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New (Old) Amp Day: Knackered Selmer Zodiac Twin Fifty

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HarrySevenHarrySeven Frets: 8030
in Amps
Picked this up yesterday...

https://i.imgur.com/09jetYn.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Ko4Uv4L.jpg

It’s missing the uber-cool faux croc-skin tolex* and has also had a tough life internally - lots of (less-than-sensitive) repair work over the years.

Currently untested due to a few obvious nasties.





*I do know someone with a complete good-condition shell (which they use as an extension cab for their Treble’N’Bass head), although I can’t see them parting with it.


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  • longjawlongjaw Frets: 423
    #MoneyPit ;)
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  • HarrySevenHarrySeven Frets: 8030
    longjaw said:
    #MoneyPit ;)
    Correct. 

    But only if I go down the cab resto route - electronically, it’s 99% complete and just needs some TLC.


    HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. Searching for weird guitars - so you don't have to.
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  • KeefyKeefy Frets: 2286
    edited October 2021
    I saw Gaz Coombes gigging one of these - sounded bloody good.

    EDIT: Actually his amp was different, the control panel was at the front.
    GRAEME SCOTT - Guitar & Bass dep | Keefy's Feedback
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  • OssyrocksOssyrocks Frets: 1673
    I’d be tempted to recover this with bookbinders rexine,  maybe in a tasteful two tone ensemble. 

    I did an old AC30 with it once in flame red, it looked spectacular.
    Trading feedback: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/58485/
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 72306
    Years ago I did the tech work for the Kaisers, a retro 1960-style Beat group. (Nothing to do with the Kaiser Chiefs, thankfully.) They had a full set of these - all in fairly good cosmetic condition - two Zodiac 30s, a Zodiac 50, a Treble ‘n’ Bass 50 and a 1x18” bass cab, plus a metal-cased PA head. Sadly no Selmer PA columns, they had to make do with Voxes…

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

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  • MusicwolfMusicwolf Frets: 3654
    Brings back memories.  The second amp that I owned, back in the late 70's, was a Zodiac Twin 50.
    https://www.starbelly.me/


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  • HarrySevenHarrySeven Frets: 8030
    A bit more info...

    It was owned by the sellers father for many, many years and gigged hard through the 70s and ‘80’s until the 90s when it was put into storage (in less than ideal conditions).

    Electronically it’s 99% complete, but has had a hard life with plenty of invasive repairs along the way.

    It’ll need a thorough check over, lots of caps and possibly one transformer replacing, two new EL34s and the rectifier looking at, as it looks like the GZ34 appears to have been replaced with solid state diodes (will know more tonight when I whip the lower chassis out). The footswitch is completely missing, as is the mains cable.

    On the other hand, cosmetically, I’m at a bit of a loss...

    The chances of finding the original Tolex is uber-slim, but I’m researching what might be available. May have turned up some alternatives from a bookbinder friend...

     A plus point is that the actual cabinet is solid (albeit needing some tidying), which is good.

    I’m tempted to just strip all of the crap vinyl off it and see what’s what.

     In an ideal world, the easiest (but challenging) option would be to find a decent shell. However that might take a long time, but I have seen a few over the years.


    HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. Searching for weird guitars - so you don't have to.
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  • welshboyowelshboyo Frets: 1815
    I learnt on a Zodiac Twin 30 - it was my Dad's - it was in really good condition and was an early one with the Pre-Rola Celestions in it (I think that what made it the more desireable one)

    Used to bang crackle and pop and frighten the hell out of me as a kid so it was always used with a look of terror on my face - especially when it used to start warming up and crackling - I can remember turning it off with a broom handle (off switch on the chassis on the back) to not get too close to spitting evil thing!! Of course, hindsight now tells me it probably needed a re-valve and it did actually get serviced with new ones when I was old/wise enough to understand what the issue was.

    I so wish I still had it - it got traded for a Les Paul actually to a guy from Exeter way called Glenn - I wonder where it is now...
    Trading Feedback Here -http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/57820/
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  • impmannimpmann Frets: 12665
    Great amps - genuinely good sounding. A friend used to own a Twin 30 - it had lost a lot of its croc covering too (it was under some utterly revolting red velour - yes really). Sadly it was nicked (along with a particularly lovely Gibson The Paul with DiMarzio pickups) from his flat in Greenwich about 30 years ago... yikes where does the time go. I've often wondered what happened to it.
    Never Ever Bloody Anything Ever.

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  • HarrySevenHarrySeven Frets: 8030
    More pics here...

    https://imgur.com/a/lAKV7LV


    HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. Searching for weird guitars - so you don't have to.
    Forum feedback thread.    |     G&B interview #1 & #2   |  https://www.instagram.com/_harry_seven_/ 

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  • HarrySevenHarrySeven Frets: 8030
    https://i.imgur.com/DEciS8e.jpg










    HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. Searching for weird guitars - so you don't have to.
    Forum feedback thread.    |     G&B interview #1 & #2   |  https://www.instagram.com/_harry_seven_/ 

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  • HarrySevenHarrySeven Frets: 8030
    The carcass isn’t in great condition, but it’s solid enough to repair. 

    The worst aspect so far is the residual (and vile) old upholstery glue - not sure yet what approach to take with that...


    HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. Searching for weird guitars - so you don't have to.
    Forum feedback thread.    |     G&B interview #1 & #2   |  https://www.instagram.com/_harry_seven_/ 

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 72306
    Both transformers changed, which may make restoring it properly quite a challenge.

    For what it’s worth, as original these are actually genuinely Class A - almost uniquely for a guitar amp - but achieve it by running the power valves at well over the rated 25W (which Mullards will take, others may not). The HT voltage is also right on the limit for the 500V first filter cap rating and would likely have exceeded it with the original PT and a solid-state rectifier. No idea what it will be now...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

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  • robertyroberty Frets: 10893
    edited October 2021
    Is the original tolex anything like the black croc stuff Zilla have? https://www.zillacabs.com/tolex
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  • HarrySevenHarrySeven Frets: 8030
    roberty said:
    Is the original tolex anything like the black croc stuff Zilla have? https://www.zillacabs.com/tolex
    Well spotted! :)

    Looks like ‘Ivory Croc’ would do it...


    HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. Searching for weird guitars - so you don't have to.
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  • HarrySevenHarrySeven Frets: 8030
    ICBM said:
    Both transformers changed, which may make restoring it properly quite a challenge.

    For what it’s worth, as original these are actually genuinely Class A - almost uniquely for a guitar amp - but achieve it by running the power valves at well over the rated 25W (which Mullards will take, others may not). The HT voltage is also right on the limit for the 500V first filter cap rating and would likely have exceeded it with the original PT and a solid-state rectifier. No idea what it will be now...
    Well, it’s not going to get randomly powered up anytime soon! :)

    At present, I’m kind of torn between the ‘just getting it working’ route (for now) and a longer-term restoration project.


    HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. Searching for weird guitars - so you don't have to.
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  • HarrySevenHarrySeven Frets: 8030

    HarrySeven said:
    The worst aspect so far is the residual (and vile) old upholstery glue - not sure yet what approach to take with that...
    Re. above - I reckon acetone will dissolve it. Will dig some out later.


    HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. Searching for weird guitars - so you don't have to.
    Forum feedback thread.    |     G&B interview #1 & #2   |  https://www.instagram.com/_harry_seven_/ 

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  • HarrySevenHarrySeven Frets: 8030
    HarrySeven said:
    roberty said:
    Is the original tolex anything like the black croc stuff Zilla have? https://www.zillacabs.com/tolex
    Well spotted! :)

    Looks like ‘Ivory Croc’ would do it...
    Have dropped them an email.


    HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. Searching for weird guitars - so you don't have to.
    Forum feedback thread.    |     G&B interview #1 & #2   |  https://www.instagram.com/_harry_seven_/ 

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  • impmannimpmann Frets: 12665
    HarrySeven said:
    roberty said:
    Is the original tolex anything like the black croc stuff Zilla have? https://www.zillacabs.com/tolex
    Well spotted! :)

    Looks like ‘Ivory Croc’ would do it...
    Thats deffo in the right ball park. You just need the right black rexine to sit beside it... The grille fretcloth is quite similar to a lot of modern amp stuff... so you can get it close!
    Never Ever Bloody Anything Ever.

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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 72306
    Actually, ignore previous techy bit - if this is a 50 it’s not Class A, only the 30 is. The 50 is typical Class AB.

    You could possibly be better rebuilding it as a 30, it will be much less hard on those speakers, which have somehow miraculously survived.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

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