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Newcomb Compact "CO-1020" Made in Hollywood CA 1955-1957

jobrewer1983

jobrewer1983

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Hi All,

A number of years ago, back in 2018 or 2019 (Pre Covid), I landed a somewhat clean Newcomb CO-1020, and a CO-1010. The 1010 is a smaller 6v6 mono amp, and the 1020 is a larger 6L6 amp.

I have been hunting for a match to either of them for a good while now. A few weeks ago, I landed another CO-1020 in similar shape. Took me a few years but I finally have a match to it.

Has anyone on the site had any experience with the 1020?

I am asking because they are kind of an odd lay out, the RCA jacks are on the bottom of the amp, and the chassis is shaped like a "Z" Similar to the Bell Model 23, but slightly different. you get the idea. Tube hang off the back of the amp in a horizontal position. Really large and nice looking transformers on the set too.

The bottom of the amps are kind of odd Im trying to figure out how one would connect interconnects or RCA cables without having the unit on blocks or something. Has anyone used one, and if so, can you tell me how you connected the RCA cable?

I have yet to power them up as they are all original, I need to purchase the service manual and start to order new caps but wanted to see if anyone has experience working on one and any tips they can share.

Really interested to know how one would run RCA cables, I am wondering if there was some sort of base they sat on or something that would lift them a little, if not they look like the amp would have to sit on the cables.

Ill have more questions once start the work on them, but for now I am trying to figure out how one would run cables to the amp. Was the 1020 installed in a console or something?

Ill get some pictures of the amps when i am off work. Really want to get them going and really trying to get this figured out.
 
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I have a Knight preamp like this. Bottom entry/exit was a thing for a bit in the 50s. They usually had legs tall enough to get maybe 3/4" or so underneath, and consider cables back then often used something like a Switchcraft 3501 for the plug and fairly thin coax for the actual line so they didn't need too much space. I don't know this one specifically but if it has no feet, I'd bet once upon a time it did, or it will shortly.
 
jobrewer1983 said:
Hi All,

A number of years ago, back in 2018 or 2019 (Pre Covid), I landed a somewhat clean Newcomb CO-1020, and a CO-1010. The 1010 is a smaller 6v6 mono amp, and the 1020 is a larger 6L6 amp.

I have been hunting for a match to either of them for a good while now. A few weeks ago, I landed another CO-1020 in similar shape. Took me a few years but I finally have a match to it.

Has anyone on the site had any experience with the 1020?

I am asking because they are kind of an odd lay out, the RCA jacks are on the bottom of the amp, and the chassis is shaped like a "Z" Similar to the Bell Model 23, but slightly different. you get the idea. Tube hang off the back of the amp in a horizontal position. Really large and nice looking transformers on the set too.

The bottom of the amps are kind of odd Im trying to figure out how one would connect interconnects or RCA cables without having the unit on blocks or something. Has anyone used one, and if so, can you tell me how you connected the RCA cable?

I have yet to power them up as they are all original, I need to purchase the service manual and start to order new caps but wanted to see if anyone has experience working on one and any tips they can share.

Really interested to know how one would run RCA cables, I am wondering if there was some sort of base they sat on or something that would lift them a little, if not they look like the amp would have to sit on the cables.

Ill have more questions once start the work on them, but for now I am trying to figure out how one would run cables to the amp. Was the 1020 installed in a console or something?

Ill get some pictures of the amps when i am off work. Really want to get them going and really trying to get this figured out.
Click to expand...
Interesting amps for sure.
particularly the roll off for the bass and treble using phono EQ curves.I don't think I've seen that done before.
As far as the jacks on the bottom thats always left me scratching my head as heathkit did the same with the sp1and sp2 preamps.I never really understood also why altec Lansing had their terminal jacks on the model 19's as well.
Goodluck with your project.Myself I'd probably try and find a co-1010 as well to complete each but then I love 6v6 output tubes as to 6l6 but that's just me.
Sherwood's first s-1000 using a pr of 6l6 tubes also had horizontal tube placement.
As for Bell I still have a mono 2315 using 6v6 for output tubes.Love that amp and need to find a mate for it.Then there's the 3030 stereo using 6l6 and the almighty 6060 using 6ca7/el34.They all share the same look.Wouldt mind a 6060 and throw in a pr of n.o.s g.e.c kt77's I have waiting patiently for the proper amp.
 
gadget73 said:
I have a Knight preamp like this. Bottom entry/exit was a thing for a bit in the 50s. They usually had legs tall enough to get maybe 3/4" or so underneath, and consider cables back then often used something like a Switchcraft 3501 for the plug and fairly thin coax for the actual line so they didn't need too much space. I don't know this one specifically but if it has no feet, I'd bet once upon a time it did, or it will shortly.
Click to expand...
 

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gadget73 said:
I have a Knight preamp like this. Bottom entry/exit was a thing for a bit in the 50s. They usually had legs tall enough to get maybe 3/4" or so underneath, and consider cables back then often used something like a Switchcraft 3501 for the plug and fairly thin coax for the actual line so they didn't need too much space. I don't know this one specifically but if it has no feet, I'd bet once upon a time it did, or it will shortly.
Click to expand...
Ill post some pic this evening, the bottoms almost look like they were on rails or something. Really odd layout. I do like the looks of the actual amp, I think they look killer.

I have been trying to figure out how feet can be mounted to the unit, that or re-locate one of the RCA jacks, but not sure where i can mount it.

Really wonky layout, even the power cord is oddly placed. Ill get some pix this evening.

One idea i had was to have a buddy 3d print some brackets that i can mount to the bottom to mount feet to.
 
radioactive said:
Interesting amps for sure.
particularly the roll off for the bass and treble using phono EQ curves.I don't think I've seen that done before.
As far as the jacks on the bottom thats always left me scratching my head as heathkit did the same with the sp1and sp2 preamps.I never really understood also why altec Lansing had their terminal jacks on the model 19's as well.
Goodluck with your project.Myself I'd probably try and find a co-1010 as well to complete each but then I love 6v6 output tubes as to 6l6 but that's just me.
Sherwood's first s-1000 using a pr of 6l6 tubes also had horizontal tube placement.
As for Bell I still have a mono 2315 using 6v6 for output tubes.Love that amp and need to find a mate for it.Then there's the 3030 stereo using 6l6 and the almighty 6060 using 6ca7/el34.They all share the same look.Wouldt mind a 6060 and throw in a pr of n.o.s g.e.c kt77's I have waiting patiently for the proper amp.
Click to expand...


thanks @radioactive

Yes I am hunting for the 1010 as well :) and YES i forgot all about the heathkits that have the same wonky bottom RCA's My EA-3 is set up the same way.

They are really cool amps, just not sure how to run them just yet. I wanted a set but doubt ill ever run them in stereo. I may every so often but ill most likely use them as a dedicated mono rig sending a stereo signal summed to mono.

As soon as i get home ill pull them out of the shelf and snap a few pix, really would like to know if anyone has any good ideas how to mount feet to them or at least help me figure out a way to run RCA's to them. I did put some adhesive rubber feet on them but that was just to keep them elevated on the shelf.
 
jobrewer1983 said:
thanks @radioactive

Yes I am hunting for the 1010 as well :) and YES i forgot all about the heathkits that have the same wonky bottom RCA's My EA-3 is set up the same way.

They are really cool amps, just not sure how to run them just yet. I wanted a set but doubt ill ever run them in stereo. I may every so often but ill most likely use them as a dedicated mono rig sending a stereo signal summed to mono.

As soon as i get home ill pull them out of the shelf and snap a few pix, really would like to know if anyone has any good ideas how to mount feet to them or at least help me figure out a way to run RCA's to them. I did put some adhesive rubber feet on them but that was just to keep them elevated on the shelf.
Click to expand...
The heathkit ea2 and 3 fwiw use the same output transformers as the ua1 and ua2 dedicated mono blocks so if you wanted look for another ea2 or 3 strip the iron and make a dedicated mono amp without the preamp.
 
I love the mid 50's look. Including the angled feet.
3D printing brackets is a cool idea. Why not include some of those angled feet as part of the printed brackets? What about 3D printing another bracket you could attach RCA jacks to that would be easier to access? Then run wires from those new jacks to where the factory jacks are wired.
I've never seen these amps, I can't wait to see the pictures.
 
Lavane said:
I love the mid 50's look. Including the angled feet.
3D printing brackets is a cool idea. Why not include some of those angled feet as part of the printed brackets? What about 3D printing another bracket you could attach RCA jacks to that would be easier to access? Then run wires from those new jacks to where the factory jacks are wired.
I've never seen these amps, I can't wait to see the pictures.
Click to expand...

Just got home, taking care of a few things and will dig them out for some pictures. :)
 
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I’ll pull the hood off in a few, but some pic. ^^^

As you can see the rca jacks face downward. Can’t really put a 45 degree adaptor on it as it will high center. Really perplexed as to how folks ran them back in the 50s almost makes me think they had rca cables with a 45 degree head or something. Same with the speaker terminals.
 
radioactive said:
Heathkit sp2 legs one pic looks stock the other looks taller.
Click to expand...

IMG_2515.jpeg

Yea I ended up putting some solid aluminum feet on my EA-3. I didn’t want to drill holes in the bottom plate so I just reused the holes from the original feet. Kinda makes it look a little odd but at least I can get some cheap rca cables to work. My goal for this one is to mount a single rca jack on the top side of the chassis or on the back if that’s possible.
 
IMG_2523.jpegIMG_2522.jpegIMG_2521.jpegIMG_2520.jpeg

It’s a little dusty, but you can see it’s an odd layout.

I’ve got 2 of them, need to figure out how to mount feet and also how to run RCA and speaker cables off it.

It looks like the amplifier is separate from the preamp, and I can remove a few screws to get to the underside of the amp itself.
 
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