Old School

Bell Carillon Integrated Amplifer

My over-excitement got the best of me… Discovering this rare treat in a garage, I tried to needle the owner down from the $50 price tag and lost out on the sale. Later, our friend Kurt at Echo Audio let me know exactly what this little jewel is. Made in 1959 with an original price tag of about $200 (in 1959 dollars!) used six 12AX7s, a 5V3 rectifier and four EL34 tubes. It even has a tape head input! Super cool, but we missed it. Kurt at Echo says, “It’s like a PAS 3 and a Stereo 70 rolled into one chassis, but better sounding. Expect to pay as much as $1,200 for one in this condition.” You’ve been warned.

-Jeff Dorgay