THE PRESTO HISTORY PAGE

PRESTO AMPLIFIER EQUIPMENT


The Presto 85A, B & E amplifier.  This is        The model 88A was the first hi power model
one of the original designs, and remained          built exclusively for use in disk recording.  It had 4
basically unchanged through the life of the         807's in push pull output, and developed 60 watts
company.  The E model had manual controls    of power.  The VU meter was not original equipment.
for EQ, whereas the 85A did not.  The 85B     This amp sold for $290, pre-war.
was a rack mount version.  Early designation
of this amp was the EU7 and EU7E. the
85E was $290 in 1941, and $345 in 1947.


PRESTO 92A 60 watt amp.  The 89A amp      The last amp built by PRESTO, the A93.
and the 41A limiter were similar in appearance.  This replaced the 92A in July, 1955.  It was a
The 92 and 89 replaced the 88 in 1950.             30 watt model, and had provision for the automatic
The 89A was a 25 watt model.  the 41A was     EQ unit if installed on the lathe.  The price in
a program limiter.  The 1950 price for the           1955 was $345.
92A was $395, and $300 for the 89A.


This is the amplifier rack that went with     The 90A and 90B amps were possibly the first
the Model A and B 2 turntable units.         mixer/consoles built exclusively for disc recording.
It contained a radio tuner, two 85B           The 90 could double for a remote location broad-
amps, 3 channel mixer, power supply        cast mixer.  The 90B had provisions for the auto-
and patch panel.  The price for the            matic Diameter EQ, whereas the 90A did not.
200A was $1645, pre 1941 price.            The 90A was priced at $505, and was introduced
the 200 B contained only one amp,            in 1947 and remained current in the line.  The 1950
and was priced at $938.                            price for the 90B was $595.


This is the automatic diameter equalizer, which could be installed on the 6N, 8N, 8D, 8DG, and
the 8GV lathes.  It sold for $215 for a single unit, and $335 for dual tables.  In recording at
33 1/3 there is progressive loss of the higher frequencies as the radius of the groove becomes
smaller, and the linear speed of the record past the needle becomes slower.  The PRESTO
EQ holds the input to the head at a constant level while continuously boosting the frequency
response.  The advent of the hot stylus basically reduced the above problem, and many of these
units were discarded.  In 1950 the price was $257 and $400.  The 161 equalizer for the 90B
and 92A was $105.

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