It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:11 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 43 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 7:06 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2016 7:45 am
Posts: 61
Earlier today a couple of you responded to my questions about the input PCB on my 2006 '65 DRRI. I wanted to started a new thread to ask a related but different question. After doing a little research, I'm thinking about doing away with the PCBs all together and rewiring it point-to-point. I was looking at the Mojo BF DR small parts kit. Here's a link: http://www.mojotone.com/kits/BlackfaceA ... -Parts-Kit.
Do any of you have experience with Mojo components? I've built a couple of clone kits, but not from Mojo. It appears to have everything I would need - fiberboards, quality components, switches, jacks, pots, schematic, wiring diagram, etc. I got such a good deal on the amp, that putting a couple of hundred dollars into it still keeps me way ahead.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2016 8:42 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
What benefit (serviceability, reliability, sonic, etc) do you expect to achieve by such a conversion?

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 6:38 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2016 7:45 am
Posts: 61
Not the answer to my question, Arjay, but I'll indulge you this one time:

Serviceability: I'd rather work on my p-to-p Princeton or 5E3 than my two Fenders with PCBs.

Reliability: Ask me in 20 year.

Sonic: That's too subjective to address here.

Under your "etc." category, I'll add two important ones to to me...(1) "Educational" - I can read Gerald Weber or Dave Hunter all night long, but what better way to know how a tube amp works than to get in there and put one together with my own hands; and (2) "Enjoyment"...You either get this one or you don't. I can't be explained.

Now, to my original question: Anyone out there have any experience with the Mojo kits/components? Thanks.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 7:36 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:31 am
Posts: 14049
Location: Province de Québec, Canada
Retroverbial wrote:
What benefit (serviceability, reliability, sonic, etc) do you expect to achieve by such a conversion?

Arjay


+ 1

skipbuzz , for hobby why not, but you must have some knowledge to built and some skill on solder to built a P to P amp, if not the amp may not work well.

You may not save money too.

Best is to buy a real vintage one, you'll have a PtP amp and better amp with higer value with time.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 8:15 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2016 7:45 am
Posts: 61
Have an engineering degree...spent many years as a recording engineer doing card level maintenance on consoles, tape machines, amps, etc., have very good soldering skills...have built two amps one from a kit, one from scratch... It's literally and figuratively not rocket science...It's just a guitar amp.

So, back to my question: Anyone out there have experience with the Mojo components?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 8:32 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
SkipBurz wrote:
Under your "etc." category, I'll add two important ones to to me...(1) "Educational" - I can read Gerald Weber or Dave Hunter all night long, but what better way to know how a tube amp works than to get in there and put one together with my own hands; and (2) "Enjoyment"...You either get this one or you don't. I can't be explained.


I "get it".

My concern however is that you'd be "fixing" something that isn't broke. And a two-channel amp with reverb and trem is a pretty complex amp -- perhaps overly so for someone who has never assembled one before. I'd hate to see you get in over your head then end up with a basket case. It *might* make more sense if you started with a simpler design using a kit (such as a 5E1 Champ or 5E3 Deluxe). They go together pretty easily and if assembled correctly, sound pretty good. Just sayin'......

As for Mojotone, their stuff is generally pretty good. However if I were building an amp, I'd choose different tone caps such as Zoso or Jupiter. And you might shop around for iron -- there are less-expensive trannies available (Heyboer as an example).

I'm not trying to deter you......merely trying to be the voice of reasoned logic. Whichever way you swing on this, we're here to help.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 8:45 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2016 7:45 am
Posts: 61
As for Mojotone, their stuff is generally pretty good. However if I were building an amp, I'd choose different tone caps such as Zoso or Jupiter. And you might shop around for iron -- there are less-expensive trannies available (Heyboer as an example).

Good...Thanks for the cap recommendation. concerning the transformers, I want to read up on the Schumachers it comes with.

And I've built two 5E3s - one point to point kit and the other from a PCB Tube Depot kit, as well as a complete rebuilt on a Princeton Reverb...


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 8:51 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
SkipBurz wrote:
And I've built two 5E3s - one point to point kit and the other from a PCB Tube Depot kit, as well as a complete rebuilt on a Princeton Reverb...


In that case, you're ready for what lies ahead. Post periodic sitreps as the work progresses.

8)

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2016 10:40 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:31 am
Posts: 14049
Location: Province de Québec, Canada
Retroverbial wrote:
SkipBurz wrote:
And I've built two 5E3s - one point to point kit and the other from a PCB Tube Depot kit, as well as a complete rebuilt on a Princeton Reverb...


In that case, you're ready for what lies ahead. Post periodic sitreps as the work progresses.

8)

Arjay



+1


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 1:25 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
SkipBurz wrote:
...I want to read up on the Schumachers it comes with.


Nothing wrong with Schumacher, nothing at all. They've been an OEM supplier to Fender ever since Leo transitioned from Triad in the late '50s. They've got a solid rep for durability and reliability.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 2:59 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jul 03, 2010 2:18 pm
Posts: 6544
SkipBurz wrote:
Earlier today a couple of you responded to my questions about the input PCB on my 2006 '65 DRRI. I wanted to started a new thread to ask a related but different question. After doing a little research, I'm thinking about doing away with the PCBs all together and rewiring it point-to-point. I was looking at the Mojo BF DR small parts kit. Here's a link: http://www.mojotone.com/kits/BlackfaceA ... -Parts-Kit.
Do any of you have experience with Mojo components? I've built a couple of clone kits, but not from Mojo. It appears to have everything I would need - fiberboards, quality components, switches, jacks, pots, schematic, wiring diagram, etc. I got such a good deal on the amp, that putting a couple of hundred dollars into it still keeps me way ahead.


Mojo stuff is usually pretty good. If you go this route, get a GOOD 50+ watt soldering iron. Like an adjustable Weller station. You need an iron that does turrets well. Too small an iron and the solders will be cold blobs. Yet, you still need an iron that won't fry smaller components (that aren't on turrets). You will need several different flat and round tips, for clean solders. 60/40 Kester or Wonder Solder, would be my choice.

100 watt iron for any wires going to the chassis.

Placing all the parts onto the turrets, pre-wiring all the leads, double checking all grounding points --- are part of the key to less headaches, afterwards. Double and triple check work. Continuity tests before cutting leads to final lengths.

As for the tonal differences... I dunno. I've re-capped, maybe 4 or 5 DRRI in my life. It seems that's all the amp needs for good service. I haven't worked on any of the newer DRRI, that have opto-bug issues. All were pre-2007 issues (IIRC). The amp needs a good 5AR4 and 6V6GT tubes. Tone is very close to the SF era I've redone and played through. With similar speakers in the vintage and re-issue models.

But, a DIY done correctly will no doubt, last longer. And be more amenable to fixing.

As for iron... I haven't seen too many NOS BF or SF era Schumacher trannies on the Net, lately. But, Heyboer, Edcor, Mercury Mag can all wind units to match original Schumacher specs --- with the iron material as close to original as possible. Many, many aftermarket drop in trannies, that will prolly work fine.

Weller WES51 station:

https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WES51-Ana ... older+iron


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2016 3:39 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2016 7:45 am
Posts: 61
Thanks. I've been soldering for 30 years...always with Weller stations... Put myself through grad school rebuilding circuit boards, building snakes, DI boxes, etc.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 6:46 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jul 03, 2010 2:18 pm
Posts: 6544
Well, then go for it. But, try to do good, the first time. I have seen DIY kits become an unholy mess --- this doesn't work or that doesn't work... etc.

Bias supply is critical. Use a good pot and quality cap(s). Many ppl spend all kinds of money on irons and fancy caps. They don't put much effort into this part of the amp. Result is an unstable amps that eats tubes... and sometimes hard to diagnose.

Good luck!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 10:24 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2010 7:06 am
Posts: 1662
Retroverbial wrote:
SkipBurz wrote:
And I've built two 5E3s - one point to point kit and the other from a PCB Tube Depot kit, as well as a complete rebuilt on a Princeton Reverb...


In that case, you're ready for what lies ahead. Post periodic sitreps as the work progresses.

8)

Arjay


+1 on the Periodic build post's, theses can always be fun to watch unfold. Let the build begin
Good luck
mud


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Rewiring a DRRI Point-to-Point
Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2016 3:48 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:30 pm
Posts: 792
Location: A Land Downunder
Just for the record, the Tube Depot 5E3+, when well built, is one of the nicest sounding amps I've heard. Both the examples I built have had the heck played out of 'em for around 5 years now, I love that amp. How's yours going Skip?


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 43 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next
Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: