After recapping and servicing the 6E5 level indicator…

Back when “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” came out, in 1967, and even before that, I had a friend up the street and around the corner whose brother was in the army, and thus was ‘overseas,’ in Asia somewhere, probably Japan. It was the absent brother, I think, who had the room on the 2nd floor of the house. While this room was hot as hell in the summers, it was a great place to hang out in the winters. This friend and I had a few notable adventures, which I hazily recall. On one set of adventures, we hiked to Langley Park Plaza from our little subdivision of Oakview, which one can look up in Google maps, (say, 1944 Cottrell Terrace to Langley park Plaza), and it turns out to be a hike of about 2 miles. We probably did this a half dozen times all told. keep in mind that we were kids on foot or on bikes, and the round trip was about four miles. There were two notable destinations. There was a movies house and a record store. The record store was called “The Music Box.” We saw “Help” at the movie house, and bought the single “Ticket to Ride” at the Music Box.

My friend, via his father and brother, had tape recorders. And of course there were tape recorders in “Help.” The brother had a big Roberts at one point, gotten cheap in Japan, but off limits to us kids. The friend’s father had a big old Webcor Royal. We also had available some audio gear; a 45 rpm changer, and a console stereo of some sort. On the changer, we played the Randell’s “Martian Hop” on endless repeat, and gyrated around to it. On the Webcor, we had a recording of some hillbilly comedy which I remember but can’t locate. “Maw, you is stepping on a hot coal.” (Looong pause.) “I am?” (Looong pause.) “You is.” (Looong pause.) “Ouch!”

The Webcor 2130 is back to life!

So when a 50’s Webcor turned up for $25 bucks in the local marketplace, how, I ask you how, could I possibly resist?

Webcor 2130, removed from case, from back…

Recapping detail…

The two motors, with new rubber mounts…

Getting it out of the case is a chore. Having plunked down the $25 for the dead machine, I got a service manual on Ebay for $29. I had some rubber grommets on hand. The tubes all tested great to good. Once the motors were quiet, it obviously needed filter caps. I ordered a mostly complete set of caps, all the paper and electrolytics, except for the inevitable two I forgot, and while I was at it, did the same for the barn radio, for a total order from Just Radios of $30. The photos above are post. I have it back together now, and have been enjoying it, but the 6E5 recording level indicator needs a new diode to close, and well, there’s those two caps I forgot…

The 6E5 level indicator in action.

I’ve get the requisite demo up on youtube. Here’s the link.