Looking for ideas

[coldcathode]

I have finally convinced the "war department" (read WIFE) to allow me to place some "Glassware" in our formal dining room after we moved her computer desk out.

The decor in the room is all antique oak. Having gotten pretty good with wood I would like to build an Oak chassis tube amp and some full range speakers.

I would like the amp to have a "steam punk" type look. Any ideas on some "odd" almost "mad scientist" looking triodes or pentodes to use?

Perfect sound is not the object here mostly the "shock value" (not electrical shock, emotional shock and "conversation piece" type qualities are important here.

I was thinking of an 829B amp but I would like some real big bottles or odd shapes or real "glowers".

Throw any odd ideas you have at me!!

[coldcathode]

Attached is a laptop that has the "steampunk" theme, I am looking along these lines of aesthetics

[Brit01]

I have finally convinced the "war department" (read WIFE) t

How did you manage that??
Tell me your strategy

[Wavebourn]

Originally posted by Brit01



How did you manage that??
Tell me your strategy

I can guess: she just loves him.

[tubelab.com]

I have finally convinced the "war department" (read WIFE) to allow me to place some "Glassware" in our formal dining room

How did you manage that?? Tell me your strategy

Our living room is done up in antiques, nothing special mostly stuff that has been in the family for a long time. A few pieces are over 100 years old. The WD banished the speakers that I made in high school when she moved in. They were huge, (4 X 12 inch drivers) ugly and beat up (used at many outdoor rock concerts). We never agreed on any speakers that would match the decor, so we didn't even have a stereo in the living room.

One day we were at an antique flea market looking at the junk (oops, treasures), and I spotted an old console radio made in 1941. She said "why can't you use this for a speaker?". Bingo, I bought that radio, and scored an identical one on Ebay, mounted some 15 inch OB drivers in them and I can shake the whole house.......except, there is no stereo.

So, to solve that problem I got one of those new flat TV sets to put in place of the 320 pound 36 inch CRT powered Sony, and I am building an amp to hide behind it. After 3 years of night classes in woodworking, I can make something that is un-ugly, but not presentation ready just yet.

Tubes:

For an ugly tube (in a cute way) find some 815 "two headded aliens" and drive them with some 7193 "two headded aliens" . They are like big 829B's with an octal base.

Want big and glowey, go for the 833A, but plan on some serious heat. The filament alone dissipates 100 watts. The 813 or another DH tube will put out less heat, with a bit less light. The 211 or 845 makes a good night light, and the Chinese versions sound reasonably good for a fair price.

[Michael Koster]

For inspiration

http://www.jeffreywjackson.com/Eimac75tl.htm

It could be especially shocking if the anode meters read "Kilovolts" and "Amperes"

[leadbelly]

Well, off the top of my head:

Use VR tubes somewhere in the PS

Maybe use the 1629 as an input tube: http://greygum.net/sbench/sbench101/Preamps/1629amp.gif

Use as many tubes as possible, e.g. use a small pentode for a LTP CCS

Got to have a couple of bias meters

Throw a Nixie or 2 in there

[dheming]

I've always liked the look of Moth Audio gear, especially their M304TL: http://www.mothmuseum.com/mothaudio/products2.html

[wrenchone]

I thought the idea was to soothe the better half, not scare the daylights out of her with some sort of Frankenstein contraption... The referenced transmitter tube design is impressive in sort of a massive steampunk fashion, but would not necessarily be attractive to non-engineering types. There's so much of it, and it looms in an oppressive, mid-century (the last one) SF sort of way. I would go for a discreet 6BQ5/6V6/6AQ5/6005 push-pull in a nice oak or mahogany cabinet, with not a lot in the way of meters and such (maybe an eye tube modulated with the music instead). Tubes would not necessarily be hanging out, as not everybody thinks that the techno-bits are beautiful (put your liberal arts hat on....). Not a lot of power should be required, as the thing will be playing in a dining room. George had a good idea about putting his speakers in beautiful old console radios. A nice little amplifier could be built inside one of those old tombstone-style table radios. If you used an SMPS to free up some space, it could have some kick to it, and maybe include the original radio as well. A marble or granite case also has some interesting possibilities.

[MellowTone]

Originally posted by Wavebourn


I can guess: she just loves him.

Haha could be it...

Originally posted by Michael Koster
For inspiration

http://www.jeffreywjackson.com/Eimac75tl.htm

It could be especially shocking if the anode meters read "Kilovolts" and "Amperes"

I think something like that could work well. On first look it's just a wood and glass cabinet, look again and it looks like some form of deadly experiment.