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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 3:20 pm
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Seems like a good choice, Windwalker. Not familiar with BYOC. Does this company just deal in pedal supplies? And the master volume sounds interesting. I was just talking to a guy about putting a bypassable master in his Dr Z. Art

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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 3:50 pm
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Hi Art, I've built quite a few BYOC pedals. They sell pedal kits and now a nice little Champ kit. Quality stuff that are clones of older pedals.
Here's the link. http://www.buildyourownclone.com/

windwalker9649, that's what shimmy does. As soon as you mention a problem with a HRDlx, he gets arrogant and defensive and he doesn't let up. You can always add him to your foe list, or just ignore his comments. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 4:15 pm
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I don't know how to do that, but there are always a few who like to light fires, but condtribue nothing to putting them out.

Yes,BYOC do have probably the best kits, my ONLY complaint are their enclosures, they're big and bulky. But they're made for people who are starting out, so they need to make room. I promise you this; the first ts808 clone you build, which I think cost like $70-80 for the kit, you'll forever question the prices the companies charge, especially $180 for an ibanez 808, the one you end up building looks like it was build by a engineer compared to what ibanez gives you. Plus, most of the times the components are far better quality. And the boards. Are the equivelant to paint by numbers, but you build enough, and you'll figure out how to do it on youur own.

Regarding the deluxe reverb you said you were less than enthused with; I recommend taking the 12AT7tubes, and replacing them with 12AU7, especially the one for the driver for the reverb. I found it too splashy stock,. But replace it with a 12AU7 and it tames it quite a bit. You already did the mod that gives the normal channel reverb/tremolo( I still don't know why fender mixes up vibrato/tremolo). The next thing I would do is replace the 6.7K resistors by the bass knob for eaxh xhannel with trimpots. That way you can set it to 6.7K, or higher (no non-reissue deluxe revgerb ever used a resistor that low, they bounced between 8 and 10 from silver and blackface. I wouldn't recommend removig the bright cap though, you may wish you didn't. When you put the trimpots in, make sure you install them upside down; with the trimmer outside the board that the pots sit in, or you'll have to remove the board everytime you want to adjust it instead of just sliding the chassis out.

I spoke w/keith at BYOC, I met him at a NAMM show when I was there for the shop I work out of. He said they're going to come out with a deluxe kit too (not deluxe reverb), with more to follow. I have to say that their tri-boost is the best boost I've ever used, great selectoon of boosts; jfet/germanium and silicone I believe. Though their enclosures are big, you can get one from another company. I bought a 125b to put a Ross clone into, it took a bit of creative wiring, but it fit, and the size of a dyna comp. Plus you can turn the ross into a dyna by removing the 3 extra filter caps Ross used, changing 2 pairrs of resistors, and they sell a qivintage' kit that comes with the CA3080A metal can chip and the NOS transistors dynas used. The ross are a bit quieter, but I like the click dynnas have. I still use mine and I built it years ago.. I built a 5 knob, but found it to be too much knobs. I don't undrstand when they call a compressor 'dynamic'. I thought the purpouse of a compressor was to remove dynamics. Plus, I can adjust headroom on the 2 knob by changing voltage; 18V for more headroom and output, 9V for regular comp, and 4-5V (voodoo labs SAG feature) for a soft compression.


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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 5:26 pm
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Except for the reverb and maybe one or two others, the boxes are the same size as many other boutique builders like Fulltone etc. Compared to some of the originals they're pretty small. I had an original Mutron Octave Divider that BYOC just came out with a little while ago and it's way smaller, but the Mutron was AC powered and had a huge case.

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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 5:40 pm
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Yeah, looking back, I guess most of them are smaller. The Muff clones definitely are; I had.a few old Muffs, a couple rams head, triangle and a fussian green, and the BYOC are definitely smaller, and better imo. I had a couple triangle eras around when I build ond for a friend, and though there were slight differences; they were o more different from the buoc than they were each other, they were never consistant. But the pretty much nail it if you average out the tone of the vintageones.;but they're much quieter, and the extra mid settings is really usefull. Its just the enclosuresare so generic; they look lik billets of lead. But you can get a deccend one made for around $15. The compressors and tube screamers deffinitely benefit from new ones.


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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:34 pm
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Thanks for the link, Supro. That Champ kit looks great! Is that the one you built? It's way more sophisticated than my Valco. But that is the same component level I used. Didn't go the Alessandro route with this amp. Kept reminding myself that, this is a low budget project. Paid $35 for the amp twenty years ago. Luckily, I was able to keep the 1954 Transco Xformers. So the basic character is still in tact, just quieter. Windwalker, I'd appreciate any info you might be able to share about that master volume design. Art

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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:53 pm
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Once you decide whatyoure building,. Let me know, and tell me whenre I csn download the schematic. You can do it either usibg a push/pukk? OrDPDT SWITCH. Its in a rounndabout way the same idea as bypassable effects loopm though I'm sure sone member(s) will go out of their way to try to discredit it, whether or not it works.
I actually got through 6 posts without hearing from any haters; I have to thank the members here who come on and post for the rightreasons; to inquire and share knowledge, no trolls allowed.
While I don't like having other people defend me, sometimes its necessaryq. So thanks, thae kind defense is the only reason I didn't suspend my membership. I thought hard about it, but aftr reading some of the emails from memebers I've helped in thepast, I decided that a few d-bags aren't going to force me out.


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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 9:08 pm
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Very good, Windwalker. This concerns a friend's Dr Z 18 watter, don't know the model name. But the master volume addition is in the contemplative state. I suggested a call to Mr Zaite, apparently he is very communicative with customers. Actually, I'm slightly familiar with the idea. Some years ago, I built a volume cut pedal for our lead guitar player, in the Blues band. Used a Dunlop DPDT and a 1meg pot on the rhythm side, on the off-chance he might want to back down that Matchless. So, yeah I'm very interested in any info and your experience. Art

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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:17 am
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I had a Dr Z, and he is very good at getting back to you, unfortunately I had to sell it when my cat got sick, it, was the cat, and the expensive vet bill, or the amp; Octavia (named after ceasar Augustus, not the fuzz pedal. With an expensive amp, id use a push/ pull and not a, switch, best to keep it looking stock. Plus, depending on the amp, most Dr Z's are point to point hand wired, which is much easier to work on than pcb board mounted amps.
Cheers,
Blue skies, gentle winds, and soft landings to all


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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 7:21 am
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I had a Dr Z, and he is very good at getting back to you, unfortunately I had to sell it when my cat got sick, it, was the cat, and the expensive vet bill, or the amp; Octavia (named after ceasar Augustus, not the fuzz pedal. With an expensive amp, id use a push/ pull and not a, switch, best to keep it looking stock. Plus, depending on the amp, most Dr Z's are point to point hand wired, which is much easier to work on than pcb board mounted amps.
Cheers,
Blue skies, gentle winds, and soft landings to all

Ps, does this amp already have a master, and you want to be able to have a hardwire bypass, or does itneed a master volume installed?


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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:03 am
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WW, I help build a Matchless Hotbox clone many moons ago. Using 5687 tubes instead of 12A(_)7's. Really came out pretty nice for the owner. Ever do one of these DIY's?

http://diy-fever.com/amps/tube-reactor-pre/


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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:15 am
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No I havent, but a Matchless didnt even occure to me, which is dumb because they're great amps. i think i need to do more thinking.


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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:14 pm
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Grab a schematic for a supersonic take it from there.....

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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:49 pm
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I have to admit; I demoed a, super sonic 22 & didn't like it at, all. It sounded like a,DRRI and a Deluxe Hot Rod, had a child that wasn't quite right. I found it harsh, and flabby on the bass. Does anyone know; does it use a cascading gain stage for the distortion, or clipping diodes?

Also, I was going to post this as,a, separate question , but didn't want to attract the detractors; looking on the board of the Deluxe hot Rod, it appears that they use a, symmetrical clipping circuit (though that, may just be,a, set if diodes, abs there may, be more else where, I didn't look at three schematic (my laptop is broken, so to pull up a schematic, at home I have to look at it on a 3" screen: not an, easy feet) has anyone changed out the, diodes to make them assymetrical? Has anyone replaced the clipping diodes, for a, different type. Im not sure what they, use, but if its silicone, anyone replaced then with germanium? Though that, may add to unreliability.

I think the super sonic has potential, with certain modifications done. The drive channel could benefit fromv some changes, while it doesn't sound exactly like it, it reminds me of a distortion plus, which is one of the harshest distortion pedals ice used; even after swapping the germanium diodes for silicone ones, and changing a cap and resistor to add some low end it was harsh. Plus the design was such that thehigher you turn up the distortion, the less of the frequency gets clipped untill you get to 3:00 and just the high end gets clipped.
That's what I thought about when I tried the SS 22.


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Post subject: Re: What amp to build????
Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 2:04 pm
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There are no clipping diodes in a Hot Rod Deluxe. All overdrive is tube generated.

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