Danelectro Challenger

Brad Little

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I have one of these:
http://tinyurl.com/ml26bs
It works, but really needs to be restored. I got it at a tag sale and the seller said it works-it didn't, but for $3 I figured it was worth it if only for the 15" speaker. A local tech got it working, but I'd like to get it restored to eliminate the hiss that it still has, probably due to some old components. I don't particularly care if it has replacement parts, i.e. something newer to replace the old paper capacitors.
Anybody have any suggestions of a tech in the New Haven CT area that might do the work at a reasonable price?
Brad Little
 

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I can't help you with the tech, but I don't think you can lose money on this amp.
Assuming that no one spray painted it green and stenciled "Anthrax Rox" on it.
 

jp

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Hi Brad,
That's a unique looking and sounding amp, and a great snag as well. There seems to be smatterings of info on the net about it, but no schematic. Hmm? Post some pics, maybe?
 

Brad Little

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jp said:
That's a unique looking and sounding amp, and a great snag as well. There seems to be smatterings of info on the net about it, but no schematic. Hmm? Post some pics, maybe?
I'll try to get some pics soon. I'm off this week and am straitening up my basement. Right now the Danelectro is sitting under Peavey Bandit because I don't have floor space for both. I did manage to clear the space around my dehumidifier so I can make it a little better down here. We've had so much rain I keep looking for my neighbor to start building a boat and collecting animals. :lol:

Brad
 

capnjuan

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Hi Brad; congratulations on you new amp. Link Here to a guy singing the praises of the Challenger ... the one he's talking about has four 6L6 output tubes; does yours? This Page says it's the Dano version of the Dano-made Silvertone 1396 later 1434 also 4X6L6. Schematics here but no Silvertone or Dano w/ a 15" speaker. Good luck! CJ
 

Brad Little

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capnjuan said:
congratulations on you new amp. the one he's talking about has four 6L6 output tubes; does yours? This Page says it's the Dano version of the Dano-made Silvertone 1396 later 1434 also 4X6L6. Schematics here but no Silvertone or Dano w/ a 15" speaker. Good luck! CJ
I've actually had it 10 years or more, just never got around to doing much with it except having a local tech get it so it works at all. I think I might have a schematic someplace, I seem to remember finding one, but it may have disappeared with a dead computer drive. I don't think it's the same as either of those numbers, at least as far as the cabinet. I'll have to pull the back off and see what's inside-I haven't looked in at least 5-6 years.
Oh, and my cabinet is different than the one you linked to, mine's a series D, not C, so probably a little newer

Brad
 

capnjuan

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brad4d8 said:
... I've actually had it 10 years or more, just never got around to doing much with it except having a local tech get it so it works at all ... . and my cabinet is different than the one you linked to, mine's a series D, not C, so probably a little newer.
Ok then, congratulations on stumbling over it. Yup, cabs not the same ... not the same year ... just trying to find out what you have there. Good luck whatever you do. J
 

mad dog

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Cap:

I don't know about Brad's Dano Challenger, but the brown one in the pic you supply is actually 4 x 6v6 I believe. I played through one, and heard it a lot. One of the better harp amps out there, a really cool low end grind. The Silvertone 1396 and 1484 are pretty different amps, 2x12, 4 x 6L6, 2 separate OTs, one per speaker. I owned the earliest of that Silvertone model, think it was the 1392 ... same circuit but linen tweed and faux alligator cover. These particular silvertones are way louder than that Dano Challenger.
 

capnjuan

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Hi Michael; the one in the pic I linked, according to the page's author, is quad 6V6s and looks like it'd be a lot of fun. The page goes on to say: "The insides of this amp are a little clustered and messy. It's point-to-point wired, but not as well laid out as, say a Fender or an Ampeg of the same period". This is probably a polite understatement. Many Dano models didn't use boards; if a resistor connected to a tube ... well ... it got connected directly to a tube pin ... the tube sockets bristle with Rs and Cs soldered directly to the pins ... big clumpy mess ... can be the dickens to work with. The 1484 got 'found' a couple of years ago; big run-up in prices 07-08 then cooling some.
 
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