Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: Dmoney on December 03, 2010, 06:57:41 PM

Title: The Amp That I Made
Post by: Dmoney on December 03, 2010, 06:57:41 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiH3Z00JI0o

Here it is...
The first test for people to see and hear along with my new currently stock ES-333.
(Love the 333)

The circuit still needs work but I'm holding off more tweaking until I get the control panel and need to crack out the soldering iron anyway.

It's only recorded using the camera and built in mic on my macbook, but you get the idea.

It shares circuit bits with marshall's, vox's, the Sommatone in that vid.
There is a thread on it somewhere.

again, big thanks to Frank@ JPF for the help on this, and for pointing out the 333 to me ;)
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: gordiji on December 03, 2010, 08:12:06 PM
congrats! it works and sounds reasonable, clever boy
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: Dmoney on December 03, 2010, 08:15:58 PM
will sound better once it gets a bit more treble back in.
I wasn't playing it loud either and just noodling about.

I was worried last weekend. I sold a guitar and used this amp to demo it. it was humming and that freaked me out but it must have been because my laptop was right next to it, which I didn't realise at the time.

I made no use of the Hi-Cut dial in that vid.

EDIT: forgot to say thanks for the comment!
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: 38thBeatle on December 03, 2010, 08:49:03 PM
It is hard to get a full idea as i expect the mic doesn't do it justice but the guitar tone is coming through. Will you be doing a "proper" demo ( I hope that doesn't come across as rude -I don't mean it to).  Impressive stuff.
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: Dmoney on December 03, 2010, 09:00:05 PM
well, i did take the amp to a mates studio and we just messed about using it with drums and bass and some dropped tuned guitars. It sounds stupidly heavy in that recording (which I'm trying to get hold of).

What I could try is just recording using an SM58 but again it'll be going straight into the macbook. might be a bit better. I just did this in a rush before I had to leave for work. Could get my les paul into it also.
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: hunter on December 04, 2010, 07:54:48 AM
sounds great, also the guitar - gives me 33x gas.

what are the controls on the amp?
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: Dmoney on December 04, 2010, 05:54:25 PM
the controls are gain, bass, middle, treble, volume, hi cut, and a variable negative feedback control.

the variable nfb is cool. it's not a widely used thing but i like what it does.

the hi cut is as useful as a vox hi cut. more useful when the amp is louder and has a bit more high f in the output. right now I'm doing some testing which attenuates those upper frequencies earlier.
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: AndyR on December 05, 2010, 02:39:35 PM
Extremely impressive - even given the restrictions of the recording - congratulations :D

I mainly watched because of the 333 (youtube is sh1t on this laptop, I tend to avoid following links unless I'm well interested) - and I'm with Hunter on this, I found it slightly GAS inducing. On the strength of the thread a while back on this guitar I was even sneakily looking at 33Xs in Denmark St yesterday while me and the missus were buying capos and things for a nephew's christmas present. Seeing the "teasing" views of the 333 in the vid have not made things any easier for me! :lol:
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: Ian Price on December 05, 2010, 02:41:00 PM
Nor me. I doubt I would be tempted enough to pay out for a 335 in future, but those 333s are well priced and look 'working man' enough for someone of my limited abilities.
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: gwEm on December 05, 2010, 03:05:39 PM
Nor me. I doubt I would be tempted enough to pay out for a 335 in future, but those 333s are well priced and look 'working man' enough for someone of my limited abilities.

the working man look is great isn't it :) i have to say, i knew nothing of 333s until DMoney got one. I'd like to get one some day, I think his looks like pure hard rock.
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: gwEm on December 05, 2010, 03:27:26 PM
while i was drolling over the 333, i forgot to congratulate on the amp - must feel good to play your own work
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: AndyR on December 05, 2010, 03:28:53 PM
must feel good to play your own work

+1

That's exactly what I was thinking, but got distracted by the guitar :lol:
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: Ian Price on December 05, 2010, 06:54:42 PM
must feel good to play your own work

+1

That's exactly what I was thinking, but got distracted by the guitar :lol:

 :D Me too! Congrats, I'd love to have the know how to build my own stuff but don't! Time is also a problem for me.

Really pleased that you have something that you have built yourself that sounds good. Hope that when you tweak it you get what closer to the tone that you are looking for!
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: Dmoney on December 05, 2010, 07:16:24 PM
its actually mega close to being done.

it was sounding great, than I found out that the instabilities I thought I had totally locked down had appeared again.
I just need to reduce the gain slightly and take out or replace one cap.

since it first reached a state where it was 'working' it has been through a lot of tweaked. im getting some control panels from JPF and to fit the back one on, I need to unsolder the mains socket & bias test points.

It's totally gig-able. I imagine I'll post more about it when its totally done, with panels, and headshell.
Title: Re: The Amp That I Made
Post by: Oli on December 05, 2010, 09:26:06 PM
It sounds great-- it's always really rewarding to use something that you've built yourself! I look forward to seeing the finished product with panels and box :)

I've got a little amp project of my own that's ongoing, but i'll post about it when it's in a playable state ;)

Good work!