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New Member Question [message #19808]

Tue, 24 December 2013 07:58

GmcGmc
Messages: 7
Registered: December 2013
Location: NJ, USA

Junior Member

Hello Everyone,

As of yesterday, I am the proud owner of a Kustom Charger combo bass amp. Sounds great, and appears 200 watts. Can anyone help me determine year of manufacture?

Model #: 28-B
Ser.#: 92600

Charger 200-0216-00

The only thing "wrong" seems to be the pilot light not working. Thanks in advance for any info.

MerryChristmas!

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Re: New Member Question [message #19810 is a reply to message #19808]

Tue, 24 December 2013 10:06

stevem
Messages: 4775
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

Hello, wlecome to the place and happy holidays to you and yours also!
If you unscrew the jew lens on the pilot lamp you can acess the lamp.
To remove it, push it in and spin it a half turn left or right and it will pop out, its spring loaded a little.
You should see a number on it that you can use to reorder some from a company like Mouser electronics, or Newark electronics.

By the amps serial number it looks to have been made betweeen Jul and Dec of 1972.
To comfirm this you can find a date code on the amps speaker frame(mounting lip) or magnet.
By 1972 most amps for bass use with a standard speaker will have a CTS made driver whose first 3 code digets should start with 137. The next diget will be year and the next two the month of that year.
Guitar amps got a KEI labled speaker for a standard driver, and their dating can be tricky.
Enjoy your new baby!

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Re: New Member Question [message #19811 is a reply to message #19808]

Tue, 24 December 2013 10:29

GmcGmc
Messages: 7
Registered: December 2013
Location: NJ, USA

Junior Member

Hey Steven

Thank you very much for your response, 1972.....that's really cool Very Happy

Oh yes, I plan to enjoy and use this amp. As much as possible!

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Re: New Member Question [message #19812 is a reply to message #19808]

Tue, 24 December 2013 11:11

chicagobill
Messages: 2006
Registered: April 2003

Senior Member

Happy holidays to you all!
The Charger is rated at 75 watts RMS, so 150 watts peak power output.

The pilot lamp is not in a jewel mounted holder, but in one of the square blue ones. If you remove the chassis from the cabinet and open up the top cover, you can replace the bulb in the holder. The bulb is a miniature screw base lamp, number 335. It is the same lamp that is used in all of the metal front series amps.

Best of luck with the new amp.

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Re: New Member Question [message #19813 is a reply to message #19812]

Tue, 24 December 2013 11:23

GmcGmc
Messages: 7
Registered: December 2013
Location: NJ, USA

Junior Member

cool

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Re: New Member Question [message #19814 is a reply to message #19813]

Tue, 24 December 2013 12:57

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

Congrats on the Charger...Great combo!!! I have a Kool black one...shiny textured naugahyde vs the usual Flat finish nauga.. Usually will come with a CTS driver tho I have seen them with a JBL D140F. I had one in the 70's that I put a EV SRO15B into it that sounded great tho my current one came with an aftermarket Crate Eminence driver which I swapped for an ALTEC 421A which I feel is the best sounding of all the drivers I've experienced in the Charger. The CTS is a fine driver for an OEM, I use mine in places that are small venues with no complaints. never had a problem with this amp model since I started using my 1st in 1976.
ENJOY
Craig

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Re: New Member Question [message #19815 is a reply to message #19814]

Tue, 24 December 2013 14:04

GmcGmc
Messages: 7
Registered: December 2013
Location: NJ, USA

Junior Member

Kustomoholic, and chicagobill,

Thanks for sharing your knowledge on the amp. Yeah mine is black and looks incredibly cool. Compared to what I was playing out of before (don't ask), this thing sounds absolutely great. Probably is OEM, didn't get much info from previous owner. I paid $200 and it came with casters and original cover, so I feel like I got a pretty good deal considering for that price I could not find something that would sound this good. Or look this good for that matter.

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Re: New Member Question [message #19816 is a reply to message #19808]

Tue, 24 December 2013 14:09

GmcGmc
Messages: 7
Registered: December 2013
Location: NJ, USA

Junior Member

By the way, can anybody point me to some reading materials on these Chargers? History, who played them, etc.? I'd like to educate myself on them, and found it a bit hard to search this site.

Thanks and enjoy the Holidays!!!

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Re: New Member Question [message #19818 is a reply to message #19815]

Tue, 24 December 2013 17:31

kustomoholic
Messages: 227
Registered: March 2009
Location: Tulsa,oklahoma

Senior Member

You got a nice deal on it with cover.... guess I don't have to tell you where to get a cover... Most go for 300 plus especially in a non black nauga... Theres a charcoal one on Ebay for 399 or so that's really nice. I paid more than that for mine (300) but they don't come up that often or didn't 7 years ago when I bought it. I missed a blue one a few years ago... I love blue sparkle naugahyde that was in Massachusetts for a great price. If yours has a speaker with an aluminum dust cap it may have a JBL or Altec in it which makes it worth considerably more than a CTS model.
Good luck
Craig

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