Kalamazoo Amp Project

[Jaybird03]

After playing my harp through a Kalamazoo Model 2 amp that I picked up, I decided that the Model 2 was the perfect harp rig. I wanted to build a clone. While waiting for parts to arrive, and paint to dry, I wrote down a few thoughts and took some pics, which are on this humble little site that I was able to build.
http://home.earthlink.net/~olsjm/amps4me/

[packermann]

Jaybird03,

Cool project. I have a Kalamazoo Model 2 and it is a nice little amp. You are right about the cabinet, mine rattles a bit in an annoying way once I get it turned up past half way. Overall tone is smooth with plenty of upper midrange. I very nice light jazz/blues rig indeed.

[safecracker]

Originally Posted by Jaybird03

After playing my harp through a Kalamazoo Model 2 amp that I picked up, I decided that the Model 2 was the perfect harp rig. I wanted to build a clone. While waiting for parts to arrive, and paint to dry, I wrote down a few thoughts and took some pics, which are on this humble little site that I was able to build.
http://home.earthlink.net/~olsjm/amps4me/

I've never played a Kalamazoo, but I have arriving in the mail anyday now a 1967 model one and can't wait to hear it. I love the small amps. Out my meager collection, I play a Premier Twin 8, Victoria Champ 518, a little Gretsch(Valco), and a 1953 Deluxe with a 1957 P10R in it. I've heard clips of a Zoo and liked what I heard. The other amps I would like to try is a 50' Gibson and a Masco.Good luck on your project and keep us fellow harpsters updated. Shawn

[Jaybird03]

I thought I would post a pic of the finished product. The amp really has a great sound, and the tremelo is pretty cool. I also own a 54 Gibson BR-9 with a GA-9 circuit. The Gibson is on my top 3 favorite list as a harp amp, and it is a real killer with guitar also. http://home.earthlink.net/~olsjm/amps4me/

[Bluewail]

I doubt their are many folks who know more about Kalamazoo Model 2's than the harp player in my band, Greg Heumann. Visit his cool harp site at www.blowsmeaway.com . He's been buying, rebuilding and reselling them for a number of years now. In fact. one night he shows up at a gig with the "wall of 'zoos" - 4 Kalamazoo Model 2's cranking away together. Then he splits them to stage left & right, sets the tremelo's slightly off one another and their this giant throbbing harp tone jumping from side to side on the stage. Too cool. They really are terrific little nasty harp amps.

[Jaybird03]

Actually, it was Greg who I first learned about the Kalamazoo model 2 from, on another forum. It is a small world. Greg has a real nice website.

[Bluewail]

Originally Posted by Jaybird03

Actually, it was Greg who I first learned about the Kalamazoo model 2 from, on another forum. It is a small world. Greg has a real nice website.

That's too cool! He also happens to be a helluva' harp player too.

I tried the 'zoo 2 for guitar and it sounded awful. For harp, it's 'da bomb.

[dbx]

If you dig Kalamazoo amps for harp, check out Pop's site:

http://www.voodoodeville.com/id243.htm

Some really cool mods to amps for harp...nice job on yours!

[philbarnes]

I have a Model 1 which I use for great warm clean. It has had the caps replaced and has a 3 prong cord. It also has the power switch moved off of the tone knob to a switch using the original fuse spot. Fuse is now inside. I am about to put a Mercury Magnetics Output Transformer in it (using the Champ verison w/ 8ohm tap, found cheap on eBay.) I had toyed with the idea of using the Mercury Magnetics Epiphone Valve Jr. kit which has a choke, and input and output trannys. I really like the amp now, so I decided to just replace the tiny OT. I hope to preserve the tone and make it a little quieter. Great little amps!

[Jaybird03]

A champ transformer should work well. You should consider adding a line out while you are at it.

[epluribus]

Great thread, love the links.

Haven't heard much about these around here. I happened to snag two in a two-fer...one in nice shape with new caps, and one OEM inside but in a disintegrating cab. Amazing the tones these things bring out of a Strat, really pretty and very unique.

The OEM Kzoo has JJ's in it so far, except for an old RCA 12AX7 in V1, and a Weber Alnico 10s in it. Those two changes alone really brought the tone of the amp around--and that's for guitar. This is a pic with the ratty old cab and a modded baffle board so the Weber would fit. (The axe is an Aria Pro II Ironman. New jacks/pots, star-ground wiring, cavity shielding.)



Since the pic, I added speaker In/Out jacks, and plugged it into a Deluxe Reverb cab loaded with a Weber 12F150. Incredible...obviously a new-spec cab was in order.

Currently it lives in a cab made of scrap yellow pine, size optimized for the 10" Weber and a similar circuit. The cab is undergoing several variants of size, baffle, panel orientation, and porting before I commit to serious wood.



Interesting what this has all done to the amp, not sure if it's the right thing for it yet--it's 5X prettier, but it doesn't have that scrappy little bantam mojo it started with. The tubes cleaned up and smoothed the circuit tremendously--the Strat needs a clean boost to really get the dirt cookin', but that might be a bias issue or a drifted spec somewhere---very pretty dirt when you hit it. The RCA 12AX7 helped make it agressive again, however. Then the speaker cleaned up the amp a ton as well, brought out the low mids, and focussed the tone, while leaving the excellent definition intact.

The cab is very effective so far, the resonance and interior volume seem well-suited to the output...but maybe it's all a little too good. I'm thinkin' a smaller, lighter cab so it can get the walls rattlin' again in that Tweed kinda way. The pine is a great choice, and I love the 1/4" baffle, so it's gettin' there, but you can definitely cool these out too much if you're not careful.

Anyhoo, what cool little amps, sure nice to see so many Kzoo lovers hang out here.

--Ray

BTW, The one with all the new caps and stuff will go in the retrofit cab as a modded custom. The OEM chassis and the better of the two original speakers will go in the good Kzoo cab, so I have one of 'em in showroom shape. These are such cool amps, I don't have the heart not to keep one of 'em original spec.

PS2: Hey JayBird, that's a great little amp you got there. Love the paint!

[philbarnes]

Added the Mercury Magnetics Champ Transformer to my Model 1 with a speaker out. MM blessed the application, 8 ohm. Sounds great! I then bought a Model 2, which I will do the same to. Also, hope to footswitch the trem and add the other half of the trem driver for more gain. Anyone done this on a Model 2? May even scrap the trem and use the whole trem driver as a footswitchable variable gain stage.

[billyguitar]

I have a Kalamazoo Reverb 12 that a friend of mine used to borrow for harp when we did small gigs. It sounded real good! I've got a Bass 30 that one of these days I'm going to get a cap job done and use for guitar. 30 watts cathode bias into two Jensen gold back 10s will be a good combination.

[epluribus]

Originally Posted by billyguitar

I have a Kalamazoo Reverb 12 that a friend of mine used to borrow for harp when we did small gigs. It sounded real good! I've got a Bass 30 that one of these days I'm going to get a cap job done and use for guitar. 30 watts cathode bias into two Jensen gold back 10s will be a good combination.

I'll be interested to hear how you like the Gold Backs when you bolt it all together. Got a bud who did something similar and the Golds were a shade too civil for him. Are you using the 30 for guitar?

--Ray

[billyguitar]

Civil is what I like. This amp has moderate single gain stage drive. I gave up high gain years ago. The Jensens are stock on these amps. I would play it with guitar, probably at home. It's a little big and heavy to take out and gig. I usually just play dinner clubs so lately all I've been using is a Dr Z Carmen Ghia and a Z 2x10 cab. We have to play so quiet that this little rig can play clean. I just have this amp because I buy old amps that interest me, if the price is right. The Bass 30 was $150 at a Dallas Vintage guitar show a few years ago. The little Reverb 12 was mint in a pawn shop with the cover for $68. See what I mean?