1940s PORTO-AMP Symphony; Small Amp; Works ! Rare ! Start Price USD 249.69 Current Price USD 249.69 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, August 16, 2008 End Time Saturday, August 23, 2008 Location New Jersey, U.S.A. See more about '1940s PORTO-AMP Symphony; Small Amp; Works ! Rare !' Description Please read this entire item description page before bidding, as it includes your shipping costs and payment requirements. Here, we have an auction for one, PORTO-AMP Symphony, a very vintage, portable tube amp. WOW !!! Here is a splendid example of a USA made, small tube amp, that you will want for your guitar, harmonica, vocals or other musical instrument. Overall size is only 13" x 12" x 5 3/8." It weighs about 10 pounds. This is a good looking item,  as you can clearly see in the pictures, despite being a little rough around the edges. There are scratches and scuffs, even some well worn spots in the material, but, it still is very presentable. The genuine imitation, faux lizardskin case edges might deserve some of your restoration attention, with a little touch-up paint or shoe polish, but, it sure looks nice just the way it sits, or stands. While the top leather handle displays nicely, it is torn apart, as you can see. The black steel hinge and fastening hardware does show some oxidation, even some light surface rust, but the hardware fits, looks and works fine, as do the brass screws and grommets holding the amp/speaker panel to the case. The simple amp has a volume control and two 1/4" phone plug jacks for the high impedance input. The tube complement comprises three loktal type tubes, a 7Y4 rectifier, 7F7(loktal type 6SL7), and 7C5(loktal type 6V6GT). These are easily and cheaply available tubes. I have even included an extra 7F7 and Sylvania 7C5 for your tube rolling experimentations. Inside, there is plenty of room, should you decide to add extra circuitry, or change the Quam 6" speaker, marked 8685 / 270942. The 270 is the EIA(Electronics Industry Association)identification #, with the date code after. Two coupling capacitors have been changed to later, Sprague caps; one is an Orange Drop cap. Voltages are ready to boogie. With my Variac set to 110VAC in, there is 260VDC at the rectifier cathode, 255V at the 7C5 plate, 250 at the 7C5 screen grid, 11.5V at the 7C5 cathode. The 7F7 has an Ep of 67V and Ek of .9V at one triode section; Ep of 49V and Eg of -.8V on the other triode section. There is no hum heard without an input, unless the volume is turned way up, and there is lots of gain  available. The amp works and sounds fine. This is truly a working piece of music making history. I could easily upgrade this with a tone control, or two, then touch-up the cosmetics, but, I wanted to offer this as a historically correct, seemingly unmolested, working piece of music making history. The inside date codes seem to indicate some early to mid '40s parts, like the speaker and power supply cap. The unique, tar coated output transformer has years of the speaker grille flocking material dust adhered to its' tranny case. One of the resistors, the red, large, heavy duty,  cathode bias resistor for the 7C5, actually dates from the 1930s. The wood panels appear to be solid pine, not plywood;  all good indicators of the real vintage of this 1940s portable boutique amp. This is a nice opportunity to acquire a plug-in and play, truly vintage, small tube amp. It will be packed very, very well, to arrive safely.  Please check the pictures, carefully, as this is the vintage item you will receive.  The metal 12 inch ruler, shown in a few of the pictures for scale, is not included. Please read this entire item description, check my feedback and Bid with confidence !  Good Luck ! INTERNATIONAL Bidders are welcome; Check the required payment types and shipping costs, below, BEFORE BIDDING !!! Due to age, these vintage electronic parts are sold as is, as you see them. By Bidding, YOU are agreeing to all of my payment and shipping arrangement terms, conditions and requirements as listed in this Item Description: USA Buyers to pay insured shipping charges for a very well packed 16 pound parcel, sent via USPS Parcel Post or Priority Mail. The Postal Calculator is below.  Buyer should email me, or use the Pay Now link, within 3 days after auction end, informing me of their name, address, zip code and payment method. PAYMENT TYPES ACCEPTED are Postal Money Orders, Bank Money Orders,  Personal Checks, or, least preferred, a PayPal confirmed/verified account payment. Payment must be in my hands within 7 days of auction end. Postal Money Orders are the fastest to clear. Bank Money Orders and Checks must clear my bank, (about a week), before I ship. I will not accept a credit card or unverified/unconfirmed or international PayPal payment. You must use my acceptable ways to pay. Due to the required Delivery Confirmation and ever increasing packing/shipping costs, I am forced to charge a small $2. handling fee, automatically added by the Postal calculator, below. Thank You for understanding. INTERNATIONAL BUYERS must email me, or use the Pay Now link, within 3 days, informing me of your name, address, postal code, telephone #, as well as the payment method, selected from these choices. I only accept payment in US $$$, an International Postal MO, Bank Draft or Cashiers Check or Money Order drawn on a USA branch bank.  For International, overseas transactions, I DO NOT WANT TO ACCEPT PAYPAL.  NO overseas PAYPAL, please !    Payment is to be in my hands within 2 weeks after auction end. SHIPPING will only be via insured USPS Express Mail International.  SHIPPING Quotes are given below. Please check the Postal Calculator below, or with www.usps.com.  For overseas transactions there is NO SURFACE MAIL !!!  No Air Parcel Post !   No Air Letter Post !   No inadequate Priority Mail Int'l.!   Priority Mail would have to be Registered and insured, as costly as the better, faster Express Mail Int'l. service.  NO PAYPAL outside of the USA, please !  If you insist and force me to use Priority Mail Int'l, or paypal, there will be a $25. Handling Charge, automatically added on the Postal Calculator, below. If your country has postal delivery problems, and cannot track the package to confirm delivery, (like Italy, Indonesia and China...), then you must pay with cash money, western u., or a USA bank draft. Payment via my preferred method of sending cash money or an IPMO via express or registered mail, will cancel the handling charge. Insurance and Customs Declarations forms must be at full value, for your and my safety and security. I will not undervalue for your customs/taxes/duties. IF you do not agree with any of my payment or shipping requirements, please do not bid. Thank You for understanding. I DO NOT Accept PAYPAL from overseas, or bank electronic transfers. No Exceptions...  Bidders with less than 10 Positive Feedbacks, excessive negative feedback, or Private Bidders must email me before bidding, agreeing with my payment and shipping terms. Bidding is a contract, agreeing to the seller's terms and conditions, and must be fulfilled. Payment must be received in a timely manner or ebay will be notified. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING is via USPS  EMI, Express Mail International: . Insurance and Customs Declarations must be at full value. Air Parcel Post and  Surface Mail are NOT available !  Priority Mail Int'l is inadequate for security, safetyand speed. Express Mail Int'l is fine. If you have any questions, please ASK them BEFORE YOU BID, before the last 12 hours of the auction. Thank You... Place a Bid!