what do you guys think of this tube amp?  the guy at the local hi-fi shop has one, just needs tubes....how would it be for my first tube amp?  it might need a little work too...not really sure...any info on em?  i figured if anyone would know, someone here would...i figured id get much better answers here rather than SSA..lol

I would take it, especially if he would give you your money back if you stick tubes in it and it doesn't work.

I am not familiar with that particular amp, the only thing I would do is make sure you can get the tubes for it for a decent price.  Sometimes the smaller tubes you need aren't made anyonemore and they will cost you $10-20 each on ebay or another source like that, just double check before you buy...

Honestly, I think just about any tube amp you buy is going to sound better than just about any SS reciever out there within reason, you can't go wrong with tubes, that is just my opinion though...

I'm sure Mike S would have more points about that amp.

Also, I would take a look inside, Heathkits were most often purchased as kits, which is good and bad.  It is good beacuse they are usually simple designs that should be easy to troubleshoot.  Bad because if some retard bought it and put it together it could be a total clusterfuck inside just waiting to take a dump on you.  So take a look at the guts if you can...

http://www.heathkit-museum.com/hifi/hvmaa-151.shtml

Schematics:

http://mcnally.cc/pics/aa151l.jpg

http://mcnally.cc/pics/aa151r.jpg

Ask the guy at the Hi-Fi shop if the amp actually was operational before he went ahead and sold the tubes.
Ask if it worked, and if the amp was quiet with no objectionable buzzing or humming.

If he can't answer that, or if the amp was noisy, offer him less.

Ask if you can pull the bottom cover and look at the wiring. I don't know if Heathkit did factory wiring jobs with the amplifiers. I think they did.
They should have a inspection/date stamp somewhere on the chassis underside or above.
If you are lucky, and it is factory wired it should look decently layed out with respect to wiring.
If it's a kit, check for big solder blobs on solder joints, or crusty/cold solder joints.
Check for shoddy layout, like big spaghetti mess layout. Check for any burnt parts, like resistors or caps.

If it's a crusty snake pit ham firsted Jim Bob kit, offer the guy less.

It's a integrated amplifier, which has a pre-amp/phono sections built into the amplifier. Which makes the circuit more complicated than a straight amplifier circuit.

The rectifier tube is a GZ34/5AR4. Sovtek still makes or made them. You can get them for 12-15 bucks a tube. But they are not near as durable or long lasting as the older GZ34/5AR4's. The Mullard GZ34 is one of the best brands for reliability and long life.
A new-old-stock Mullard GZ34 will set you back a good 80 bucks or better.
Because everybody wants a Mullard GZ34/5AR4......

You can probably find a quad Russian made EL-84's like JJ or something for under 80 bucks. 6BQ5 is the american denominator for this tube, EL-84 is the European denominator for the tube. It's the same tube.

I think Sovtek still makes 6EU7, which is a low noise 12AX7 with a 6 volt heater.
Maybe 12 bucks a tube? They are kinda rare I suppose, but I'd think you could find NOS on eBay from 10-20 bucks each. I paid 16 bucks for a Mullard 6EU7 years ago....

6AN8 is a signal tube that is half pentode, and half triode. Like a 7199.
This tube is used for the main audio frequency amplifier and splitter stage for each push-pull pair of 6BQ5/EL-84 output tubes.
They don't make these anymore. You're stuck with eBay I think. They may used these with HH Scott tube integrated amplifiers, IIRC.
They aren't that cheap, 15-20 bucks each?

I may have some....But I would have to dig deep....

6AU6 is a dime a dozen, I have a bunch of them. They used these in a lot of radios, they are kind of a interesting tube in it's own right.

That covers the tubes.

Now you have a 40+ year old integrated tube amp. You have to basically look at it from the tubes/iron aspect.

Most generally the tubes will work, signal tubes especially. That's worth something.
The transformers are the heart and soul of a tube amp. This Heathkit has largish output transformers, with a decent lamination stack. They look to be a good OPT for 6BQ5, and may have strong bass down low, with good top-end.
The Power supply transformer has a copper shorting stap for shielding/noise.
That's a plus. So the iron is worth something.

The rest is just a chassis with passive parts that may need to be replaced after 40+ years. Worth something....maybe not....

There is a good chance the electrolytic capacitor cans will work fine, or a good chance they are dried-out and won't re-form.
If the guy said the amplifier worked fine with no noise, then the capacitors should be ok for awhile.
The reisistors need to be checked for tolerance/drift.
The coupling capacitors(DC blocking) between tube stages need to be checked for DC leakage, and replaced if necessary. It's good practice to just replace these 40+ year coupling caps. They dry out as well....

The carbon trace pots for volume and tone control will probably need to be cleaned. And even then, most the time they never work/track right...sometimes...

You could bypass the pre-amp stages of the amp, and input right at the 6AN8 and make into a straight power amplifier.

You might be able to scrounge up a builder/operational manual online for the AA-151.

A good up to spec operating vintage 6BQ5 PP tube amplifier can sound rather good, much better than the off the shelf solid state gear you could buy for around the same price. In spite of being a technically inferior topology.

I've been listening my Magnavox PP 6BQ5 console amp, and then my Admiral 6BQ5 PP console amplifier over the course of the week.
Both are early '60's vintage. Nice and homely.

I hope this long blathering reply helps.

I dunno.....the amplifier for 75 bucks sans tubes seems a little rich to me.
But I'm a real cheap bastard, so you may not pay any heed to my opinion.

But you noted a ended eBay listing at $150 for the amplifier sans tubes, so that may be the going rate.

At any rate, I'd spend the 75 bucks and be-friend that guy at the Hi-Fi shop, and his buddy. His friend seems like a retired Electrical Engineer of some sort.

Some of these old timer's like retired EE's love to play with vintage tube amps and radio circuits. They are a invalueable resource if you want to learn about tube Hi-Fi amplifiers.

You'll learn more quickly sitting next to a guy at the bench watching him measure and test things asking questions, than internet searching and winging it on your own.

Most these old timer's are probably single and bored as hell, and enjoy the company anyway.
But the internet is still a excellent resource.

I'm thinking you are in good hands.

i got it!  my parents asked me what i wanted for christmas and i told em i wanted the  heathkit at the shop...just opened it up no more than an hour ago and i have already taken it apart and taken pictures of the layout and whatnot!  i feel like a kid with a new toy(i basically am)!  i'll have some the pictures up in the next few days...i'll have to get some tubes and start checking caps, resistors and make sure everything is soldered good and in the right place...i might been a few parts(one of the RCA connects is busted) or make some of my own...anyways i was just too excited i had to tell some people who would be excited too...lol but Happy Holidays to all!

I have plenty of 6AU6's if you need them. I may have 6AN8A.
I'm on vacation, and need to straighten my back room. I'll keep my eye out for some, but I can't really say if there is any back there.

You are on your own with 6EU7, 6BQ5, and 5AR4.

got the pictures up finally...spent the day home sick

You might still be able to get a RCA jack made like that, Switchcraft still makes those cheap phenolic backed ones like you have, I just don't know if they make them in 3-jack, I know they make 1,2 and 4 though, you could maybe make one out of a 4 jack.  They are under a $1 usually, check out Mouser.com, they don't have minimum orders also.  You could get the tubes anywhere, I would check e-bay first, Mike S may have a better idea.