The Organ Forum

Here is yet another Gulbransen amp for sale on e-bay

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gulbransen-Organ-Tube-AMP-6BQ5-Push-Pull-Type-Mono_W0QQitemZ120170005347QQihZ002QQcategoryZ73369QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

I have seen several Gulbrasnen tube amps for sale during the past few weeks.  I hope this is not some sort of trend.  Well I'm not one to tell anyone what to do with their own property, but I still get a little upset when I see stuff like this.  It's a shame that the amp ends up being worth more than the organ itself.  For all their tonal limitations compared to more modern instruments, I still think the early Gulbransens were beautiful sounding instruments and were actually quite flexible with the types of styles/sounds it can produce.  You can hear some examples for yourself (featuring my bungled playing ) here:

 http://newjersey.craigslist.org/msg/435767207.html

A related tech note - one of the Mallory caps pictured in they ebay listing has staining on the top.  Does this usually mean the the electrolytic has started to leak?  Just wondering - I still have so much to learn.

- Jim

Assuming that Hammond did not limit the frequency response to try and eliminate keyclick (which they often did), a bi-amp setup can sound very good. Even if they did install a filter network, this level of electronics is quite basic and can be reverse-engineered. I'm sure with a little ingenuity, you could have a very nice 1950's Hi-Fi setup using what you have. And with dual amplifiers (assuming they are both equal) you could have a stereo pair. Now THAT would likely sound phenomenal. 

I'm not calling myself an audiophool, but I've heard my share of H.H. Scott equipment. Let me tell you -once you hear 1950's hi-fi glory, you never forget it!

 I had a 1955 Nordemende-Sterling tabletop radio made in germany that I used to listen to every single morning. AM 740 from toronto would come in crystal clear and the sound that radio could make was mind-boggling. I gave it to my father as a fathers day present. He listens to it even more than I did! Here it is.

Orgrinder010:

you could have a very nice 1950's Hi-Fi setup using what you have. And with dual amplifiers (assuming they are both equal) you could have a stereo pair. Now THAT would likely sound phenomenal.

Enlighten me, what would having a very nice 1950's Hi-Fi setup accomplish? What is it to be used for? Is this something I would want to use for playing back LPs, 8 track, home theater sound or use as a PA?

Don't get me wrong, I am/was an audiophile, but I never dug into it deep enough to use valve amps for audio playback.

                                    -Joe
 

You guys haven't heard nothin yet! This is what you ought to hear:

http://fc03.deviantart.com/fs19/f/2007/259/e/6/The_Philco_Again_by_HammondsNTrains.jpg

A bit off topic, but...

Would any of you Gulbransen experts be able to identify the source of popping/crackling "blown speakerish" sounds on a Gulbransen Paragon? And it shouldn't be the speakers as I checked them and replaced one and still the same issues.  All in all, I'm not overly in love with the organ, it sounds disappointingly wimpy and bland - colourless. It can be bright, but dull-bright if you know what I mean?  Just a typical spinet I guess.  However any suggestions of causes of this problem are welcome. They seem to come and go, especially when it is cold. After the organ warms up it is less likely to appear, although there are times when it is hopelessly crackly.  It does sound like blown speakers somehow.

PrayerBookAnglican:

A bit off topic, but...

Would any of you Gulbransen experts be able to identify the source of popping/crackling "blown speakerish" sounds on a Gulbransen Paragon? And it shouldn't be the speakers as I checked them and replaced one and still the same issues.  All in all, I'm not overly in love with the organ, it sounds disappointingly wimpy and bland - colourless. It can be bright, but dull-bright if you know what I mean?  Just a typical spinet I guess.  However any suggestions of causes of this problem are welcome. They seem to come and go, especially when it is cold. After the organ warms up it is less likely to appear, although there are times when it is hopelessly crackly.  It does sound like blown speakers somehow.

 The Paragon was a transistor model, as far as I know. In which case, the problem becomes much harder to locate. You'll have to narrow it down to the precise IC board. Does it happen on all stops, or just a few? For example, if it was only noticeable when using a reed stop you could therefore assume that the output stage of the reed oscillator board is going bad. If the entire organ seems to wheeze, then you may want to check the pre-amplifier or even the main amplifier section. This organ is fairly old, so I wouldn't rule out a bad capacitor in the power amp.

Worst case, you may have a blown transistor or some obscure resistor. If that is the case, it could take a very long time to find it. 

Clavier:

Enlighten me, what would having a very nice 1950's Hi-Fi setup accomplish? What is it to be used for? Is this something I would want to use for playing back LPs, 8 track, home theater sound or use as a PA?

Don't get me wrong, I am/was an audiophile, but I never dug into it deep enough to use valve amps for audio playback. 

 

                                    -Joe
 

Thats the beauty of it, Joe. You can do whatever you want with it! Since the majority of my music library is on LP, I tend to listen to the turntable more than anything else, but internet radio piped through glowing valves sounds great as well! 

I guess what it really boils down to is a nostalgia. As far as tubes vs. solid state, I'm not going to get into that debate. 

There is just something different about it. For example, last year I had the privilege to listen to a massive 1930's Zenith Stratosphere radio. It was probably the first device built for accurate reproduction of sound. IMHO, even though it is over 70 years old, the sound could very well compete with the world class systems build today. Why? Because I feel if you build anything well enough, you'll get pleasing results -tubes and transistors alike.

Orgrinder,

Yes, it is the entire organ that sounds blown. If it is the amplifier, is it possible to locate these, or parts, online? and what sort of a job is replacement? I suppose tha visit from a serviceman would answer my questions...ka-ching ka-ching

PrayerBookAnglican,

Write to George Reynertson.  He works for Dave's Electronics and they still do servicing on the Gulbransens.  But, first, write to George directly and he can guide you from there.  He may be able to tell you what is wrong with it and what parts if any you need.  Here is the publicly available contact info from the MITA site:

Gulbransen (All Pre-1986 Models: Parts, Service and Owners Manuals and Tech Support)
Dave's Electronics
105A East Penn St.
Hoopeston, IL 60942
Phone: 217-283-5010
Fax: 217-283-5161
daveelec@cooketech.net
tech support; George Reynertson geojudy@cell1net.net
.

Didn't take too long to find another one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/GULBRANSEN-ORGAN-TUBE-AMPLIFIER-APS-80_W0QQitemZ180168081290QQihZ008QQcategoryZ73369QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Actually this is NOT a tube amplifier (as is farily obvious in the absense of tubes I would think); it is a power supply rof the entire organ, connected to a solid state amp board (looks like an AM-2 board).  The entire unit is farily well butchered - sad.