Taylor 45A Valve tester

[Martian Ind]

Hi Folks,

I recently acquired some Leak audio gear, from a colleagues house clearance. Today we went back and uncovered large quantities of valves and a valve tester.

As advised in previous posts, I am very much an amateur restorer. Arguably if I am to restore the Leak I could do with a valve tester.

The purpose of this post is to understand the value of such testers. I initially thought that I would swap the tester for a nice set of valves for the TL12 plus and the point one plus. But googled eBay, and someone is asking 1250 GBP, gulp for a 45A, utter madness in my opinion.

I'm looking to replace all the components on the main amp and pre-amp, am I pushing my luck to ask for a swap for components and valves for both Leaks..?

The reason for selling/swapping the tester is I have too many projects on the go at the moment, the relatively straightforward task of refurbishing the Leaks I can manage. Once finished I can get on with other projects. I don't want to be tempted by other audio projects (by selling/swapping the tester precludes me from getting more involved..) picture of the Taylor and preamp for info only.

Thoughts and opinions please. Best M

[frankmcvey]

Hi, Martin,

I'd strongly recommend that you go back to Ebay and use the advanced search facility for the Taylor 45A, selecting "sold" listings. This will give you a better idea of what your machine will bring, rather than the wildly optimistic asking price on the listing you mention. The best price among the "sold" listings currently on display is £78 for a machine in far better cosmetic condition than yours.

Sorry if you're disappointed, but take comfort from the fact that you're not going to be anything like as disappointed as the lady trying to flog one in a similar condition for twelve hundred and fifty quid!

Good luck with the Leak stuff. RS valves are pretty good value for money at the moment.

All the best,

Frank

[retailer]

I have a 45B and 45C I believe they amongst the better class of testers, in the past I have owned many valve testers including several Avo's, a MKII, MKIII and CT160 and have sold them all off and kept the Taylors, for me at least they are quick to use and give good results. I've never owned a 45A but I believe it is essentially the same as a 45B/C but cannot test the same range of valves.

Looking at your photo of the Taylor I believe you would need to do a fair amount of work on it to make it realize a reasonable amount, I can see rusty screw heads, a lot of grime and it looks to have no case. Ebay is a funny thing and over the years I have learnt that you can't trust another person's ideas on worth of an item, advertising with a high selling price is easy to do but do they actually get that price ? I agree with Frank comments about using the search facility.

[Craig Sawyers]

Yes - that 45A need a bit of TLC for sure. And of course it is missing the more recent valve bases like the B7A and B9G (although you can do those with adaptors from other valve bases like octal, or the rather obscure British 9 pin).

This unit might have the benefit of more reliable switches (a rear photograph would indicate), which is the nemesis of the 45B and C.

Craig

[David G4EBT]

That valve tester is in a shocking state - probably stored in a damp shed for decades.

Really, the front panel is beyond redemption due to the deterioration of the screen printed legends, the meter scale-plate too appears to have suffered damage from damp, and the contacts of all of the sixteen valve-holders will be badly tarnished, though maybe salvageable. It remains to be seen what state it's in inside, and whether the meter movement and transformer are intact, the condition of the wiring and switch banks.

True, if someone looking for a challenge wanted to make it their life's work to restore it, anything is possible with enough time, knowledge, skill, expense and evangelical zeal. For any individual who fits that profile, it's a heaven-sent opportunity if they believe that the end justifies the means. As with classic cars, motorbikes and the like, there are those who will only take on what appears to be a complete basket case, and with each issue of the BVWS Bulletin we see splendid examples of quite complex radios in a dreadful state brought back to pristine condition by the upper echelons in the hobby.

Otherwise, it's landfill, leastways, I think so.

[factory]

Originally Posted by retailer

it looks to have no case.

Some of these Taylor testers have a metal case, I suspect this has one as the screws are present around the edge of the front panel.

Apart from the rusty screws & meter scale looking to have suffered from damp it's difficult to tell how bad the rest of it is from the picture, the legends look readable to me (may be very dirty though).
Other common problems are the metal rectifier failing and the A/B & grid volt potentiometers being very noisy or worn out, I found the grub screws in the knobs too rusty to unscrew on mine (I had to carefully dismantle the pots from the inside and pull off the knobs & push fit them on to the new ones).

I do find the 45A is limited with the valve types that can be tested, adaptors can sometimes help, but not always if there is no setting data.

David

[Martian Ind]

Originally Posted by David G4EBT

That valve tester is in a shocking state - probably stored in a damp shed for decades.

Replace damp shed, with damp and mouldy cupboard for 20 years and you would be right. I haven't probed the guts of it yet. I have never seen a home like it ever, and hope never to see one like it again. I have rescued several boxes of valves, but 50% of them have green terminals... Amazingly the Leak stuff survived relatively intact, but it was in a different part of the house.

I will have a go at inspecting it at some point, but landfill does seem to be beckoning.

Best M

Originally Posted by frankmcvey

Hi, Martin,Sorry if you're disappointed, but take comfort from the fact that you're not going to be anything like as disappointed as the lady trying to flog one in a similar condition for twelve hundred and fifty quid!

Not at all, my colleague was going to throw everything out, found some really nice bits and pieces, which somehow avoided the damp. Its only cost me time at the moment. I am quite familiar with eBay, I also think I saw a spares and repairs one for 36 quid. If its all seized up solid screws an all I will prob profer it at 25 quid collection only Norfolk area to forum members. All the best M