Volutone amps & guitars

[Matt Johnson]

Thanks Ron, hope I can find someone who'd want to work on it. The logo is made out of wood, and very brittle. Not sure about the date, it's been tough trying to find info.

[Ron Whitfield]

Matt, it probably won't be a matter of finding someone qualified, who WANT'S to work on it, but finding someone that CAN do it.

My amp tech was stoked to do the preliminary testing to find the problems with mine for free, just cause it's such a cool and rare amp, but suggested I find a super good tech who's up to speed on ancient amps to get it fully functionable, but warned it would be mucho dinero, cause mine is totally fried.
So, unless I can find a near basket case for cheap that funtions well enuf to swap gut's with, mine will just be a sweet 'looker'.

[Ray Montee]

As some of you might recall, I have an old Volu-Tone amp that I had restored by a gentleman down in Calif.
He lives just north of SFO and used to be the sound man for "the GREATFUL DEAD" (I believe it was) for some ten years +/-.

My amp is just like JERRY BYRD's amp that's in the Nashville CMHofFAME. It's a Volu-Tone Mdl 5.PP.
It has either a 9 or 10 inch speaker that's either a Jensen or Rola unit. It's the one with an attached FIELD COIL. It never had the four prong plug that has been discussed here.

Dan Healy is my electronic technician and refused to make any installation that might alter this vintage amp. His firm, Classic Radio, deals with vintage car radio equipment.

It's a great little amp. Glad I had it restored.

[Rick Abbott]

Maybe look up Skip Simmons? He's known for working on Stromburg-Carlson stuff, but he must have fooled with VT amps too. Just a thought?

[Eddie Cunningham]

In 2004 I sent Jerry Byrd a letter with several questions and in very scratchy shaky handwriting he stated that he had heard Dick McIntire play thru a VoluTone amp way back when and Jerry liked the sound very much and got one for himself !! I still have and treasure that letter from Jerry !! Eddie "C" AKA the olde geezer

[Bill Creller]

Interesting stuff ! The Rola speakers were evidently popular back in those days.

[Ron Whitfield]

Healy and Simmons are the two vintage radio/amp giants I'll choose from to eventually remagnificate my VT, if any of us are still alive by then...

[Peter Huggins]

The amazing and mysterious Volu-Tone amplifier
(in ten parts)
http://youtu.be/UXPwqbsFWxY

In which two fools in search of a magic potion foist their feeble attempts to successfully revive a long dormant Volu-Tone Lap steel pickup, using a recently acquired, nearly pristine Volu-Tone amp complete with functioning energizing unit.

Folks, I say "fools" because proper safety techniques were not always followed. PLEASE DON'T TRY THIS

[Peter Huggins]

Another Volu-Tone amp has shown up on ebay:

http://r.ebay.com/pbyUQQ

Looks like the one we found, but the layout is reversed - like a mirrored image. The seller says it works, but I'd think that a competent tech should do a thorough going-thru. The same seller has a lap steel in a seperate auction. I have no idea what kind it is, never seen another like it but it kinda fascinates me:

http://r.ebay.com/e0jPj2


Also another Volu-Tone lap steel is up, from a different seller:

http://r.ebay.com/rqqvHV

[Steve Marinak]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VERY-Rare-Volu ... SwaOZbTmkO

Not mine.

[Jim Dulfer]

Here are some pictures of Volu-Tone amplifiers and accessories from the 1938 Dorn & Kirschner distributor catalog. I have two of these so email me if interested?




Picture file

[Peter Huggins]

So interested in seeing these! Email sent.