History of Tripletone Amplifiers?

[John10b]

What is the history of Tripletone?
In another thread relating to using two mono amps to make a stereo record player it was suggested it deserved its own separate thread, so here it is.
Cheers
John

[Edward Huggins]

As a former Tripletone Dealer, I've covered some of this ground in earlier Threads/Posts. I can trace their history back to 1956, but not before. When I first encountered these beautifully constructed amplifers, they were all Mono and all used Octal valves. There was a rich and varied range of Valve amps and Tuners from late 1959 up to 1966 early 1967 and then came their first (rather noisy) Transistor products. They never fully recovered from a disastrous fire at their Wimbledon premises in the early 1970s....
In storage I have service sheets, trade correspondence, service updates, invoices, delivery slips, many colour brochures, single product specification sheets and price lists.

[RojDW48]

Edward suggested a thread dedicated to this manufacturer in this recent thread - https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=160907. I have owned 3 versions of these nice little amps. a pair of 15W monoblocs (6V6? long way back - they were my dad's initially), a single chassis stereo valve amp and the one connected to this computer - a dear little 5W(?) stereo integrated amp from 1958-ish. Beautifully made and relentlessly reliable - but I know nothing at all about their history.

[dazzlevision]

Originally Posted by RojDW48

I know nothing at all about their history.

Tripletone Manufacturing Co Ltd, 147 Merton Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 (in 1957).

In 1959 & 69, at 241a The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19.

In 1970, moved to 138 Kingston Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19.

Maker of amplifiers with the “middle” tone control – hence the company name - and tuners.

Later taken over by K&K Electronics Ltd, 60 St Marks Rise. London, E8.

[Techman]

That looks like mine!

If it wasn't for the fact that yours looks like it has some sort of plastic covering on the front panel rather than just metal, then I would have said that you must have been in my loft in the last few days and pinched it

[RojDW48]

No plastic - just a coat of lacquer I reckon (better go check your loft!!!)

[RojDW48]

Now we are two!!! Sorry! https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=160972

[Techman]

It was definitely still there a few days ago when I was up there finding my Kodak slide projector.

Yours looks like it's rounded off all the way round the edge of the panel, but with less rounded corners than mine - interesting!

Perhaps I'll bring mine down for a photo opportunity when I put the slide projector back up there.

[RojDW48]

On closer inspection it IS a plastic fascia. How strange - they must be pretty much contemporary!

[RojDW48]

Originally Posted by dazzlevision

Tripletone Manufacturing Co Ltd, 147 Merton Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 (in 1957).

In 1959 & 69, at 241a The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19.

In 1970, moved to 138 Kingston Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19.

Maker of amplifiers with the “middle” tone control – hence the company name - and tuners.

Later taken over by K&K Electronics Ltd, 60 St Marks Rise. London, E8.

Cheers - my little integrated amp is a fiddle to set up - basically 2 amps in one box with double-ganged pots and 3 tone controls - worth the fuss though.

[John10b]

Yes good idea Edward thank you, and for all the additional information.
The two amps that I have seemed to have been designed with the option of being used together, as I previously mentioned in the other thread.
Cheers
John

[RojDW48]

I think I remember seeing a pair like that many years back - can you post a pic?

[John10b]

Ok I’ll post pic tomorrow, they are out in the shed workshop, I’ll dig them out.
Cheers
John

[Synchrodyne]

According to the Jonathan Hill book Audio! Audio!, Tripletone started out as Servio Radio (of Wimbledon), but changed its name to Tripletone Manufacturing Company very soon after introducing its first Tripletone-named valve amplifier in 1954. That is, Tripletone was initially a product name then became the company name. Given that the middle tone control was seen by the Tripletone folks as a key feature, I expect that somewhere along the way they had explained why they thought so and had elaborated upon its utility.

Probably because its products were at the “budget” end of the hi-fi market, Tripletone paid some attention to the problem of matching and loading ceramic cartridges when it made the transition to solid-state, something that some makers of more expensive amplifiers fudged somewhat. Its first solid-state model, the 8 + 8 provided a high impedance (2M) input (to suit most self-equalized ceramic cartridges, which type by then constituted the vast majority) by using a bootstrapped emitter follower, which was an economical, single transistor solution. I understand that later, I think starting with the 1818, it used the Philips/Mullard TAA320 integrated circuit, which comprised a single-gate mosfet input stage and a bipolar output stage. That bespeaks an attention to detail appropriate to its market position.


Cheers,

[TonyDuell]

As an aside there was an electronic components shop called 'Servio Radio' in South Wimbledon until the early 1980s. I assume it was (at least initially) connected with Tripletone.

[wd40addict]

Given their proximity to Vortexion I've always wondered if there was any connection between the two. Was Tripletone founded by an ex Vortexion employee for instance?

[John10b]

I’ve taken some pictures of the two Tripletone Amplifiers but I have failed to attach them to my post, can any one help. I’m using my iPad and not a computer.
I don’t understand why I can’t attach as I have done so in the past?
I get as far as “Current Attachments “ but when I’m promoted to select attachments I get the one picture displayed but not in my post, very frustrating.
Sorry about this Mods, so if you want to delete please do so.
Cheers
John

[Nuvistor]

Hi John,

Select Go Advanced
Select manage attachments
Select Photos
Add photos with the choose file button
Upload the photos
Close the manage attachments window

If you have a problem I think you have my email address and I can try and post them.

[Heatercathodeshort]

The Tripletone amplifiers were originally designed and built by Servio Radio, 156 Merton Road, South Wimbledon SW19. I knew the owners of Servio very well. They had opened the shop soon after WW2 originally as a repair shop. They later turned the whole business over to the supply of spare parts. Servio Radio continued for very many years.
I was born in 1948 and lived at 213 The Broadway Wimbledon in a war requisitioned flat above a garage. My parents flat was bombed in the war. Vortexion were just along the road at 257-261 and I remember the premises well. We moved to Merton Park in 1956.

Two Tripletone amplifiers could be bolted together with the special controls linked together to form a simple stereo system that worked very well. I have a late version with EL84, ECC83 and EZ80. They must have sold on the Tripletone side of the business. John.
P.S. Monty, one of the owners of Servio had a fortune telling globe behind the counter with two obscured pygmy bulbs in it, one red and one green. When he had a difficult customer in the shop asking impossible questions and as you can imagine back then, there were quite a lot of timewasters, he would wave his hands over the globe and after a couple of seconds press one of two foot switches. If the red lamp lit he would say 'sorry nothing came through' and if the green light lit he would offer an answer. I have a photo of Servio and will try to locate it. Happy Days! John.

[John10b]

Thank you Frank I’ll try later or tomorrow and see how I get on. Thanks again
Cheers
John