Western Electric Audio Amps

[KA8WTK]

 A local ham is clearing out his "stuff" before he moves south. He has been filling the back of my pickup with "stuff". His rational is "You sort it out or it goes to the curb so you may as well have it". In the haul is the usual junk, the interesting pieces and the good stuff.
 Included were two WE 124B rack mount amps and two WE KS-16608-L1 rack mount amps. I am either seeing things or hallucinating when I search the web for information on these amps. I see one on epay for over $5k (no bids yet) and other places where they have gone for even bigger bucks. Now those were table top models, not rack mount, but come on!
 Am I just seeing the equivalent of audiophoolery or what? If they really bring that kind of money from the overseas buyers I might put them on ebay and go buy a new motorhome!

Comments?

Bill KA8WTK

[WA3VJB]

Ya, you're having a mushroom flashback.

They're not worth much.  I'll take them for the cost of shipping.

huh-HA !

Nice score Bill, keep them and enjoy them at least for a little while.

http://www.vintage-hifi.2itb.com/catalog_13.html

http://www.vintage-hifi.2itb.com/photo2.html

[KA2DZT]

You're not hallucinating.  Those amps could be worth thousands.  It's hard to sell things on eBay with all the stupid changes eBay has made over the last few years.

Do more research before you do anything with them.

I've seen just pairs of certain WE output xfmrs go for 7K.  A single 618B mike input xfmr brings 1-2K

Fred

[w3jn]

Be prepared to ship 'em overseas if you sell 'em, Bill.  The Koreans and Chinese are the ones with the money.

Although advertised as "working" would be a bonus, don't succumb to the temptation to replace any parts to get them into that state.  Any non-WE parts will hurt the value, even if they're bad 

My SP-100 came with a hammy-hamboned up power supply using WE filter caps and a 274B rectifier.  I removed the WE components and put 'em on eBay... The caps went for $50 a piece as I recall, and the rectifier tube went for several hundred dollars to Russia.  More than paid for the whole radio 

[K5UJ]

I looked at the links Paul posted and my reaction was gladness that I am a ham.  I guess I'm also glad the audio salon world isn't interested in ham radio and the the two don't overlap much.  I'll bet if I A/Bed one of those WE amps with my Heathkit EA-2 with detector audio on 160 m. I'd be unable to tell any difference.   But, I had no idea WE made audio amps.   The glass audio nuts have driven the prices of even low end vintage stuff sky high.   EA-2s and EA-3s are hundreds of dollars now. 

[AB3L]

 But, I had no idea WE made audio amps.   

They made them for the old theatres...keep a look out.

[W7TFO]

Those particular amps were not for theatre use, rather for monitor use in the special service area of your local Bell System switching location.  That department handled all the hi-fi audio circuits linking radio and TV stations & the like.

Most of the later ones using octals were actually built to spec by some company other than WECo, as evidenced by the KS- number.  Marantz and Morley come to mind.

As mentioned, WECo did build audio amplifiers for theatre service, but they were much larger and more powerful than the little monitor amps you have.

Another division, the Electrical Research Products Incorporated (later Westrex) also did amps for the motion picture business putting sound on film.

Every last one of those amps are venerated highly in the $ department.

73DG

[WA3VJB]

So I wonder how much this connector is worth ?

It has original dirt and tarnish on it.

And that's a blob of original rosin core on the stud, too.

[WB3LEQ]

I have had an old Western Electric 142D amp for quite a few years but I never could find out what it was originally used for.  I thought it might have been a theater amp.  Now I am starting to wonder if it has any value other than as a door stop?

[W7TFO]

The 142 was a nice 20-Watt amp built for general use in a central office monitor system.  As the suffix letters progressed, more parts were outsourced (KS numbers), and less were from WE.

Still, it would bring between $500 and $1K on eBay if original.

73DG

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

I left a couple amps and some other gear behind at a theater where I worked PT as a projectionist back in the early 90s. Did scarf up one of the power supply units, wall mounted with two big, round, surface mounted meters and a large wooden steering wheel knob. They still have an old Orchestron back stage, too.

Bill, those amps really aren't anything special for using, but as others have indicated - those who must have WE will pay a lot for them. Along the same lines as the CCA collector types. As Johnny sez, leave them as-is, folks will pay more. They will also gladly pay the cost of professional packing and shipping overseas. I sold a bunch of 845s last year and most of them went to Europe, with a few to California and a couple to China. 2A3s went to China. Proceeds went to wife.  You may not get a new motor home out of the deal, but you will do quite well for your effort.

[k4kyv]

I sold a bunch of 845s last year and most of them went to Europe, with a few to California and a couple to China. 2A3s went to China. Proceeds went to wife.

Sorry to hear that.  Now, they will never show up as class B drivers in a U.S. amateur radio AM transmitter.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Sorry to hear that.  Now, they will show up as class B drivers in a U.S. amateur radio AM transmitter.

I sorta figured they were destined for use in someone's HiHiFB home stereo amp, but who knows? Are the Europeans and Chinese selling US made 845s & 2A3s back to hams in the US these days? Considering the 'thrifty' nature of most hams, that would appear to be a money-losing proposition.

[k4kyv]

Sorry about that.  Typo on my part.  I meant to say they will never show up as class B drivers in a U.S. AM ham rig.

I have a bunch of 2A3s (some n.o.s., some used, all test good), and a bunch of 845s (mostly used), but would never put them on the audiophool market.  Maybe would be willing to swap for some good HF-300s that I had tested in my transmitter to my satisfaction.

I use 2A3s in my audio driver stage, and have designs on an 845 driver for a pair of 833As.