Nuts and Volts

1 week ago | nutsvolts.com | Bryan Bergeron

If you routinely tune vintage tube circuits, then you’ll appreciate the analog display and the high (e.g., 22M ohms) load impedance offered by a vacuum tube voltmeter. Plus, it’s simply just fun to work on vintage receivers with vintage test gear. ::: Read This Article!If you’re a subscriber and your subscription includes this issue of Nuts & Volts, you can read this article in our digital edition by clicking the blue icon in the upper right corner.

Mar 29, 2024 | nutsvolts.com | John Blankenship

The tones produced by an electric guitar are greatly affected by its electronic components and wiring configurations. Understanding these concepts can give you the ability to modify your guitar to get the sound you want. Just like with an acoustic guitar, the shape of an electric guitar and the wood it’s made from affects its tone. However, the physical construction contributes minimally to an electric guitar’s sound.

Oct 24, 2023 | nutsvolts.com | Bryan Bergeron

This continuation of the series on vintage technologies is focused on vintage and contemporary capacitance meters. The Heathkit model IT-11 (shown in Figure 1) is an example of a classic capacitor meter/tester. Figure 1. Refurbished Heathkit model IT-11 capacitor checker, circa 1962. I resurrected it with a pair of 40 µF at 350 VDC electrolytic capacitors, a 6AX4 vacuum tube diode, and lots of scrubbing on the contacts of the eight-position range switch.

Oct 17, 2023 | nutsvolts.com | Bryan Bergeron

Vintage electronics can be found at all levels of (dis)repair -- from completely refurbished to missing tubes and covered in mud and dust. In this article, we’ll evaluate and repair a “restored” McIntosh 240 amplifier with intermittent failure problems. :::Read This Article!If you’re a subscriber and your subscription includes this issue of Nuts & Volts, you can read this article in our digital edition by clicking the blue icon in the upper right corner.

Sep 23, 2023 | nutsvolts.com | Michael Banks

It was 1923, and radio was the phenomenon of the day. Over 600 broadcast stations were on the air, and Americans bought 100,000 receivers that year. (Sales would jump to 1,500,000 in 1924.)This new instant mass medium flashed news of important events around the country in minutes instead of days. In addition to news, tens of thousands tuned in to hear music and learn from lecturers holding forth on their areas of expertise. A few tried to make sense of broadcast guitar or swimming lessons.