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Characteristics of the Kustom amps [message #22169]

Mon, 19 January 2015 21:04

slk854
Messages: 192
Registered: January 2015

Senior Member

They were made with geranium transistors I think. The transistors were not known for lasting all that long. I just recently acquired a K-150-2..Does this model have those transistors as well. I have been asked by a friend if the amp gets hot. Heck I do not know. Have you guys had experience with them getting hot? I do presume if components start to go it can be rebuilt????

Steve

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Re: Characteristics of the Kustom amps [message #22170 is a reply to message #22169]

Mon, 19 January 2015 22:36

Iowa Boy
Messages: 767
Registered: June 2014

Senior Member

I know that I have been told if your running a total load of less than 4 ohms that the amps can get hot especially if you have the amp at full volume. As to what the transistors are made of, Stevem, Pleat, or ChicagoBill, will be able to tell you for sure about that. The thing to remember is that the T&R's were designed for 4 ohms max.......you can't just keep adding speakers or you over load the amp. If you get ahold of an amp head that has had the bottom base cut out and some of the components exposed, you can bet they were running too low a load and the amp was over heating. As shown in an earlier thread here......musicians don't always choose the right speaker combinations to use with Kustom amps.

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Re: Characteristics of the Kustom amps [message #22174 is a reply to message #22169]

Tue, 20 January 2015 06:26

stevem
Messages: 4730
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

In regards to transistors even the early Frank type amps use all silicon transistors and diodes!
That being said I am sure that since Bud Ross was making amps since 1958 that he or his development team toyed with germanium types!
When any amp is on and idling it will put out heat from the outputs, and that goes for solid state amps also!
A class A/B type output stage like the Kustom is must draw a small amount of current so that a terrible type of distortion called cross over distortion does not take place at low and high volume levels, and this idle current will make the for a small amount of heat.
After the amp has been on for 1 or more hours even with out being played thru it will feel warm to the touch at the rear bottom area of the chassis, and of course this will depend on the ambient temperature that the amp is in its self!

If you have a amp that has been just sitting on for a while and it's rear temp is getting to the point where keeping your hand in contact with it is hard to do, than that amp has a bias issue and will very likely pop its output transistors very soon when played through at enough of a Volume level , or in the case of the latter Kustom amps with a thermal circuit breaker they will shut them selves down at some 182 degrees F!

[Updated on: Tue, 20 January 2015 08:46]

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Re: Characteristics of the Kustom amps [message #22176 is a reply to message #22169]

Tue, 20 January 2015 08:43

slk854
Messages: 192
Registered: January 2015

Senior Member

Very good info to know, and some things to look out for.
Thanks
Steve

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Re: Characteristics of the Kustom amps [message #22181 is a reply to message #22169]

Tue, 20 January 2015 15:03

chicagobill
Messages: 2005
Registered: April 2003

Senior Member

All of the Kustom amps that we know and love are pure silicon transistors. The only ones that were made with germanium transistors were the early heads made in a TV repair shop in Kansas City.

I don't remember what they were called, but I think it was even before the Kustom name. Pleat will know. Bud Ross got one of these heads from some of the collectors that was on eBay a few years back.

There were a few germanium diodes used in the clipper circuits in some of the modern amps.

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