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Odd Frankie Head on eBay [message #25031] Thu, 02 June 2016 22:50 Go to next message
chicagobill
Messages: 2006
Registered: April 2003
Senior Member
There is a Red Frankie head on eBay that is in really nice shape, but it's different than any Frankie head that I've ever seen. The front panel is marked By Ross Mfg. The two channels are marked Guitar and Bass and the two front panel fuses are rated 2 Amp for the ac line and 4 Amp for the speaker.

Most Frankie heads are marked with high and low inputs and have 3 Amp ac fuses and 5 Amp speaker fuses.

Another thing is that the power transistors on the back panel look like they are Germanium transistor rather than the normal Silicon types. In fact they look a lot like the outputs from the original Lot-O-Tone heads.

Anybody here know anything about these heads?


I can't get the link to work, but here the address.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-KUSTOM-Model-C-595-Frankenst ein-Amp-Head-By-ROSS-INC-MFG-RARE-RED-/272262384329?hash=ite m3f641a4ac9:g:zlwAAOSwmtJXUMfh

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Re: Odd Frankie Head on eBay [message #25032 is a reply to message #25031] Fri, 03 June 2016 07:51 Go to previous messageGo to next message
stevem is currently offline  stevem
Messages: 4774
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
Senior Member
I jumped over to eBay , but could not find it!

[Updated on: Fri, 03 June 2016 07:59]

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Re: Odd Frankie Head on eBay [message #25033 is a reply to message #25031] Fri, 03 June 2016 08:00 Go to previous messageGo to next message
stevem is currently offline  stevem
Messages: 4774
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
Senior Member
Ok , I found it !
Yup, must be a very early model, wonder how many where made and what the date code is on its pots and power transformer?
It must only be at best a 75 watt output stage with that 4 amp speaker fuse unless it's a slow blow type, ,but I think not!

[Updated on: Fri, 03 June 2016 08:09]

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icon14.gif  Re: Odd Frankie Head on eBay [message #25075 is a reply to message #25033] Tue, 14 June 2016 11:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
thedqmanfla is currently offline  thedqmanfla
Messages: 22
Registered: December 2015
Location: Florida
Junior Member
On Its Way to join the Florida Collection!!!!!!

Very Excited to see the pot dates and Transformer dates!

Mike

[Updated on: Tue, 14 June 2016 11:34]

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Re: Odd Frankie Head on eBay [message #25076 is a reply to message #25031] Tue, 14 June 2016 12:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
chicagobill
Messages: 2006
Registered: April 2003
Senior Member
Congrats! I for one would love to see photos of the chassis and circuits.

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Re: Odd Frankie Head on eBay [message #25111 is a reply to message #25031] Thu, 23 June 2016 11:26 Go to previous messageGo to next message
thedqmanfla is currently offline  thedqmanfla
Messages: 22
Registered: December 2015
Location: Florida
Junior Member
Well the head arrived and boy is it different!
The Pots and Transformer date to 10/64
I sent pictures to Bud as the amp has NO BIG CAPACITORS!
Its not as if they were taken out , as there are no holes EVER for mounting brackets or screws.
Bud Thinks Maybe they were experimenting with trying to get sound without the big capacitors!
Whatever they did the amp sound Killer!
and Quiet!
Id be curious to see if anyone had an earlier model!
Mike

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Re: Odd Frankie Head on eBay [message #25112 is a reply to message #25031] Thu, 23 June 2016 13:15 Go to previous messageGo to next message
chicagobill
Messages: 2006
Registered: April 2003
Senior Member
Sounds like it's a great amp. I would think that the lack of the big filter caps would just be the fact that they hadn't decided to use the higher quality caps yet. I'm sure that there are smaller axial filter caps in there just like all the other companies were using at the time.

Kustom was the first of the companies to go "high tech" and spec higher quality parts than were normal to guitar amplifiers at the time. If you look at most amps from that time period, every manufacturer was using consumer grade parts. Kustom started using the big computer grade filter caps and tantalum signal caps, along with metal film resistors, all of which were very cutting edge for guitar amps. And more expensive as well. The quality of the sound and the product was seemingly more important than the bottom line.

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Re: Odd Frankie Head on eBay [message #25143 is a reply to message #25031] Thu, 30 June 2016 19:10 Go to previous message
conductortom
Messages: 96
Registered: July 2010
Location: Okla
Member
it is a 5 transistor head. I traded one to Terry that was.

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