Oldest amp you still use?

NAD 3020, though it’s relegated to use in my office connected to an old iPad at work these days. Mine is 1980 vintage.

The amp I use the most is a NAD 3240PE (‘89 vintage) ‘cos it’s connected to my turntable and CD player in my study.

Both have been rebuilt by me in the last few years, so are in pretty good shape.
 
Due to limited funds I'm strictly vintage, some that get a near daily play,
Yamaha CA-1000 1974
Yamaha CA-1010 1977
Rotel RX-202 MkII 1974
Sansui AU-505 1972
Luxman SQ-505X 1972?

Most purchased as "parts units" and repaired

A few more in the shed (Yamaha A-1, Pioneer SA-8500II, PL-400,,,)
Wow envy your frugulness . I hang on to old stuff until finally not worth fixing too.
 
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Converted a 1964? Schober recital organ power amp from germanium regulator zener to silicon when I bought it in 2016. Schober was a diy organ you bought one board at a time - PCB board or case wood board. Showroom in NYC, ads in hobbiest magazines. Original builder had a little cotton filled box full of dead germanium transistors that came with the project. I bought it from his heirs who don't play organ. I use the schober amp at my summer camp trailer, to boost 1 watt FM radio into a Peavey wedge monitor at 30 watts. It has a refrigerator defrost type fan blowing on the output transistors, silicon pnp's. Rather noisy. Replaced the amp in the organ in town with a Peavey MMA-8150 mono mixer amp that can mix the organ tone generator or a mono FM radio into the organ speaker.
One of the 12 tone generator boards D#, is dead. Replacing GE oscillator transistor with SI didn't help. May be something wrong with the 3 terminal coil. Tried to buy a LCR-ESR meter this summer, CH-500 but it disappeared off ebay right before I had the money saved up. Lots of ****ese copies I won't buy.
 
Converted a 1964? Schober recital organ power amp from germanium regulator zener to silicon when I bought it in 2016. Schober was a diy organ you bought one board at a time - PCB board or case wood board. Showroom in NYC, ads in hobbiest magazines. Original builder had a little cotton filled box full of dead germanium transistors that came with the project. I bought it from his heirs who don't play organ. I use the schober amp at my summer camp trailer, to boost 1 watt FM radio into a Peavey wedge monitor at 30 watts. It has a refrigerator defrost type fan blowing on the output transistors, silicon pnp's. Rather noisy. Replaced the amp in the organ in town with a Peavey MMA-8150 mono mixer amp that can mix the organ tone generator or a mono FM radio into the organ speaker.
One of the 12 tone generator boards D#, is dead. Replacing GE oscillator transistor with SI didn't help. May be something wrong with the 3 terminal coil. Tried to buy a LCR-ESR meter this summer, CH-500 but it disappeared off ebay right before I had the money saved up. Lots of ****ese copies I won't buy.
Wow,. You are the Mcgiver of retrofit repairs. Glad you have enough interest in that stuff. It takes alot of forethought and insight to bring equipment worthy of repair back to life. Awesome Music lives on
 
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Kenwood KA-36, 1988.
Several Philips 'Powerhouse' integrated cassette/tuner/amps, with mostly Japanese silicon, late 80s to early 90s.
And a Sansui B1000 from around that time.
All work the Philips sets are in regular use, the Kenwood and the Sansui are a bit loud....so in storage.
Sansui unit is 120 W / channel, cinema loud...
 
Kenwood KA-36, 1988.
Several Philips 'Powerhouse' integrated cassette/tuner/amps, with mostly Japanese silicon, late 80s to early 90s.
And a Sansui B1000 from around that time.
All work the Philips sets are in regular use, the Kenwood and the Sansui are a bit loud....so in storage.
Sansui unit is 120 W / channel, cinema loud...
Yes I have a Pioneer amp 73 with silicone caps. Use every day
Kenwood KA-36, 1988.
Several Philips 'Powerhouse' integrated cassette/tuner/amps, with mostly Japanese silicon, late 80s to early 90s.
And a Sansui B1000 from around that time.
All work the Philips sets are in regular use, the Kenwood and the Sansui are a bit loud....so in storage.
Sansui unit is 120 W / channel, cinema loud...
 
music soothes the savage beast
Joined 2004
Paid Member
I got 50ties Magnavox console se tube amp restored in separate box, still used from time to time.

Solid state still in use is bedroom system JVC. Early 80ties.
 

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1963 LEAK STEREO 30. Germanium, beautiful sound, maybe the oldest solid state integrated stereo amp here.
The same Jimi had in his London flat. The same Barret had in his house. I changed all the 'lytics and trimmer pots. Mine has the classic balance pot that works in reverse. I've plenty of amps but always end up using this one when my brain needs vintage sound with no heat problems in the summer time.
 
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