National-Dobro Tube Amplifier, c. 1938
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National-Dobro Tube Amplifier, c. 1938, Chicago, serial # 6392.
This beautiful little Chicago-made amp dates to the late 1930s, a well-preserved example of some of the earliest creations in vacuum tube instrument amplification. This little pre-war amplifier was made by National-Dobro before the company re-organized into Valco during WWII. National-Dobro made many of the best engineered amplifiers of the era, and even this small off-center gem is no exception.
Documentation from that era being rather thin, considering the rapidly-changing designs and aesthetics of the now unified National and Dobro companies, these amps can be difficult to date with precision. This is an earlier iteration of the "Shield" models likely was made between 1936 and 1938. This was listed simply as the 'National Electric Amplifier' in catalogs at the time with no specific model designation at a price of $75.00!
This amplifier features three inputs and a single volume control and on/off switch. A dual-6L6 power section yields around 15 watts into a single Utah 12" field coil speaker. The cabinet design is quite novel for the time; it comes apart into two stackable pieces, which can be assembled with the speaker unit on top. This speaker section features two little 'fins', likely to preserve any amount of bass-response from the otherwise completely open enclosure. The National catalog even advised the stacked unit could be used as a stand for your lap steel guitar, although that seems precarious at best.
The cabinet is clad in a tan fabric covering and features a rather striking wooden 'shield' speaker cutout mimicking the National logo with a very attractive tan and blue grille cloth. For nearly another decade, amplifiers made by National-Dobro would aesthetically still much resemble these pre-war predecessors, save for the speaker grille cutouts, which became more squared-off in appearance. This innovative little amp is a testament to the original thinking and quality components that made National-Dobro one of the leaders in the march to amplified music during the pre-war period.
Height is 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.), 15 in. (38.1 cm.) width, and 9 1/4 in. (23.5 cm.) deep
Cosmetically, this 88-or-so year old amp is quite well preserved. The rather fragile thin cabinet covering shows minimal signs of wear; a couple very small scuffs here and there, but overall it's a nicely clean example. The steel chassis is in good shape and only shows minimal signs of corrosion. The model badge and volume control plate are both present and only show minor scratches. The handle is likely an older replacement with the original rivets replaced with screws, but it suits the amp well aesthetically and still has plenty of life left in it!
Electrically, this little amp is nicely original. The 12" Utah field-coil speaker appears original is in good shape with what appears to be the remnants of the Utah label partially intact. It even sports the original cone, which still sounds great. Both the power and output transformers appear original to the amp. The volume/on-off pot/switch has been replaced, as has one of the input jacks. The amp has seen our typical maintenance and service, including a 3-prong grounded power cord, replacement of all electrolytic filter caps, cleaning of all sockets, pots and jacks and power tubes biased to spec.
This beautiful little pre-War gem has a sweet sound at lower volume, and a nice growl when pushed! Very Good + Condition.
This beautiful little Chicago-made amp dates to the late 1930s, a well-preserved example of some of the earliest creations in vacuum tube instrument amplification. This little pre-war amplifier was made by National-Dobro before the company re-organized into Valco during WWII. National-Dobro made many of the best engineered amplifiers of the era, and even this small off-center gem is no exception.
Documentation from that era being rather thin, considering the rapidly-changing designs and aesthetics of the now unified National and Dobro companies, these amps can be difficult to date with precision. This is an earlier iteration of the "Shield" models likely was made between 1936 and 1938. This was listed simply as the 'National Electric Amplifier' in catalogs at the time with no specific model designation at a price of $75.00!
This amplifier features three inputs and a single volume control and on/off switch. A dual-6L6 power section yields around 15 watts into a single Utah 12" field coil speaker. The cabinet design is quite novel for the time; it comes apart into two stackable pieces, which can be assembled with the speaker unit on top. This speaker section features two little 'fins', likely to preserve any amount of bass-response from the otherwise completely open enclosure. The National catalog even advised the stacked unit could be used as a stand for your lap steel guitar, although that seems precarious at best.
The cabinet is clad in a tan fabric covering and features a rather striking wooden 'shield' speaker cutout mimicking the National logo with a very attractive tan and blue grille cloth. For nearly another decade, amplifiers made by National-Dobro would aesthetically still much resemble these pre-war predecessors, save for the speaker grille cutouts, which became more squared-off in appearance. This innovative little amp is a testament to the original thinking and quality components that made National-Dobro one of the leaders in the march to amplified music during the pre-war period.
Height is 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm.), 15 in. (38.1 cm.) width, and 9 1/4 in. (23.5 cm.) deep
Cosmetically, this 88-or-so year old amp is quite well preserved. The rather fragile thin cabinet covering shows minimal signs of wear; a couple very small scuffs here and there, but overall it's a nicely clean example. The steel chassis is in good shape and only shows minimal signs of corrosion. The model badge and volume control plate are both present and only show minor scratches. The handle is likely an older replacement with the original rivets replaced with screws, but it suits the amp well aesthetically and still has plenty of life left in it!
Electrically, this little amp is nicely original. The 12" Utah field-coil speaker appears original is in good shape with what appears to be the remnants of the Utah label partially intact. It even sports the original cone, which still sounds great. Both the power and output transformers appear original to the amp. The volume/on-off pot/switch has been replaced, as has one of the input jacks. The amp has seen our typical maintenance and service, including a 3-prong grounded power cord, replacement of all electrolytic filter caps, cleaning of all sockets, pots and jacks and power tubes biased to spec.
This beautiful little pre-War gem has a sweet sound at lower volume, and a nice growl when pushed! Very Good + Condition.