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Interesting Tube Amp Found (Information?)

artdecoradio

artdecoradio

Active Member
Last weekend, I bought this stereo tube amplifier at a garage sale and the woman selling it knew nothing about it. It is really cool looking (bronze-colored chassis and yellowish front with white/chrome knobs). It uses four 7408 output tubes (I've never had an amp which had those tubes in it). All it says on the front is "STA-24" and, from my research, it may have been a "Realistic". However, I'm not totally sure and I wonder who actually made it. It looks well made and the transformer is massive! Does anyone have any more info. on it? By the way - note the "logo" on the front - doesn't it look like the Cadillac logo?
 

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I believe this was sold in kit form under the name National, maybe others too. Don't think it was related to National Radio or National Panasonic though. I might have a schematic - I'll look later.
 
7408 = 6V6GTA.

I really haven't found many bad 6V6-based amps. Good chance that this is a good-sounding unit...

Regards,
Gordon.
 
I recognize the logo which is from MERRELL Electronics Inc., a small short-lived US based (NY) company which were active in the kit business. It was probably sold under other brandnames/models too, but all parts are from U.S (not Japan), thus no relation with National (Panasonic). A cute nice sounding little amp.
 
It's possible that Radio Shack sold this, but I don't think it's Realistic brand. STA prefix was receivers anyway... Merrell is the other brand name I was trying to think of. There WAS a Realisic SAF-24, might get confused with that, completely different though.
 
They (R/S) did sell it, and you're right, Tom -- it's a Merrell (or was it "Merrill"?) kit :-)

083.jpg

source: http://www.radioshackcatalogs.com/html/1963/h083.html]

Most of the catalogs in those days sold this amp (and a mono version, too).
 
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I'd give 39.95 for an unopened kit right now.:yes: How do you find those ads mark, too cool.:thmbsp:
 
Thanks for the interesting information! The way that the solder joints in this thing were made (almost perfect like they were done commercially), it's hard to believe that it was a kit. I wonder if they sold them already assembled since these joints and the way it is assembled just does not look kit-like. Anyway, it looks like it was hardly used (except for some dust on top that I forgot to clean off). Wouldn't it be cool to find an unassembled one??? The price in the ad ($39.95) seems pretty reasonable, although I have to admit that I paid considerably less for mine at the garage sale :)

I wonder how many of these were sold? I've never seen one before (or even heard of Merrell).
 
Riveted tube sockets are usually a big hint that it was factory made. Kits used screws and nuts. I can't quite tell what yours uses, but it looks like it may be screws.

Also possible it was done by someone who was an experienced builder. Some guy (or lady in many cases) built them at the factory. its entirely possible that a good builder could get the same results at home.
 
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