Grommes-Precision S-20 Tube Amplifier, New in Box
Archived listing from the original vintage-amplifier.com. Prices, seller details and purchase links have been removed; this page is a reference record, and nothing here is for sale. About this archive.
Also according to Blue Book this is “Very Rare”, but when you consider it is new in the box it would be considered extremely rare and maybe even one of a kind. It all works and sounds great and is perfect except for the bass pot is reversed but works as it should. Minimum is the max and vice versa. This is all shown in the video. The 6V4 tube is an Amperex Bugle Boy made in France, the two 6bq5s are RCA as are the two 6EU7s.
About this model
A new-in-box S-20, which the seller dated, from the Blue Book, to 1977–1979 at a 20-watt mono rating. The tube complement is listed in full: a 6V4 rectifier (an Amperex Bugle Boy made in France), two 6BQ5 output tubes and two 6EU7 preamp tubes, all RCA apart from the rectifier. The 6BQ5 is the American name for the EL84.
The title's "licensed by Western Electric" is the seller's description and we have not been able to confirm it from an independent source. The only fault reported was a reversed bass control.
| Maker | Grommes-Precision, Illinois, USA |
|---|---|
| Type | Mono tube amplifier |
| Rated output | 20 W (listing) |
| Dates | 1977–1979, per the Blue Book (listing) |
| Output tubes | 2 × 6BQ5 / EL84 (listing) |
| Other tubes | 2 × 6EU7, 6V4 rectifier (listing) |
Questions collectors ask
What tubes does the Grommes S-20 use?
According to the archived listing: two 6BQ5 (EL84) output tubes, two 6EU7 preamp tubes and a 6V4 rectifier.
Is a 6BQ5 the same as an EL84?
Yes. 6BQ5 is the American designation for the EL84 power pentode, which Philips developed in 1953.
Sources: Wikipedia: EL84; Radiomuseum: Grommes S20.
