FA: Vintage Lafayette LA-224A Tube Amplifier EL84 6BQ5

[homedetective]

Great Vintage Sound:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320024298600&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=011

[Arny Krueger]

"Bret Ludwig" > wrote in message
ups.com
> Bret Ludwig wrote:
>> homedetective wrote:
>>> Great Vintage Sound:
>>> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320024298600&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=011This

>>> is a very fine old vintage EL84 stereo amplifier made
>>> in Japan in 1965. It has a smooth tube sound from the
>>> four EL84 output tubes. The sound is very clear and
>>> well articulated throughout the audio spectrum from
>>> bass to middle to high frequencies. Of particular note
>>> in this amplifier is the liveliness and presence in the
>>> treble. It appears the engineers might have been
>>> particularly proud of the treble performance of this
>>> amplifier because the treble control is located in the
>>> center of the front panel

In the days of tubes I sold a zillion of these at that Lafayette Radio
Associate store where I worked weekends and summers when I was in high
school. I think we sold them for about $59.95 in the days where about $150
would get you something halfways decent made by Fisher, Scott or Sherwood.

The LA 224 t about the bottom of the barrel of things that could be called
in one's most charitable moment, "Hi Fi". The output transformers were
lightweight, as was the construction of the rest of the amplifier.

> IIRC this is _exactly_ the one that will yield the
> transformers you Really Want for a 2x6V6 guitar
> amplifier.

Could be.

> Not worth a **** for hi fi though.

Depends how low you want to go and still call it "hi fi". It was way ahead
of brown goods made by Zenith and RCA for home use, at the time.

[Chuck]

>
> Depends how low you want to go and still call it "hi fi". It was way ahead
> of brown goods made by Zenith and RCA for home use, at the time.

Arny: What are 'brown goods'?
Chuck

[yup..it's me...]

>
>>
>> Depends how low you want to go and still call it "hi fi". It was way ahead
>> of brown goods made by Zenith and RCA for home use, at the time.
>
>Arny: What are 'brown goods'?
>Chuck


It's not a term used much today, but in the OFD,
in ment the 'stereo' equipment (hahahahahahaha)
you found at Zayrez, Caldor's, Western Auto, etc.

Dept stores..not 'hi-fi' stores. Insert you local store
name here. JM Fields..Sears..Stuff made cheap just to
re-produce music. Speakers (hahahaha) with 1 driver
in it, but 3 holes with silver trim to make it look 3 way.

MAIL order stuff. You can say almost the same thing
about guitars n amps from WARDS compared to the
local store selling Gibson. But that market was 2 new.

8 track player/turntable/radio/2 'speakers' for $89

Lafayette was far beyond that, since they had the HAM n
HOBBY market (back then, B-I-G !) who would only buy
stuff that didn't look like the crap in the Dept Stores.

When I worked for the 2 last Laf stores here, we had a
ton of that 'older' branded Lafayette stuff in boxes.

ALL the SMART kids in school remembered their dad's
Lafayette catalog, and bought it up at full price.

I made $$ fixing it later..folks keep that stuff..



JJTj

[Phil S.]

"yup..it's me..." > wrote in message
...
> >
>>>
>>> Depends how low you want to go and still call it "hi fi". It was way
>>> ahead
>>> of brown goods made by Zenith and RCA for home use, at the time.
>>
>>Arny: What are 'brown goods'?
>>Chuck
>
>
> It's not a term used much today, but in the OFD,
> in ment the 'stereo' equipment (hahahahahahaha)
> you found at Zayrez, Caldor's, Western Auto, etc.
>
> Dept stores..not 'hi-fi' stores. Insert you local store
> name here. JM Fields..Sears..Stuff made cheap just to
> re-produce music. Speakers (hahahaha) with 1 driver
> in it, but 3 holes with silver trim to make it look 3 way.
>
> MAIL order stuff. You can say almost the same thing
> about guitars n amps from WARDS compared to the
> local store selling Gibson. But that market was 2 new.
>
> 8 track player/turntable/radio/2 'speakers' for $89
>
> Lafayette was far beyond that, since they had the HAM n
> HOBBY market (back then, B-I-G !) who would only buy
> stuff that didn't look like the crap in the Dept Stores.
>
> When I worked for the 2 last Laf stores here, we had a
> ton of that 'older' branded Lafayette stuff in boxes.
>
> ALL the SMART kids in school remembered their dad's
> Lafayette catalog, and bought it up at full price.
>
> I made $$ fixing it later..folks keep that stuff..
>
>
>
> JJTj

I've still got the old Panasonic stereo I got back in the late '60s. A ss
POS that came with 2 6" POS speakers with RCA jacks. I think it cost $89
which might have been my whole summer's wages. The speakers are long gone,
but I saved the unit. I'm sure it still works. What could go wrong? <grin>

At some point, I hooked some decent speakers to it and was actually
surprised at how good the sound was. But the tuner lacks a flywheel, so
it's like having a car radio in your house. By that I mean the radio you
had in your 1965 Plymouth Valiant.

At some point Panasonic got respectable, but I assure everyone, my item
pre-dates that!

[Arny Krueger]

"Chuck" > wrote in message
ups.com
>> Depends how low you want to go and still call it "hi
>> fi". It was way ahead of brown goods made by Zenith and
>> RCA for home use, at the time.
>
> Arny: What are 'brown goods'?

Console stereos.

Audio gear that is primarily furniture, but also makes sounds of sorts. The
"brown" comes from finished wood.

The Zenith, Magnavox, GE and RCA stereo consoles of the day.