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Author Topic: My Modded Marshall 1959slp 100w (Pics!)  (Read 21000 times)

Bainzy

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My Modded Marshall 1959slp 100w (Pics!)
« on: May 11, 2006, 06:40:25 PM »
History behind the amp:

I bought it in 2005 (october I think), and got a Metroamp PTP board for it with Mallories. When I got chance I replaced those caps with Sozo's, and replaced the cr@ppy Output Transformer with a Metroamp Dagnall Clone (made to their spec by Heyboer). Along the way I've changed lots of things, added in extra tube mods, switches etc.

I finally got an old digital camera I had working, so I thought I'd use it to take some long-due pics of my amp and guitar. The custom Warmoth guitar isn't assembled at the moment (refinishing it), so I've only got my 2004 strat in the pictures.



Feel free to ask me about any of the modifications that I've done on it. The 4th preamp tube mod isn't connected at the moment, but you can see a row of parts in the middle of the extra circuit board - that's for the extra tube when I feel like hooking it up, to make it into a switchable 1959/2203.




The switch at the back of the amp is for a switchable V2a cathode bypass cap, selecting between a .68uF Sozo cap and a 330uF electrolytic. The capacitor and resistor near the far right hand upper corner of the chassis are substitutes for the presence control, as you can see theres a PPIMV in the presence hole instead.






All signal capacitors are Sozo Mustard+, the preamp used to be all CC but I replaced some of them that I didn't feel had any effect on the tone. My favourite mod is the 1k V2a cathode resistor (shown between the .68uf and 330uf capacitors) that's a (1/8w or 1/4w?) NOS carbon comp resistor I once found in a bag of old capacitors - the leads are mostly gone so I've had to wire it strangely but it sounds awesome. It's drifted up to about 1160 ohms.




Since this was the first amp I ever worked on, and I've changed so much in this amp so many times, it's pretty dirty/messy inside. I'd like to rewire everything again at some stage but it's hard finding the time these days.





The tubes are JJ E34L's for the power tubes, Sylvania 12AX7WA for V2 and V3, and Sylvania 12AX7 (later version) for V1. Sometimes I use a Mullard in V1. When I use V0 (the extra gain stage tube) it's either a JJ ECC83S or an RFT ECC83.






The empty hole in the back panel is from a pentode/triode switch that isn't fitted at the moment  - I took it out temporarily while I was doing some work around that area, it was getting in the way and I don't use triode mode as much these days.




More gut shots:




sambo

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My Modded Marshall 1959slp 100w (Pics!)
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2006, 07:17:54 PM »
wow.... how much did all those mods cost? + how much was the amp...

plus does it sound so good you want to cry?

plus whats the pedal-clone situation?


 :lol:  :lol:  :D

Bainzy

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My Modded Marshall 1959slp 100w (Pics!)
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2006, 07:27:47 PM »
The mods have cost about £200-300 I think.

Yes. lol.

I dunno - I finished making that TS-808 for a mate and he's pretty pleased with it, but I'm really busy now so if I went along with it as some sort of business, it'd have to be around July.

Bainzy

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My Modded Marshall 1959slp 100w (Pics!)
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2006, 08:03:43 PM »
ok here's a clip:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=364256&songID=3915472

Strat > Plexi > 1960A cab > SM57 on '73 G12M

I'm just riding the volume knob to get the cleaner sounds. The guitar is set on 7/8 for the bridge and middle tone controls, and for the amp everything is on 10, except the PPIMV is on 1 and the treble control is on 7-8. I think the V2a cathode switch is set to 330uf here.

I'm just playing any random cr@p, hopefully this should be enough to demonstrate how it sounds with a strat. There's no extra gain stages here, and I don't think there's much in the signal path that wasn't in a late 60's 1959slp *except* there's less NFB (I'm using 100k on the 4ohm tap).

You'll have to put the speakers on fairly loud I'm afraid, if you want to get anywhere close to how this amp actually sounds over here.

CaffeineJunkie

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Re: My Modded Marshall 1959slp 100w (Pics!)
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2006, 08:53:07 PM »
Quote from: Bainzy
History behind the amp:

I bought it in 2005 (october I think), and got a Metroamp PTP board for it with Mallories. When I got chance I replaced those caps with Sozo's, and replaced the cr@ppy Output Transformer with a Metroamp Dagnall Clone (made to their spec by Heyboer). Along the way I've changed lots of things, added in extra tube mods, switches etc.

I finally got an old digital camera I had working, so I thought I'd use it to take some long-due pics of my amp and guitar. The custom Warmoth guitar isn't assembled at the moment (refinishing it), so I've only got my 2004 strat in the pictures.

Feel free to ask me about any of the modifications that I've done on it. The 4th preamp tube mod isn't connected at the moment, but you can see a row of parts in the middle of the extra circuit board - that's for the extra tube when I feel like hooking it up, to make it into a switchable 1959/2203.

The switch at the back of the amp is for a switchable V2a cathode bypass cap, selecting between a .68uF Sozo cap and a 330uF electrolytic. The capacitor and resistor near the far right hand upper corner of the chassis are substitutes for the presence control, as you can see theres a PPIMV in the presence hole instead.

All signal capacitors are Sozo Mustard+, the preamp used to be all CC but I replaced some of them that I didn't feel had any effect on the tone. My favourite mod is the 1k V2a cathode resistor (shown between the .68uf and 330uf capacitors) that's a (1/8w or 1/4w?) NOS carbon comp resistor I once found in a bag of old capacitors - the leads are mostly gone so I've had to wire it strangely but it sounds awesome. It's drifted up to about 1160 ohms.

Since this was the first amp I ever worked on, and I've changed so much in this amp so many times, it's pretty dirty/messy inside. I'd like to rewire everything again at some stage but it's hard finding the time these days.

The tubes are JJ E34L's for the power tubes, Sylvania 12AX7WA for V2 and V3, and Sylvania 12AX7 (later version) for V1. Sometimes I use a Mullard in V1. When I use V0 (the extra gain stage tube) it's either a JJ ECC83S or an RFT ECC83.

The empty hole in the back panel is from a pentode/triode switch that isn't fitted at the moment  - I took it out temporarily while I was doing some work around that area, it was getting in the way and I don't use triode mode as much these days.



I understood about four words of that :?
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sambo

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My Modded Marshall 1959slp 100w (Pics!)
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2006, 09:59:06 PM »
sounded AWESOME dude... how come no-one else has listened and replied?

the 4:00 bit was so cool... tone+playing wise....

nice one man... nice.... how old are you again?

Bainzy

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My Modded Marshall 1959slp 100w (Pics!)
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2006, 10:14:18 PM »
Thanks Sam, I'm 17 (18 this month, on the 29th). Maybe cos it's in the guitar, amps and effects section? Off topic seems to be more popular but I think it's best suited here.

sambo

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« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2006, 10:16:39 PM »
yer your probly right...

youve got a cool vibe going on with your playing... i remember your eruption stuff.... was awesome...

its not just the actual stuff your playing... its like the way your playing it, sounds excellent seriously.... dunno if that makes any sense lol...

but yer- nice one  :D

Bainzy

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My Modded Marshall 1959slp 100w (Pics!)
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2006, 10:21:24 PM »
lol thanks - that means a lot. I've been working more on articulation and phrasing the past year, just trying to make simple things sound as good as possible (instead of my strategy for the other 2 years of playing, shred as fast as possible!).

 I was actually planning on recording these small bits of playing and taking out the mediocre ones (leaving the best), but I couldn't be bothered once I'd finished and thought "screw it, I'll just leave it as a big 5 minute clip", lol. I just wish strings didn't break so quickly on this strat, then I would've had an e string to use in the clip and been able to play the 'heartbreaker' solo (that's what I started playing around 4:00).

DeanS

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« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2006, 10:21:34 PM »
Kewl tone, I just love plexis -modded or otherwise.
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Johnny Mac

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« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2006, 10:30:08 PM »
It does sound nice! So are you going to get into business mdding amps and pedals?
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sambo

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« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2006, 10:32:13 PM »
Quote from: Bainzy
lol thanks - that means a lot. I've been working more on articulation and phrasing the past year, just trying to make simple things sound as good as possible (instead of my strategy for the other 2 years of playing, shred as fast as possible!).

 I was actually planning on recording these small bits of playing and taking out the mediocre ones (leaving the best), but I couldn't be bothered once I'd finished and thought "screw it, I'll just leave it as a big 5 minute clip", lol. I just wish strings didn't break so quickly on this strat, then I would've had an e string to use in the clip and been able to play the 'heartbreaker' solo (that's what I started playing around 4:00).


yer THAT was it!!! i recognised some zeppelin i knew it...

yer what you say about the phrasing- thats i was getting at... it really is noticable... so your efforts on that front have paid off mate...

i should really stop praising you now lol... ok no more...

Bainzy

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My Modded Marshall 1959slp 100w (Pics!)
« Reply #12 on: May 11, 2006, 10:34:35 PM »
Quote from: Johnny Mac
It does sound nice! So are you going to get into business mdding amps and pedals?


I'm not sure really at the moment - I've got a lot on my plate right now. There's my A2 exams starting on the 22nd, and straight after those I'm recording the power metal band 'Unforgotten Oath' with my home-studio gear. It's something to consider while I'm at uni though.

Bainzy

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« Reply #13 on: May 11, 2006, 10:36:45 PM »
Quote from: sambo

yer THAT was it!!! i recognised some zeppelin i knew it...

yer what you say about the phrasing- thats i was getting at... it really is noticable... so your efforts on that front have paid off mate...

i should really stop praising you now lol... ok no more...


 :lol:

It's such an awesome song, so much so that I GAS for an LP with Black Dogs in every time I hear it!  :twisted:

sambo

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« Reply #14 on: May 11, 2006, 10:58:41 PM »
haha yeah tis a great song... and the solo is just crazy... you can play it? i mean... its like.... just random notes going mental i swear.... kudos if you can mate... serious kudos...