Barker 88

[pwdrive]

If it's a rare Marshall or one that has provenance to a particular artist or band, then they can command quite a high price, as can guitars.

Lawrence. EDIT: http://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showt...p?t=104592

[Yorkie]

Oh well, it's made someone happy. It has little 'utility value' as it won't get used, so it just becomes a 'conversation piece' or as some might put it, a 'dust trap'.

I guess that basically, I'm not really a collector of anything - I just enjoy restoring old valve radios to the best of my ability, then having restored them to safe working order, I don't like to part with them so I become a 'collector by default'. I can't really grasp the concept of buying anything which I didn't intend to use, simply because it's rare and valuable. I guess those who do pay a small fortune to collect stuff must derive pleasure from 'pride of ownership' or some such thing, like "there's only one of these and I've got it". So?

Even if money was no object, to my mind, such stuff simply becomes 'clutter'. I probably epitomise the sort of people who appear on 'Cash in the Attic' and have a good clearout.

[singlepentode69]

Yes I did a little bid but did not Amagine it would make that much .a bit like the quad amps I wired every gold plated version they made for the centinery it's a pity I did it keep any of the potluck potted transformers we scrapped. I will look out for a shareable doner at the garden party at dulwich and some of the wireless events this year .the case is in excellent condition and I love the wooden wirelesses.barker 88 was made by cossar I believe .
Regards
Robin

[pwdrive]

They might get used David, it depends how rare or unique they are (guitars/amps) I saw a Strad violin being played on the telly a while back.

Bloke takes a Stradivarius and a Rembrandt to a dealer to sell.

The dealer offers him 20 quid.

The bloke says "I thought they would be worth a lot more than that"

"Nah" said the dealer "Stradivarius couldn't paint very well and Rembrandt didn't make very good violins"


Lawrence.

[singlepentode69]

I think I will look out for various transformer and stock up on them maybe I should take up coil winding one day
Regards
Robin

[AlanBeckett]

For £92 you could get at least 3 Pye 39J/Hs. You'd then have 3 complete P-P Output stages (EL33s), Mains Transformers, Rectifiers, Speakers, etc, etc.
Barmy, init?

Alan

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks for your kind words in post #10 David and for providing the link to my Barker 88 restoration. It was very generous of you to give me this set David and although I've just had a major clear out of many of my collection I have retained this Barker because it was a gift from you and I'll not part with it.

Regarding paying a lot of money to have a transformer re-wound; I used to think such work was very expensive but few people realize just how much work and time goes into rewinding a transformer even a small one. I'm self taught at transformer winding and found it to be very interesting; I had a decent AVO Douglas coil winder and bought a large stock of enameled winding wire. The initial outlay was a fair amount of money but once I had the winder and the wire stock I quickly learned how to wind any transformer and went on to wind many transformers not only to repair my own sets but I could then also wind bespoke transformers for PSU's etc at will. Once the basics are picked up transformer winding isn't difficult but as I say it is time consuming. I've now sold all my winding wire and winders having changed hobbies.

A few years ago our solicitor charged over £200 per hour which puts the cost of transformer winding into perspective; it will take over an hour to rewind even a small transformer?

Kind regards, Col.

[Refugee]

I have got quite a long way through making myself a transformer winding kit and have a to do list that includes an oscilloscope PDA up-converter transformer rewind. It has a nixie tube turns counter that has been tested and will count off the old coil turns as well. The bobbin holder is next. It is based on a modified ice cream maker.

As far as expensive amplifiers go I rescued a car load of cinema amplifiers and had four left five years ago and have gone for keepers even before a very stressful house move and got on with a restoration.
I was giving them away in 1980.
Then a pair of the things came up for sale and sold for £1400 for the pair.
I am keeping them and two of them are our main HIFI system in winter so at least the ones I have got will be enjoyed.

They needed a few tweaks and had a fair bit of work to do as they were abandoned repair jobs from an MOD site and all other scrapped stuff was crushed to combat fraud so few survived.
is it worth a new thread for the remaining four mono block amplifiers in the restoration stories section?

[Yorkie]

is it worth a new thread for the remaining four mono block amplifiers in the restoration stories section?

Sure - why not?

[singlepentode69]

Fingers crossed I might have found one on the usual auction site I do not drive so I only go to a few bvwtm table top sales and the garden party .
Regards
Robin