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Polarity switch missing? what cabinet? [message #8575]

Sun, 06 May 2007 14:01

baytamusic
Messages: 5
Registered: May 2007
Location: Phoenix

Junior Member

Hey guys, I'm new here. I purchased a black 250-1 yesterday for the great price of $100. The tuck 'n' roll is in almost perfect shape aside from a couple (cough cough) cigarette burns on top. The amp needs a once over, clean pots, check inputs etc but works ok. So anyways, on to my questions.

The polarity switch is completely missing. From what I've read on here it is basically impossible to find these things. My question is when I get the three prong grounded plug on there is the polarity even necessary for functionality?

My second question. I did not score the matching cabinet. The amp will be used strictly for bass. I am assuming that I could just find any old black Kustom 2X15 and assuming it had "guitar" speakers I could just switch them over to bass speakers. Correct? Any reccomendations on high efficiency modern 8 ohm speakers that I would get the most volume out of since I find it absurd to spend $200+ on vintage speakers. Don't get me wrong, it would be cool, but I don't have the money, and I just want a reliable speaker that gets high volume and hopefully holds true to the sound of the vintage gear.

ps. can these things keep up with a loud drummer and lets say a vox ac-15 reissue at a very loud level? haven't got to try it with a cab yet. Cool

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Re: Polarity switch missing? what cabinet? [message #8576 is a reply to message #8575]

Sun, 06 May 2007 16:34

baytamusic
Messages: 5
Registered: May 2007
Location: Phoenix

Junior Member

Correction. I looked inise the amp and the switch is there and works! It isn't connected to the front of the amp. The bulb and blue cover and some other parts that hold it in place Very Happy

seem to be missing. I guess this is good news? I would think my local vintage technitian can figure out something to make it work. Hopefully! Surprised

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Re: Polarity switch missing? what cabinet? [message #8577 is a reply to message #8575]

Mon, 07 May 2007 06:49

stevem
Messages: 4774
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

Hi. If you add a grounded plug you will not need the polarity switch to work, so you can just tape it up so that its terminals do not short out to the chassie.
These switches break a lot on the threaded section that retains them to their small mounting bracket on the face of the amp.
What I have done with all of my k150s and k250, even on the switches that are not broken is rap each side of the switch with a small cable tie to keep the main switch body pulled up to its bracket. This has held on my amp for some 25 years now, and as I said you should add it to your on/off switch to keep it from breaking.
These switches are near impossible to get, twice I have found aftermarket good manufacture switches that would be a drop in, only to find that the company had stopped production of that model.
I now have found another replacement from a euro company and I am waiting on another production run to get some.
Your amp with 2 so so 15`s no less good 15`s will not need to go up more than having the volume on 3 to compete with the rest of the band.
If you look back thru post put up here, many times we have gone over top notch replacement 15`s for bass, Eminence makes a bunch of them.
As far as a good cheap 2-15 cabinet goes, I have seen some used crate ones go for pretty little bucks.

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Re: Polarity switch missing? what cabinet? [message #8579 is a reply to message #8577]

Mon, 07 May 2007 07:33

baytamusic
Messages: 5
Registered: May 2007
Location: Phoenix

Junior Member

thanks for the reply! the funny thing is, you mentioned putting ties to hold the power switch on the bracket. some moron used garbage bag twisty ties to hold it in place. ha.

i'm looking to find a matching cab for the head for stage looks! kustoms cabs look amazing so i just want to put some good speakers in there (if not already there) that don't cost more than the amp is worth. otherwise it will be an ampeg or sunn cab. I'll check the older posts again! When I was in high school a friend had a Kustom amp and it really captured the overdriven cool sound without tons of volume. We're going to test it through a '80 randall combo (crap) tomorrow just to see if it sounds fairly clean and take it from there.

ps. i'm not the bass player. i'm the loud drummer trying to help get my new amp to sound great so the bass player can use it!

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Re: Polarity switch missing? what cabinet? [message #8580 is a reply to message #8575]

Mon, 07 May 2007 12:40

stevem
Messages: 4774
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

The k250 will only output its 125 watts RMS into a 4 ohm load, so 2 8 ohm drivers wired in parallel is the way to go, but even 1 -8 ohm 15" driver will be loud enough to play with a hard hitting drumer.
If your bass players bass has active pickups, he may need to use the lower gain input of whatever channel he plugs into or back down on the guitars volume control some so you do not clip the amps 1st gain stage.
With my active pickups I plug the bass into the second input of channel 1, than take a jumper out of that channels input 1, and plug that into input #2 of channel 2 and great sounds will be had.
With a 8 ohm driver the amp will output 75 watts RMS.

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Re: Polarity switch missing? what cabinet? [message #8581 is a reply to message #8575]

Mon, 07 May 2007 15:14

baytamusic
Messages: 5
Registered: May 2007
Location: Phoenix

Junior Member

Thanks for the advise on how to plug in the active bass. He uses an active one right now so we'll be trying that. Then it's on to the cabinet search.

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Re: Polarity switch missing? what cabinet? [message #8590 is a reply to message #8575]

Tue, 08 May 2007 21:05

RobbieNuke
Messages: 66
Registered: October 2006
Location: Baltimore

Member

I think Switchcraft made the blue switches. Probably out of production, but if you scavenge long enough you may find them on anything from old 3-M tapr decks, government panels, etc.

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Re: Polarity switch missing? what cabinet? [message #8591 is a reply to message #8575]

Tue, 08 May 2007 21:06

RobbieNuke
Messages: 66
Registered: October 2006
Location: Baltimore

Member

I think Switchcraft made them. Check all sorts of junk electronic sources (old 3-M tape decks, government surplus, etc)>

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Re: Polarity switch missing? what cabinet? [message #8594 is a reply to message #8591]

Wed, 09 May 2007 11:31

chicagobill
Messages: 2006
Registered: April 2003

Senior Member

Robbie:
The blue pushbutton switches were kustom made by Licon Switch, a division of Illinois Tool Works, here in Chicago.

When I was in college, I used to know a gal that spent her summers working there. If I had only known then, she could've gotten me all I wanted. If only I had a Tardis.

Bill

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Re: Polarity switch missing? what cabinet? [message #8595 is a reply to message #8594]

Wed, 09 May 2007 11:50

RobbieNuke
Messages: 66
Registered: October 2006
Location: Baltimore

Member

I've never had the opportunity to work on the 150/250 series so I've never examined the switch/lamp in question. But Switchcraft does make a very similar looking switch in the PL Series (still in production too!). If someone can check the specs, they just might be the answer for everyones needs.

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Re: Polarity switch missing? what cabinet? [message #8596 is a reply to message #8575]

Wed, 09 May 2007 12:39

stevem
Messages: 4774
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

There are alot of switches made that are real close, but all of them too large to pass thru the front panel with out filing it out larger.

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