The Jetson Amp ...by Guitar Bob Ohsiek

The Jetson Amp

...by Guitar Bob Ohsiek

Another low budget combo using scavenged parts and lumber. [I think all I spent was $10 for the handle, $7 for the white piping, and $6 for fabric.]

I'd been holding onto the salvaged amp chassis for years. It was originally either a stripped 20-watt jukebox or organ amp carcass with two neat looking trannies and burnt sockets for two skinny power tubes...that's all there was. I finally got this going when a friend found me four anodized TV legs...which called for the 'Marvin the Martian' motif.

I added sockets for four 6P3S's [some wimpy Russian 6L6 types I had] and two 12A*7's, added a 12-inch EV Force speaker, made a box and Mod-Podged some Tiki sansile around it. Luckily I had some large radio knobs saved. They spin but that's about it. The real controls are accessed from the back, where I wired up a preamp, pilot light, on/off switch, input jack, and so forth.

It sounds real soft and bluesy, like a big tube compressor—but still a nice, bright tone...maybe it's the perfect '50s rec room jam amp. If/when I want more power maybe I'll change from cathode bias back to fixed bias.

I'm going to add violet LEDs inside once I figure out how to power them. [I say you can't have too much eye-candy nonsense in this biz!] I'll post hideous inside shots then.

I finally got the LEDs goin' in the Jetson TV amp. I found a cheap little chrome bezel w/ 6 UV-colored LEDs in front. That'll finish it off, at least until I find a Philco or some other TV badge.

I bought a similar fixture for inside, a 7-inch bar w/ about 8 blue LEDs. There's really nothing worth lighting up back there, but what the heck. They almost wash out the orange pilot light since they're a lot brighter than the UVs. I'll probably get some more blue ones if/when the purple ones burn out.

Guitar Bob Ohsiek: The Jetson Amp - LEDs front

Guitar Bob Ohsiek: The Jetson Amp - LEDs back

Guitar Bob Ohsiek: The Jetson Amp - Plexiglass 'port hole'

In case it needed more eye candy...

I added a plexiglass 'port hole' to better show off the blue glow.

Update; I've swapped in a Showman output tranny to better utilize the four 6L6s. It's louder!