relation :wink: ) Poulous (sp?).

Back then, you didn't have to have a UL label for electrical stuff; the presence of the label was commonly treated as a selling point but more importantly, no label meant that the manufacturer didn't carry any product liability insurance. Further, anybody building these was doing so with component parts that didn't carry UL labels. It's expensive and time-consuming to get a UL label and the costs are paid by the person seeking the label.

The deal, then as now, was no UL label = no insurance. Because of threat of personal injury lawsuits, today I don't think anybody'd be crazy enough to sell electrical devices without a UL label/product liability insurance. Btw, who's to say that back in the day 100s of guitar-playing kids didn't get electrocuted; they used to call it 'bad luck'.

Anyway, get some protection for yourself; line transformers are cheap insurance.

I have been electrocuted by too many vintage amps on stage. If you got close to a microphone from a PA...... You would be very sorry. Cool looking amp, but get some proper mods to make it safe.

Jeff

My son got bit from a similar style piece I had the poor judgement to purchase at a show...basement floor, no shoes just socks, you get the idea. Couldn't get that amp out of here fast enough!

Looking at those caps, they have never been changed out. Be very, very careful.