The Baldwin electronic organ I was trying to help repair has been demolished. Lawrence’s family was offered and retrieved another, more recent, in full working condition; and Jake dismantled the first one. By the time I learned of it, it was literally reduced to firewood and a pile of metal chassis, which he let me pick through.
I came home with some sheet metal, some interesting resistors that I’ll photograph later, and a box of spare vacuum tubes to give away.
The box has been sitting in my garage waiting for me to have enough time to look through it, which I really don’t, but don’t want to put it off any longer. Here’s what’s in it:
Crazy Keith’s Vacuum Tube Giveaway!!!
By my count, that’s:
| Qty | Remaining | Tube |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 7027A |
| 2 | 2 | 322NA3 |
| 2 | 2 | unknown |
| 29 | 29 | Baldwin brand 6SN7 GTB |
| 16 | 16 | Bandwin brand 12AX7 |
| 4 | 4 | Wurlitzer brand 12AX7 |
| 3 | 3 | different, unknown brands 12AX7 |
I have no use for them, and I’d like to give them away to someone who does. If you have interest in them, please post a comment below indicating:
- How many of which tubes you want
- What you want them for
- How I can contact you
I’ve set my blog not to auto-post your comments, so your information will be seen only by me.
I think there will be very little demand, so I expect I’ll be delighted to send them all to the first person who asks. But I’m going to be gone for two weeks; and to play fair, will evaluate all requests when I get back. If there’s more demand than I expect, I’ll lean toward charitable organizations like churches and museums, generally followed by anyone else on a first-come basis.
US shipments only, please; or you’d better have a pretty good story about how easy and hassle-free it’s going to be for me to ship out of the country.
I can’t find my tube tester, so I can’t tell you the condition of any of them. But the organ was working before it didn’t, so I suspect most of them are as good as one could expect them to be.
Or Maybe Not Giving Them Away (Or Maybe So)
13-Oct-2007
A reader advised that I should check prices on eBay, and I find that the tubes might actually bring some real money. I’m going to have to give this some thought — giving them away to a lot of different people versus putting money in Jake’s college fund. It’s not a foregone conclusion, and I’ll probably end up doing some kind of mix, so keep the requests coming.
29-Apr-2008
I haven’t got ’round to checking eBay yet; but all of the tubes are now spoken for if I do give them away, so I’m no longer accepting requests. Thank you all for your interest!
I would check Ebay and think about selling them. Some tubes can fetch quite a bit of money 12AX7′s may or may not be one of them.
I concur with Rich, but you may not want to go through the ebay hassle. There are, however, people who would do it for you, either a volunteer or for a commission. The tubes would sell for more if they were tested on a tube tester. Not your thing, I’d guess, but there are people around who can do that for you.
When all is said and done, you may just want to give them away. If you decide to do that I’d be interested in a few Baldwin 12AX7 and 6SN7 tubes, and would be glad to make a charitable contribution for their fair value, either to a charity in your community or to my Rotary Club’s scholarship fund.
I think the key to this is to have fun with it, and not let it become a “project” unless someone can do it for you. As you may have discovered, there’s a whole subculture of audio and guitar “tube lovers.”
Regards,
Charles Voltz
(650) 685-8010
Burlingame, CA
Electronics Technician since 1965, and I was taught tubes first, in the Air Force, then transisters, and on to VLSI… ICs.
Tubes bring about $12.00 each if they are the common All American Five or AA5! Any in the All American Five bring good buck$ in sets! Hams and survivalists buy them, as do collectors and restorers of antique radios or TVs, and, Juke Boxes.
The All American Five is the five tubes used by most makers for consumer radios, for about 50 years after 1930. There are at least 6 sets from 1930 onward: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_American_Five
As equipment designs became out dated, tube sales fell dramatically, being replaced by hybred tube/transistor circuits, and finally, Integrated Circuits. But, in the military, many issued tube equipments are part of an entire weapons system, and will linger on, until replaced by a new weapons system.
It was strange during the Cold War, to have to go through ten vacuum tubes manufactured in slave labor camps, behind the Iron Curtain, to find one that would repair our classified computer, radar set, radio, or testing machine, designed in the 1950′s, and still so vital to the U.S. military!
Hi
I bought a Baldwin Organ model HT2 serial # 2660-B3. It worked fine for some time but now when I turn it on I get a loud HMMMM out of both speakers
I am sorry I hit the “send” to early.
What I would like to know will any of your parts help my problem?
Regards
Ulrich Schneeklotjh
I
Ulrich, my guess is that the hum is 60Hz line frequency leaking through a filter section somewhere, possibly due to a dried-out capacitor. I don’t think anything I have would be pertinent, and I definitely don’t have enough experience with vacuum-tube circuits to give any suggestions about troubleshooting it. I’d head for a repair shop.
Mine is a “Baldwin Theatre Organ model-HT-2″. The owner’s manual was printed
in 1965. The special effects booklet for the HT2 also mentions these other
models -71, 54,46H, CT-2
Can you tell me how/where I can buy a repair manual for my model the HT-2??
Any help would be very much appreciated
Regards
Ulrich Schneekloth
Ulrich, sorry, I haven’t looked into buying repair manuals, and you’ll have as much luck searching as I will. If I were looking, I’d start with Google.
Service manuals are avaiable online on EBay from a seller that has hundreds instock Also a Robert Spoon in Springdale, AR has many had to find parts. I recently retored to factory condition a Baldwin Church model 520 with two full manuals and 32 note pedal board. Mr Spoon had the exaxt parts I needed !
Email me back if you want more info. I possibly can find you a lead or suggest hints to make yours play again , just like NEW. Have fun !! C Ya, Doug
I recently had to trash my wonderful Baldwin HT2 due to a short notice of foreclosure (I was renting and my landlord never paid a penny to the bank, but that’s another story). Anyway, I salvaged as much as possible, including the tremelo system. Not being an electrician I didn’t know how to remove the amp for the tremelo motor. I presently have the motor, the cup and the speaker. I’m primarily a guitar player and would love to build my own amp with this tremelo. Could anyone help me out as I try to reconstruct this system as a standalone tremelo amplifier? I have an amp for the speaker, just not the motor. My email is ianamackley@yahoo.com.
I am looking for the D module for a Baldwin Cinema II
Any information, please e-mail me at pj981@comcast.net
Thank you
Peter
Hi Peter,
Do I understand that you are looking for the “D note/pitch module tone generator” ?? There is this company that I ordered my model 520 parts from. He may have it or know someone that has “parted out” a simular organ. Regards, Doug
musicelectronics03@msn.com
Mr. Robert Spoon
MusicElectronics, Inc.
5517-A Market Street
Springdale, AR 72764
1-479-927-0822
Does anyone know how to reach Mr. Spoon, at Music Electronics
Phone number is alwys busy
Thanks
Peter
pj981@comcast.net
Can you tell where I can get a service manual for a Baldwin HT2
Thanks,
Dan
Hey Peter and Dan,
Peter; Don’t have an answer about Mr Robert Spoon. Recently had problem reaching the owners of Organ Service Co in Indiana for parts for a Thomas. Found a company in WA state for my parts anyway.
Dan; I left an email with EBay seller ‘tkosiorek’ asking if he had the manual for the HT2 in his huge inventory.
Back when I have more info. texdw70@yahoo.com
C Ya, Doug
I don’t quite understand why you want to bother repairing these old electronic designs.
Electronic organs were attempts to emulate pipe organs. They were compromises, limited by available technology. If any analog organ manufacturer had been able to digitally reproduce the actual sounds of pipe organs, as we can do so easily today, they would’ve dumped analog technology in a moment.
So instead of hunting around for old vacuum tubes and such, I suggest you start learning how to convert your console to MIDI so you can use it to play the sounds of real theater pipe organs (e.g. with the free MidiTzer software). Then you’ll have the best of both worlds, visual and auditory, instead of fussing around with well-meaning but primitive imitations.
Ander, I was trying to repair this because it was the only organ my friend’s family had (at the time) and it was broken. That seems to me like a pretty clear-cut case for trying to fix it rather than design and build (or buy) an intrusive conversion kit that requires additional hardware (PC) when it’s time to play.
Hey Keith, Did you ever successfully restore/repair your friends Baldwin ? I have forgotten just which model it was. I presently have a 1957 Orgasonic Spinit that needs a new home. I have maintained it since I bought it new. Email me if I can help you in any way.. Regards, Geoug
Do you have the 115v electric motor that turns the drum with the speaker?
How much for the motor that runs the speaker drum? Cany you give me the part number?
Thanks
Max, I don’t think this organ had a Leslie-style speaker; and everything but the tubes is long gone.
Hey Max,
I parted out a Baldwin model 46C. I only got the console after the owner had parted out the tubes, speakers, and tone generators.
What I have left are the TWO manuals w/switches, Pedal board w/switches, Swell pedal, the rotating baffel, motor, and bottom brace and bearing.
I do NOT have the upper bracket and bearing. One could probably fabricate that bracket and bearing from hardware store items. I’d prefer to sell the entire baffel and motor together.
Now will the motor I have work with your baffel ?? I can get part numbers and send you detailed pics if you wish. Regards, Doug
What about the transformers that were in the organ?? Got them?
Tim, no, I never had the transformers.