HILLBILLY HI-FI ! Grandpa's homemade vacuum tube amp!

[dennymambo]

I love it! I'm 28 so valves were all but gone by the time I had a sound system. Yet it isn't hard for me to see why people are going back to the old ways lol. More complete sound, as digital audio signals are 'edited' right to (and some say into) the frequency of human hearing range.

Plus there is the fact that he built it from scratch out of stuff that he had spare by the looks of it. As opposed to paying through the nose for something that rolled of a conveyor belt and is 100% disposable...

[tenjinnim]

if you dont mind me asking what tubes are using ?

[tenjinnim]

that is not a hill billy setup.. no hill billy is smart enough to jerry rig and creat their own tube design... props and my hats off to you for a well made setup !!

[vamtim]

That is beautiful, keep hold of that. I can't wait to be able to build my own valve amps am learning at the moment from royal electrical engineers books. Lovely video.

[albundie3]

This makes me miss my grandpa, because he was always putting stuff together out of nothing, thats badass though!

[slideman1958]

Awesome cover of "Hernando's Hideaway".Shooting from the hip,my guess as to tubes are..5U4, 6V6 x2,12AX7 and 6C4.Cool amp,my condolences regarding your grandfather.we need more people like him,not less.

[davev8app]

i find mp3 offensives to my ears

[vamtim]

@davev8app Me too!!

[donnyab]

yeehawwww

[mgraemem]

I've got a few bits like this from my own father after he passed away. It's great to have a 'living' memento of a loved one.

[utubie24]

cool video thanks!

[effortequalsresults]

man i bet your heart warmed up more than those tube when she fired up. i love when the tubes warm up and "WALA" LUV IT GREAT JOB KEEPN HER ALIVE ! thats getn passed down thru the generations for sure.

[bobbitchin71]

Fantastic sound! Schematic please!

[phoenix11994466]

Wow! ... this is the perfect example of how, supposed technical improvement, doesnt necesarry mean a better experience....

Has the world of Hi-Fi gone backwards?

Down with Digital... Bring back analog.

Just a pity no ones making Vacuum Tubes any more.

[donnyab]

@phoenix11994466

Of course its going backwards, you honestly don't think mp3 is good do you ?

Internet audio especially will finally kill off music not to mention most of the artists.

There will be no new music at all.

I bet those c**ksuckers are sad they murdered vinyl.

[phoenix11994466]

@donnyab You bring up two interesting points..mp3 is of course digital, which means the sound is sampled and is only a facsimile of the original, it's frequency response is also chopped off at 16 kilocycles. Where as vinyl can hold up to 100 kilocycles, so assuming you have the pick-up and speakers to extract it, it's bound to sound more life like. Every kid that visits my house, is simply amassed at the sound of my vinyl collection and valve amps. It's almost a religious experience for them

[vamtim]

@phoenix11994466

I'm 26 and can't believe how mankind really thought that digital sound was a progression, I was bought up listening to cds through transistor amps what a revelation when I found out about valve amps not only amps but valve desks and mics it really doesn't get any better IMO. I think any person on the planet if made to listen to a tranny amp and a valve one would choose the valve.

[phoenix11994466]

@vamtim Advancements in audio technology has been huge since the 50's and 60's..More power, better specs, lighter weight, more watts per dollar etc..Problem is, along the way someone forgot about the listening experience...However, guitarists still use Valve Amps, even for massive outdoor conceits, they simply mice them up to a 50,000 watt system to get a big sound...In relation to HI FI, yeah youre right, valves sound more life like... I also notice Vinyl is making a big come-back too

[vamtim]

@phoenix11994466 I agree with you whole heartedly, yes audio technology may have gotten better on a spec sheet however as you say the listening experience over time has been overlooked. If it weren't for the fact that I was in a band and bought a valve amp for my guitar I wouldn't of found out when I did about valves. I always remember as a child listening to records from the 50's and 60's and thinking that they sounded beautiful only now do I know why!

[vamtim]

@phoenix11994466 With regards to vinyl making a comeback I think that some people are bored and a little scared by this formatless age that we are entering into. You can have everything at the touch of a keyboard yet this seems to of made things valueless, I remember as a teenager saving up my money to invest in a cd that I really loved and it gave that item immense sentimental value, how could anyone get like that over MP3?

[vamtim]

@donnyab

Vinyl will kill the MP3 industry.

At least I hope so.

[vamtim]

@phoenix11994466 Thankfully the Russians and the Chinese still make valves as they never went out of production in those countries!!

[phoenix11994466]

@vamtim Yes, and also the production process is better today than 50 yeas ago.

[batterymaker]

Holy crap! That's a lotta sound coming out of a mishmash of parts.

[dennman6]

This is fantastic! So neat to see you make use of gramp's amp in this way. Has he been told about YOUR project with his old handiwork? And what is the record? Sounds like one of those early "Ping-Pong Percussion" stereophonic demo Lps from the early '60s. I recognize the Command label, but give us details please.

[bastardbus]

@dennman6

The album is Enoch Light and the Light Brigade, Provocative Percussion vol.2 on the Command Label 1960. I have a friend in Columbus Ohio who is a big collector of vintage audio equipment, records etc. he turned me on to Enoch Light recordings, they are absolutely AMAZING sounding and the music ain't bad either. You are right these are a true demonstration of stereo at it's finest and high fidelity as well.

Gramps, well he is pretty much "outta the loop" anymore sorry to say.

I