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Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:45 pm
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PTM, I think the PCB" fear" factor is based on the cheaply made units. The older Ampegs, Marshall, THD, Soldano, etc. made-make fine amps with the PCB designs. IMO It's all a matter of quality. Tone snobs can argue about coplanar capacitance and inherent crosstalk, but that's not something most of us would be able to hear. So it seems the board construction comes down to personal preference. For ease of maintenance and modding, the PTP(turret or eyelet board, tag strips, rails) would be my choice. BTW I don't think Jcart has a big problem about the amp, it was just an inquiry concerning whether or not modifications were possibly worth the effort. While there are some easy things to try, a total rebuild of the pre amp section doesn't seem like the best alternative to me. Art

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Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 2:44 pm
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The problem with mods is you never really know if you're gonna like the results. It's only my opinion but if you're not happy with the amp sell it and get one you like. I'm sure you can get a good price for it. Not every amp makes everyone happy.


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Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 3:42 pm
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Johnny Z wrote:
The problem with mods is you never really know if you're gonna like the results.


The worst results always seem to involve multiple mods performed simultaneously on the same amp. Thus, it's never quanifiable which of the mods (if any) performed as expected and which of them rendered the effort a failure.

Arjay

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Posted: Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:02 pm
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Yeah, modding an amp isn't for everyone. Some have predicted results and have stood the test of time, ie. adjustable bias controls. Arjay is right about trying one at a time ! And John points out that it's not really worth it for most folks to change the $value of their amp, good advice ! But for some us, we can't help but tinker. We might have one amp that we're quite fond of and know every nook and cranny. So trying some different value and expensive components, here and there is fun and educational. How many times have I found a $15 cap to be no different sounding in a circuit, then a $1 cap ? Plenty of times ! Was it worth the effort ? Sure it was. For me, the alternative is unacceptable. The few successes, always outweigh the many failures. Art

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Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:59 pm
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aclempoppi wrote:
Yeah, modding an amp isn't for everyone. Some have predicted results and have stood the test of time, ie. adjustable bias controls. Arjay is right about trying one at a time ! And John points out that it's not really worth it for most folks to change the $value of their amp, good advice ! But for some us, we can't help but tinker. We might have one amp that we're quite fond of and know every nook and cranny. So trying some different value and expensive components, here and there is fun and educational. How many times have I found a $15 cap to be no different sounding in a circuit, then a $1 cap ? Plenty of times ! Was it worth the effort ? Sure it was. For me, the alternative is unacceptable. The few successes, always outweigh the many failures. Art



I do have to admit, that I did some mods back in the early 70's to a few Fender amps. One was a recap, replacing some tone caps with Sprague Orange drops, yea it did make difference, not saying I liked it better. And we used to get guys in our TV Repair Shop with Twins and Deluxe wanting a Master Volume before Fender started putting them in amps.


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Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:13 pm
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We all did it, JZ. No reason to beat oneself up over it though. The important thing is to deter others from following in such foolish footsteps. The rule-of-thumb for vintage gear should be "no drilling, no cutting, and retain all removed parts".

Arjay

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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 6:57 pm
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Yeah Arjay, that rule-of-thumb is what's happening with the older amps. Had our old bass player bring in a '67 Band Master, in very sad shape(many shabby mods). He said,"make it sound like yours". Told him, I'd take it back to stock using quality components(where necessary). Adjust the mids, NFB, and presence. All very benign and inexpensive. At any rate he was very happy with his amp and it's still doing it's thing, after 15yrs. So I guess some time tested tweaks are well worth the effort. Art

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