Eighty years ago, the December 1935 issue of Popular Mechanics promised that the depression-era entrepreneur could make some money, as long as he was handy with a soldering iron. He could do so by building this 30-watt audio amplifier, for use at county fairs, dances, bazaars, basketball tournaments, dog shows, or anywhere that sound was needed. According to the article, the usual rental charge for such an amplifier, three speakers, a microphone, and phono turntable, along with the operator, was $15 per evening, or $75 for a week of fifty hours.

The chassis with all holes pre-drilled was available for $8, and the rest of the components for the ten-tube amplifier were readily available. With power transformer and two rectifier tubes, the unit was all set to plug in to normal household current. It was said to put out 30 watts of distortionless sound with excellent tone.

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