Eminar

Eminar built valve amplifiers in the 1970's.

They later left valves in favor of solid state designs.

Those are not currently covered here (but if you have one...)

The number of these heads still to be found in service testifies to their robust design and construction.

Australian prices mid-2004:

Going rig with speakers: around $750
Non-going head: $0 to $200

Catalogue page 1 132kb jpg, Catalogue page 2 140kb jpg, Catalogue page 3 148kb jpg, Catalogue page 4 136kb jpg

Early 70's catalogue (each page around 150kb).
Catalogue front, Catalogue page 1, Catalogue page 2, Catalogue page 3, Catalogue page 4, Catalogue page 5, Catalogue page 6, Catalogue page 7, Catalogue back

Source: Peter Hutchison

Interview with Gary Millington and Peter Roberts, Sonics Apr-Jun 1983

Source: Peter G Field

Serial/date table

The primary order is by date where known, then by serial.

Notes:

Wattages are arbitary. These came with 2, 4 or 6 output valves, either EL34/6CA7's or 6L6's. The 40, 60, and 80W used a pair; 100W four, and 150, 200W six.

R/S = Rotary or Slider controls

* because the date is certain I suspect this was actually supposed to be serial 1271, 12th amp of 1971.

Dates in full are known, others may be estimates; and Initials are those found written underchassis

100W PA

New: 17:49 10/08/2013
Serial: 3309
Date: 28/5/7?

Source: mullenbgood - AGGH

E250 Slave

Source: My Music Trader

Powered Mixer

New: 16:34 10/08/2013 Model: E6-250

Source: Ray Cochrane

150 Watt

New: 15:01 8/08/2013

Serial: 2058
Date: 15/8/69
Initials: “TH”

Underchassis

whole amp
preamp
output transformer

Source: Felix Garratt

Corrosion

New: 15:01 8/08/2013

Dated: 18/4/73
Initials: “GP”

If you have a weak stomach you may care to skip over this one. This is what happens to an amp when it is stored somehwere damp, such as under the house or in the leaky back shed. It looks terrible, and would certainly take a lot of time and new components to bring back to good working order, but it would be worth it.

Source: Andrew K

Old red 60 watter

New: 14:45 8/08/2013

Source: Peter G Field

More memories

By: genpk on AGGH, August 30, 2005, 08:24:12 AM

Hi guys, saw the post on Eminars which I have done quite a lot of work on over the years.

History as I know - Made in Melbourne from about early 1970s to about the last one I saw was dated 1982 I think and was numbered 2750 ish. As mentioned transformers were built like trucks and made by a company called TRIMAX. TRIMAX was bought out by Ericson Communications and eventually mothballed as it was a competitor to them. I have seen late model Eminars with Ericson badged transformers.

They were built as a cheap alternative to both Fender and Marshall imports which at the time were expensive due to Aussie import duties. They built a 40 watt, a 100watt and a 150 bass head as well as 100watt P.A heads.

They had a unique setup for their time on the output tubes using grid resisors to enable the output to use either EL34s or 6L6 tubes with readjusting bias control.

Many of the capacitors were the same parts used in english JCM 800 and according to my findings circuits were either wired as an JCM 800 type amp or a Fender twin type setup depending on what was required. In an article Ritchie BLACKMORE mentions an Eminar bass head to be a head to find for a great sound.

They can be configured to just about anything as they are basically point to point wiring. They are a very powerfull amp and on the 150 watt models can have up to 700 volts going to the output tubes (not many current tubes can handle that). Maybe a candiate for KT88s.

Can be suseptable when power spikes occur, takes out power diodes or output transformers. All in all, one of the loudest, cleanest amplifiers you will ever hear. The quad boxes had celestion green backs or G12s in them - yes as stock standard!!!!

Three Eminars

New: 4/6/11

Eminar amps, Friday, 22 April, 2011 5:16 AM, From: Rick Forth

---

(1) Bass amp product # 2315 manufactured on 1/9/1971 initials inside are GP

I purchased this amp about 3 weeks ago from a market stall for $500. I had one of these till 2 years ago when I decided to downsize to a smaller amp and swapped it for a Hartke B60, but it didnt suit my bass guitars ( Maton Ibis bass circa 1968/69 and an Ibanez “Rickenbaker” 4000 copy mono/stereo bass circa 1972) it just didnt have that sweet sound the Eminar gave me.

---

(2) Guitar amp product # 2319 manufactured on 9/9/1971 initials inside are GP

Have owned this amp since the late seventies, it was smashed up in a car accident thats why the different coloured case

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(3) PA amp product # 2599 manufactured on 14/11/1972 initials inside are GP

Have had this setup since early eighties, it has canvas covers for all 3 parts

Items 2 & 3 were purchased new by the previous owners , havent a clue about the bass amp but the condition its in I would say the same applies there also

Source: Rick Forth

PA hex, No.3664

New: 4/6/11

RE: Eminar Amp Monday, 2 May, 2011 5:00 PM From: alex cann

Hey Roly, I was wondering if you knew of anyone or anywhere i could get the schematic diagram for my amp. I have a friend who's dad is a electronic engineer and he's willing to help me but he really needs the schematics. Thanks again in advance Alex

Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:03:05 +1100

Thanks a lot for the feedback and all the info you supplied. I did decide not to sell it as i knew i would regret it. I'll make sure to take lots of pictures and notes and foward you them on as i recondition the amp. Thanks again, cant wait to get this thing back to its former glory. Alex
ps. im almost certain the transformers are still working quite well.

Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:55:22 -0800 To: "alex cann" re: Eminar Amp

Hi Alex,

thanks for writing.

ac> Hey guys, i have what i think is a 100w eminar valve amp. It has 6EL34's and 3 Ecc83 tubes. I was contemplating on selling this bad boy until i remembered that it has to be on of the nicest richest value amps i've ever played. I think i'm going to plan on cleaning it up and bringing it back to life.

Nobody here but us chicken in AVA's climate controlled (fan) open plan (no walls) office suite (living room corner) centrally located in sunny Creswick (where?).

As you well aware, this is one of the PA's that Eminar built. It's nominal rating with six fresh EL34/6CA7's would be 150 watts rms.

Most people who sell a classic item like this often come to regret it later, and I can think of more than a few people who would drool at the very thought of getting their claws on a head like this.

Kilo per watt it's pretty heavy for an active mixer these days, but the format was aimed at the reality of the typical band having to do their own PA mix from on stage. But guitarists seem to love these boxes

Eminar generally have a rock solid reputation which is well deserved considering that their builds are among the few high power era builds still going - try finding a similar Strauss for example, mostly gone up in smoke.

The weak point with some Eminars are the slider controls. When these give trouble or get graunched in transit the only answer is careful micro-surgery, but as pots go these are normally quite repairable; otherwise they are as dependable as a brick. All that weight is good design in the form of massive trannies.

If I found this at a garage sale I'd wet myself. In its current condition the price should be seriously depressed, but assuming the trannies are okay (and that's a good bet with an Eminar) the potential to scrub this one up to something really nice is huge.

The all-important shot is of the underchassis - this will tell us a lot. There will be a date and possibly a four digit number and some initials. Add your own notes when you have finished the refurbish, but preserve these original markings.

Expect to find traces of fireworks around the output bases, but don't panic, that's common with EL34's and normally no biggie.

Renewal of one of these is pretty straightforward and can mostly be done cold with a good ohmmeter.

Normally all the HT electro caps are replaced (but above-chassis cans left unwired for authenticity, new caps fitted below). There is normally a fair bit of cleaning required, metho or iso-prop on valveholders and pots, dishwashing liquid and warm water for front panel finger grime (NOT! metho - it turns finger grease into a rubbery chewing gum).

With all the valves out (and the o/p crew look ripe for retirement) you can go over every resistor with the meter for physical damage and within tolerance. At the same time you will pick up dodgy solder joints, cracked caps, and other ravages of time. Coupling caps and cathode bypass electros can give trouble and can generally be left if they test okay; depends on how far you want to take “renewal”. To try to maintain external originality I generally have to repair neon pilot lights by carefully extracting the innards and replacing the NE2, and perhaps a more suitable value of resistor (to give 1mA).

You will find circuits for quads on the Eminar page that will be very similar to your amp. If you want some hand-holding I can put you in e-touch with Joe “Amp Mangler” who is the go-to guy for these rigs, having fully rebuilt several. He's also on ANZamps forum.

ac> I also saw the Cabs that were made by Eminar and all i could think is that i have to have them so if you guys ever some across some i would be most likely willing to pay a bit for them.

If you are looking to buy then I'd suggest sending feelers to the SwapShop and Grouse Guitars. And be ready for a long wait.

Being a PA this would originally have had a couple of columns and I'd guess they had four Rola C12PX's in each (this twin cone was popular in PA's), 8 ohm speakers wired in series/parallel to give 8 ohm cab impedance, connected with figure-of-eight zip flex and standard 6.5mm plugs.

Cabs like this are not hard to build, and if I were in your shoes I'd be re-creating the originals. There are enough internal shots to see how they built theirs, and if you decide to go this way I have a few other internal shots that are not on the site, but it sure ain't rocket surgery.

ac> Anyway saw your site thought i might just drop in a line,

I'm glad you did because this hex is the first from Eminar, it has all been pairs and quads up to now. It also got me looking at the cab insides and finally solving the mystery of the short rails on the back - they must have built the cab first, then loaded the baffle complete with cloth and speakers edgewise through this gap in the back beading.

Since this is a rather special amp it would be good if you could take notes and pix as you go to document an Eminar referb for the site?

Please keep me in touch with how you go.

Cheers,

-Roly

Source: Alex Cann

Twin 6L6's - “GP 25/5/72”

New: 25/10/09

Build date: 25/5/72
Model: ? (60 watt?)

Source: Dan Hart

P606

New: 11/7/09
Serial: 4118

Underchassis full size.

Download circuit .PNG's
Preamp left circuit
Preamp right circuit
Output stage
Power supply circuit

Source: Stephen Bruce

New: 5/3/07

Source: Grant Beaumont

Memories...

New: 18/3/09

Kevin.L.P.Atkinson writes...

In the early to mid 70's I was looking for a new amp and I had intended to purchase a 200 watt Marshall stack, as a friend of mine Clive Hurbert had aquired the 200 watt Marshall bass amp Joe Cocker had brought to Australia for his tour and he had all his gear confiscated, and as a consequence it was all sold. And Clive purchased the bass amp.

And it sounded awesome so the band I was playing with Iron Horse were upgrading quite a lot of our gear and the Marshall was just perfect. But on speaking to Paul Brean at Allan's music in Ryrie street in Geelong he persuaded me to order an Eminar amp.

I had heard them quite a lot and the guy down the street from me Peter Coglan [brolga] bassist with Shan Tung, Goanna band had a 100 watt with two 18” Celestions and it sounded great. So I placed an order with Eminar for a 250 watt with 4x 18” Celestions it was custom built and it was the largest bass amp they had built and it took about 6 weeks for it to arrive at Allan's and it had four boxes with the head and it had grey vinyl covers for the lot and as far as I know the then bassest with AC/DC Mark Evans liked it that much he had one built with 4x 15”. I had the head serviced at DB Concert Sounds and Bill Dart told me it rated 350 watts.

It had an awesome sound. I got the idea of the 4x 18's from a bassist in Geelong Jack Green of Redhouse. I Used a Gibson EB3OL bass with it and then a Precision fretless and then a Gibson Thunder Bird bass.

Also our singer Mitch had ordred an Eminar 450 watt PA with 2 columns and a horn on each side and I think 3 fold backs. This also was as far as I know the largest PA Eminar had built at the time and when Allan's in Geelong had there music expo up stairs my bass amp and Mitche's PA were on the Eminar stand and Clive's Marshall stack was on the Marshall stand, it was a really great expo. I do have some photos of the amp and on one photo of a band I had formed called Lazy our guitarist Ian McKenzie has his Strauss stack next to my Eminar.

I remember a guy called Ray Calaby in East Geelong, who built amps for Red House Roll Band[Red House]. It was prior to John Dallimore joining and he built really great amps from memory. Ray lived down the road from our guitarist and we used to drop in to see what he was up to and he was building Red Houses new amps from memory they were 200/250 Watts with JBL speakers and Jack Green's bass rig was 400 watts with 4x 15” JBL's, and prior he had a bass rig of 4 X 18” Celestions and with the Gibson EB3L bass it really growled, of which I think Ray also built as far as I can remember he also built PA's as well.

I was a real buz going to his place as there were amps everywhere, and we just dreamed of having all this really great gear Red House was having custom made. And on a note I remember one night at the Downer, Jack's bass rig failed and he came over to my place to borrow my Eminar and when dad answered the door Jack asked to speak to me and I had gone to bed as I had a 3.30 am start and dad told Jack I was in bed and he didn't want to wake me.

I was devastated the next day when told as I could have hung out with Red House for the night. That would have been a really awesome nite and who knows where it would have led?

Early 100 Watt

Four 6L6's, early chassis layout, 4x12 cab.

200 Watt

In the 70's and 80's Ritchie played a Fender Stratocaster through a special amp that Jim Marshall built circa 69 by request. It was a standard Marshall head with an extra output stage (pair of EL34's for the technically minded), making it an earachingly loud 200W. Jim actually sold these amps for a while (some replete in purple tolex instead of black), but they were soon discontinued as they blew fuses all the time. Somehow RB got around this. For Aussie guitarists reading look out for old 200W Eminar bass amps, they are virtually identical and produce perfect Blackmore tone!

Leon Young - DEEP PURPLE DIGEST #84
http://www.zzzptm.com/dplist/dpd84.html

150 Watt PA

Circuits for the Eminar PA above, traced, drafted, and kindly provided by Joe (amp_mangler)
5 channel input mixer (200kb) and quad 6CA7 output (180kb).

Joe's rebuild

Preamp

Driver

Output

Source: Joe (amp_mangler)

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Serial no: 3298

Click image to expand, 24kb jpg

Source: Music Swop Shop

100 Watt Valve Head

New: 16:55 8/08/2013
Date: 8/12/72
Serial: 2636
Initials: GP

Overview
Output end
Power supply end
Power supply detail
Middle detail
Output detail

Source: Mike Foo

2 channels dark/bright with a high and low input for each
2 x 12AX7's in the preamp
1 x 12AX7 for the phase inverter
4 x 6L6-GC's for the power amp
Silver front
Rotary pots for bass middle treble and presence controls
2 volumes
One bass channel
One treble channel
Massive house brick transformers
Built 1973

Source: Harmony-Central

3 x 12AX7's for the pre-amp and Phase Inverter.
2 channels (Bass and Normal)
Hi and Lo Z inputs for each.
Rotary pots (Vol1, Vol2, treb, mid, bass, presence)
O/P's are 4x6L6 (Sylvania)

Source: Peter Reynolds of Valveart via ANZamps Oct 28, 2001

2 by 15 Celestion Cabs

This is one for the bass players.

  

From: Stephen Bruce

Picked this up a couple of weeks ago on ebay, for $[AU]86, to save me having to make one for a head I want to build. It was advertised as probably containing 2x12”, and came with a dark olive green protective cover.

The seller said the matching head had been loaned some years ago and never came back, hence the sale.

The cabinet is in good condition. There is a little water damage in the base and a large patch of vinyl missing from the base.

 

Construction is solid. The back feels like 3/4” MDF the rest is 3/4” chipboard. There is a center post that presses into the back to minimise movement when the back is screwed down. The inside back has the same damping material attached.

Speakers are green Rola-Celestion G15C, 50w, bass resonance 55c/s [Hz], 15 ohms, and wired in parallel to a 1/4” socket.

Sounds good, but higher frequencies attenuated when compared to a 12”.

100 Watt PA

Spotted by Shaun Helps on e-bay

“Wild-thing” wrote...

This amplifier is big and loud, could be used as a bass amplifier by plugging into one of the 5 channels. All channels have volume, treble and bass, and one master volume. I personally have been using this amp as a guitar amplifier along with my Beringer V-Amp, I have found that plugging in my V-Amp output into the effects input of the Eminar gives me an authentic sound, this works with any amp modelling unit that has its own volume, bass, middle and treble controls, because when plugged into the effects in, into the amplifier,there is only the master volume control on the amplifier. There are 4 x EL34's power tubes and 4 x AX7 pre-amp tubes. Written inside the Amplifier is “Made in 1974”.

Speaker Columns: The speaker columns have 8 x 12-inch Plessey Vintage speakers, which I have seen are standard speakers in Eminar Amplifiers, the speakers are in excellent condition and sound great! Outer vinyl has a couple of minor tears.

Start: $A500 18-Feb-05
Winning bid: $A832.00 25-Feb-05
Item location: East Gippsland Shire, Victoria

Source: Grouse Guitars

Apart from the different livery colour this one appears to use 6L6's rather than the 6CA7/EL34's in the one above.

Source: Grouse Guitars

“100 watt” head?

4 channels
2 speaker outs
2 cabs, four by twelve
2 x EL34's
5 x 12AX7's
2 separate channels
2 inputs on both
First channel with treble, bass and volume
Second channel with treble, mid, bass, volume
Presence for both channels
Tremelo on both channels
Standby and Power
Made on the 10th of October 1970.

Source: Harmony-Central

From: Jaybees Entertainment & Music Industry
http://members.boardhost.com/jaybees/msg/749.html

vintage guitar amp for sale
Posted by David on 6/5/2003, 8:14 pm
203.164.16.11

I have for sale an extremely rare Eminar valve amplifier and speaker cab. I've contacted Eminar in Melbourne and was told that this model was based on the Marshall heads of the time.

The amp dates to around 1970/71 and is a 70w model with a single preamp valve and two output valves. Serial number is 2571

The amp has two inputs on each channel (normal & bright)and can be used for either guitar or bass. There is a simple bass/mid/treble combo and a presence dial. There is a single speaker output on the back as well as an extension cab output.

The speaker cab is a 2x15 Eminar cab loaded with Celestions.

The sound of this amp is incredibly warm and round. I used a Fender Jazz bass through the bright channel and the sound was unbelievable. A clean Tele going through the bright channel is also something else.

The amp was also recently redconditioned having all wiring checked, new valves installed (2 Sovtek 6L6WXT for the outputs & a 12AX7-ECC83 preamp tube) and the transformer de-rusted. Another great benefit is the five metre power cord - they sure made them long in those days.(*) Includes speaker cable also.

In short, it is a newly transformed and amazing piece of vintage Australian rock history.

ASKING PRICE: $850.00

(*) 5m is not excessive if you remember that many of these heads operated five or six feet above the floor to start with, and the only plugboards were home-made. “Cascade” plugs were therefore standard.

Apollo 80 Head

Click for full size 40kb jpg

Eminar particularly liked slider controls. Mounted vertically like this the problem of dirt getting into the pot track through the slider slot is minimised but is still a problem over time. Replacement sliders are actually getting harder to obtain.

80 watts
2 channels, bass and guitar
Volume, bass and treble vertical sliders for each channel
No channel switching
Built 70's

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80 watts
Dual channel
Bass, mid, treble, and presence
Built 1971

Source: Taree Music Centre

The transformers are massive, but 80 watts from a pair of EL34's is asking a bit much.

Apollo 160

Source: Andrew Onorato

50 Watt PA

Serial No: 3218

Click for full size 170kb jpg

Click for full size 170kb jpg
Source: Ian Rumbold

Gallery

Four 6CA7/EL34's. 110 watts output. The pots for bias adjustment for each side pair are in the centre. These amps are very well built, but with the benefit of 35 years hindsight there are a couple of things they would not have done.

Top left where the mains lead comes in this one has been fitted with an outsized cable clamp. This replaces a Bulgin connector that was once a common way of providing a detatchable mains lead.

The other wrong guess was to use slider controls. Sliders turned out to be a bad move generally, but particularly for guitar amps, as they are wide open to dirt getting in from the front. Today these sliders are practically irreplaceable and the only option is to carefully open and clean them.

There is one thing though, the heater wiring. It's very tightly twisted and runs directly; but look what happens at the sockets - each wire is taken around opposite sides of the socket. Oops.

Source: Reuben Unkovich

Underchassis full size.

Source: Grouse Guitars

Source: e-bay

New: 9/11/10

Serial: 7112

Source: Damien Hutchinson

New: 9/11/10

Serial: 2034

Source: Sebastian Lincoln

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