Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Dmoney on February 19, 2012, 07:22:00 PM
-
SO this has been a long time coming.
It's CLOSE to being 'finished', by which I mean it's close to a point where it might create a noise, but it has a few things to be added yet. Namely the presence and resonance controls, and there is one resistor that I need to source.
I was restricted a bit by the some of the chassis features. I don't really have a drill tough enough to deal with a steel chassis like this, so a lot of stuff is mounted in the original fittings from the Laney AOR.
Some of the preamp boards could be laid out better. This is the first time I've used turrets for a build too, but every time I build something I learn from my mistakes, so I'm getting better even though this build isnt as perfect as I'd like.
for example... the last filter cap for the 1st gain stage, ended up being immediately behind the input jack! I'm hoping by that point the HT voltage isn't kicking out too much noise. There is a lot of filtering in the power supply, and the IEC is an in-line filtering type.
I got some DC heaters for V1 & V2, never done that before! also the AC heaters are elevated. The voltages seem ok, I've had the amp on to measure them. Nothing is making weird mechanical noises yet, so that's good!
Right now, It's like a VHT Deliverance fixed in the 'more' gain setting. The power section is however KT77, since I think KT88's would have been a squeeze. It also lacks the circuitry between the PI and the output valve grids that is present in the D120. I'm hoping it sounds reasonable and then I can start re-voicing it a bit.
Good thing about this, is that the preamp can be gutted and stored away, and a new preamp board dropped in if I feel like sticking something else in there.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/xtattybobx/IMG-20120219-00577.jpg?t=1329678641)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/xtattybobx/IMG-20120219-00575.jpg?t=1329678442)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/xtattybobx/IMG-20120219-00578.jpg?t=1329678662)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/xtattybobx/IMG-20120219-00579.jpg?t=1329678698)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/xtattybobx/IMG-20120219-00576.jpg?t=1329678536)
-
That is ludicrously, insanely tidy. Impressive sir! Most impressive!
-
That is ludicrously, insanely tidy. Impressive sir! Most impressive!
Thank you very much! It could be slightly better, but at the expense of space and few other things. I try to get stuff as neat as I can.
-
That is ludicrously, insanely tidy. Impressive sir! Most impressive!
+1 I really envy people with talent for the soldering iron... I'm a disaster soldering anything....
Congrats!
-
I don't know anything about amps of course, but that's a lovely tidy job. :D
-
I'm a virgin :) when it comes to chassis, resistors, soldering etc, so I'm always impressed. This looks very neat. Congrats.
-
great job!
what about a picture of the top of the chassis, showing off the iron?
-
As someone whose soldering skills are on the heavy handed side I have nothing other than total admiration for those who do it well. That's some lovely work there, I'm very impressed.
-
I join in with the plaudits. I wouldn't know where to begin - you have my admiration.
-
Tidy, reminds me a bit of the innards of an early Hiwatt.
-
Yup, that's a very elegant wiring job there. And do I see your Marshall tonestack module on the control panel?
-
Yup, that's a very elegant wiring job there. And do I see your Marshall tonestack module on the control panel?
It is indeed! Doing that means running less wires between the pots and the board. It also save space on the preamp board. As you can probably guess, the more stuff I try to squeeze onto their, the more spread out everything will be, and then the wire runs to the 9 pin sockets would be even longer.
I decided to go back and carry on with it. Got my board with the presence and depth controls done, and then decided to wire it in. Doing that was a bit of a pain. I always struggle getting my head around which way to wire up those controls.
still need to swap one resistor! annoying! The front panel is from JPF Amps.
Looks good for an old Laney AOR series II, right?
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/xtattybobx/IMG-20120220-00588.jpg?t=1329700972)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/xtattybobx/IMG-20120220-00589.jpg?t=1329700964)
And for Gwem
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/xtattybobx/IMG-20120220-00596.jpg?t=1329701057)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/xtattybobx/IMG-20120220-00590.jpg?t=1329701051)
-
looks like we have just discovered a new diagnosis tool for OCD ;)
I hope it still looks this way once finished and past any troubleshooting/hum reduction issues
-
Tidy, reminds me a bit of the innards of an early Hiwatt.
I was going to say it looks like the inside of my old Sound City 120 but with less rust round the transformers and not so many leaky filter caps. And a whole lot less dust.
Doing that means running less wires between the pots and the board
Fewer wires. Not less. Just sayin.
-
looks like we have just discovered a new diagnosis tool for OCD ;)
I hope it still looks this way once finished and past any troubleshooting/hum reduction issues
Well I'm not as clean and tidy as that in any other aspect of life! ha. You're also correct about keeping it neat after troubleshooting and such. things do tend to go a little downhill after that process.
-
looking good dude 8)
-
tasty!
-
OCD levels of wiring in my guitar too.
hopefully I'll get the amp running tomorrow. fingers crossed! hope it sounds half decent off the bat without being mad noisy and such.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/xtattybobx/IMG-20120220-00597.jpg?t=1329787218)
-
Got the amp fired up. I had some issues at the start.
The primary wires for the Output Transformer had been put in place the wrong way around. So I had to swap them over. Then I found I had some hum issues but I think I've tracked that down to a bad Master Volume pot. I used Bourns pots in this and the solder tags seem a bit fragile. So I need a 1Mlog Bourns pot to replace it. If I bash the wiper tag on the MV then it stops humming when at zero. However, it seems that reheating the ground lug on the MV stopped the Middle control from causing hum if the middle was up while the MV was at zero. weird.
Other than that.... it's LOUD and sounds pretty epic! I can see why people rate VHT's now.
All i need is a shell (that looks better than the original laney one)
-
that looks like a top class job man
will yuo post some soundclips?
the wiring look as tight as a ratts ass.
q: )
and tidy also. but not like our Rat
ahahahaahahah
Congratulations.
JP
-
thanks a lot, man.
Hopefully i'll get some clips soon. I need to cure a weird hum in it first though. It's look a little different now, but still neat. I haven't managed to completely mess it up with my tinkering yet.
-
thanks a lot, man.
Hopefully i'll get some clips soon. I need to cure a weird hum in it first though. It's look a little different now, but still neat. I haven't managed to completely mess it up with my tinkering yet.
I see you're using a filtered IEC inlet - I had problems with one recently and tore the fecking amp apart before considering that the hum had started when I'd changed the IEC inlet, but never thought it would be the problem. I just use standard IEC sockets now.
-
thanks a lot, man.
Hopefully i'll get some clips soon. I need to cure a weird hum in it first though. It's look a little different now, but still neat. I haven't managed to completely mess it up with my tinkering yet.
I see you're using a filtered IEC inlet - I had problems with one recently and tore the fecking amp apart before considering that the hum had started when I'd changed the IEC inlet, but never thought it would be the problem. I just use standard IEC sockets now.
cheers! i just emailed you actually. I'll give that a go
-
swapped it for a normal IEC.
No difference.
-
think I've got it!
lack of one shielded wire on the 3rd stage grid.
Hopefully, tomorrow, I might even get to gig with it.
-
Looks sweet man. So it's a Deliverance with a ???PI and a KT77 power section. Sounds good on paper. What are you thinking of the sound and feel so far? What did you do for the power supply? Are the DC heaters regulated? I haven't found any info on Fryette power supplies is why I'm asking.
-
It has an Soldano Avenger style power supply. More filtering in the 1st and 2nd stages. The DC heaters in this are not regulated, but are from different 2A 6.3V wind on the PT. If I built it with the switching capability it would have been cool to use 12v regulated supply for relays and some filament heat. The Elevated AC Heaters are on a higher power 6.3V wind. I elevated them to prolong the life of the cathode follower.
It's not exactly the same as a Deliverance stuck in the 'more' mode. I have changed a couple of thing by way of experimentation and I'll probably tinker with more bit. I know I want to change the pots. you know how it is right?
It has a cathodyne PI rather than a LTP, and a quad of KT77's. The D120 has buffers between the PI and power valve grids for the 4x KT88's. The D60 doesn't, but it only has 2x KT88's. I scr@pped that idea and went with nothing between the PI and octal grids. Also, the KT77's are going into a repro SLO OT. So there will be a bit of a mismatch. it does however sound LOUD!
-
Oh my, that looks very sexy. So neat.
Also I always kinda love the way open amps often look, this one too.
Really wanne hear clips of this thing.
-
I'm calling this pretty much finished, apart from future tweaking... haha.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/xtattybobx/IMG-20120224-00606.jpg?t=1330089439)
more or less the final gut shot...
The main difference being more shielded grid wires in the preamp, the ground bus in the preamp being divided up and each preamp filter run to a new star near the main filters.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/xtattybobx/IMG-20120224-00607.jpg)
-
That looks amazing. 8) Its so neat and tidy. I wouldn't have a clue how to make an amp. Does it sound nice?
-
That looks amazing. 8) Its so neat and tidy. I wouldn't have a clue how to make an amp. Does it sound nice?
Now that I've bolted it into the shell properly and the foil screen on the bottom has shielded out some hum, it sounds pretty good. super loud. its tight and pretty compressed. The depth control is kind of subtle but it works and its not overpowering. One 'gain' control actually cuts bass from early in the preamp and that has an effect on how the gain feels and on how tight the amp sounds. I haven't had it cranked way up yet, but I'm looking forward to.
I want to get stuck into reducing noise in it, whatever way I can. got some better pots coming. I also would really like to find some shielded cable with a more robust core. that seems tricky.
I'll try and do a basic clip very soon.
-
Lovely neat wiring job there chap. I'm keen to hear a clip :)
Mind sharing where you got the turrets and board from (and what kind of board you used)? I've wanted to do a build on custom turret boards but I've always fallen back on the Maplin premade ones. :lol:
-
Beautiful work.
I showed it to one of my clients (guitarist and amateur amp builder) and he also said to tell you that its beautiful work.
-
Lovely neat wiring job there chap. I'm keen to hear a clip :)
Mind sharing where you got the turrets and board from (and what kind of board you used)? I've wanted to do a build on custom turret boards but I've always fallen back on the Maplin premade ones. :lol:
The Board is 3mm thick FR4 and from tubetown.de. Turrets and the resistors are from there also. The capacitors are from elsewhere. Multiple sources. RS Components, Mouser, Tubetown, Farnell.
The layout is based on something I got from an acquaintance but I reworked it for my own purposes and changed some values.
Beautiful work.
I showed it to one of my clients (guitarist and amateur amp builder) and he also said to tell you that its beautiful work.
Tell him thank you very much! I have some changes to come. A friend who runs a little studio down here has offered to let me go round and record some clips. At some point soon I'll make some kind of cruddy video as a poor demonstration.
-
It looks very neat. Real customshop-ish.
-
The Board is 3mm thick FR4 and from tubetown.de. Turrets and the resistors are from there also.
Thanks, I'll check that out. I've got a project amp in mind as well. :D
-
Are you into metal or something?
i would love to hear some Death metal riffs Q: P
Or at least heavy thrash metal riffs
-
Here is a link to a clip of the amp
http://soundcloud.com/user8302510 (http://soundcloud.com/user8302510)
I also attached a pic of the recording setup.I did this JUST before I had to go to work. Other than what is in the pic (I used those settings on the amp too) the SM58 goes into a cheap A/D converter. iUSB? To my macbook where the clip was recorded dry in garageband.
-
Nice one. I mentioned to Tony that I've got an AOR on the way and he said you were doing this 8)