Curtis Stetka's TRRI Custom 15 (with phtots!)

[NTBluesGuitar]

Oh, and do I spy a bad ground connection on those jacks? Maybe I just can't see the exposed wire against the chassis.

Took me a few minutes to see what you were talking about, and now I see it. It's a weird lighting trick. The connection is there, but the wire color matches the chassis color behind it.

I went back and read my post and it wasn't clear. He does ground the tabs to the bar instead of the back of the pot. He doesn't solder them to the back of the pot and he doesn't connect the back of the pots to the buss bar. I think that is clearer.

Soldering the buss to the back of the pots offers up a ground point at each solder point on the pots; which kind of defeats the purpose of the buss, IMO.

The object of the buss is to collect all the grounds, and send them to one point on the chassis. Floating the bar runs all the grounds to one point at the PT bolt.

The reason I use the buss in builds like this is because it's a pretty economical replacement for a brass plate. Brass plate grounding, when done properly, is every bit as quiet as a buss or star ground scheme, I think.

[wingnut1]

So you are letting the pots ground themselves to the chassis through their mechanical connection?

[NTBluesGuitar]

With pots, the casings are grounded by physical contact, but the lugs are isolated from ground internally, and the lug that needs to be grounded goes to the buss i this case.

[curtisstetka]

...which TJ's daughter soldered together with her tiny little hands.

[NTBluesGuitar]

She loves watching me work on these things. Always asking, "Daddy, when I'm older, are you gonna teach me how to build things?"

[curtisstetka]

Aww, now that's really cool. You'll be teaching her some very important life lessons with some instruction in amp construction. The eye for detail and commitment to excellence exemplified in your work could be readily applied to any endevour. Or, obviously, you could have a couple of nice little lackeys to help crank out amp rebuilds.

[elicross]

Either way, the family business is safe.

TJ, I meant to tell you: I filled out a survey on the Seymour Duncan site as part of a promotion where they're giving away free stompboxes, and one of the questions was what brand of amp I own. It was kind of a kick to put "Green Eagle, Denton TX" in the blank.

[phantomman]

Your prize will be an OD/Fuzzbox made by "Mojo-Vibe" of Soddy Daisy, Tennessee (they also make septic tanks and repair milking machines).

[NTBluesGuitar]

It was kind of a kick to put "Green Eagle, Denton TX" in the blank.

HA! That's great! I appreciate the support, obviously.

Let me know if that gets you something from SD!

[TT100]

Beautiful work! Did you make the eyelet card too?

Btw, couldn't help get a chuckle out of this:







Just funnin' guys. Have a great day!

TT

[muddy]

Pretty work, but how does it sound?

[NTBluesGuitar]

Btw, couldn't help get a chuckle out of this:

Don't be dissin' Uncle Pecos! My daughter and I LOVE that Tom & Jerry episode.

I don't think there's any relation between Uncle Pecos and Papa Phantomman, though.

Beautiful work! Did you make the eyelet card too?

Yessir. It's 1/16" G10/FR4 garolite (epoxy fiberglass). Easy to drill and, with the right staking bits, easy to press turrets and eyelets. I draw up the circuit layouts in Adobe Illustrator, print them out, tape the layout to the piece of Garolite to use as a template, and drill away.

Pretty work, but how does it sound?

It's the quietest amp in HISTORY! Mainly because it hasn't been fired up yet.

[elicross]

Don't be dissin' Uncle Pecos! My daughter and I LOVE that Tom & Jerry episode.

Heh. When I listened to Springsteen's version of "Froggy Went a-Courtin'" on The Seeger Sessions, I couldn't stop myself from thinking "C-c-c-crambone!"

Those old cartoons warped our minds in great ways.

[NeoFauve]

Hope you didn't take too long in typing that response out!

There is an honest reason for the colors. On the tube sockets, black/white are heaters and help keep the chains separate after winding them, red is for the cathodes, yellow are for the plates, and black is for the input grids.

I was commenting as much on the gage of wire as the color.
When you think of a Twin, it's a bold, loud, beast of a thing. The angel hair wiring shown in the before shot is kind of a let-down.
Then there's the uniformity of all your turns and bends.
The guts look like they mean business now.

[Erock_Germany]

Beautiful work! Did you make the eyelet card too?

Btw, couldn't help get a chuckle out of this:







Just funnin' guys. Have a great day!

TT

The resemblance is, well, quite interesting. I remember that Tom and Jerry episode.

All my kids get of those old cartoons I grew up with is when we search Youtube - there are quite a few there. Will have to see if that one is online.....

[phantomman]

Beautiful work! Did you make the eyelet card too?

Btw, couldn't help get a chuckle out of this:







Just funnin' guys. Have a great day!

TT

Miss Cleo prolly calls that a psychic connection.

[curtisstetka]

When you think of a Twin, it's a bold, loud, beast of a thing. The angel hair wiring shown in the before shot is kind of a let-down.

Yeah, you said it. When I opened up the amp in order to send the business parts of it to TJ I really couldn't believe what I was seeing. My first thought was "Well, no wonder this thing sucks. Look at all that flimsy-looking shit." and I don't know the first thing about what any of it does but I could surely tell that it was made as cheaply as possible.

It is inconvenient that my amp guy is in Texas but I'll be sending him a Gibson BR-6 as soon as I get the Twin back. Hear that, TJ? You're my amp guy now.

[NTBluesGuitar]

Miss Cleo prolly calls that a psychic connection.

Well, in my case, it's a PSYCHO connection.

I was commenting as much on the gage of wire as the color.

When you think of a Twin, it's a bold, loud, beast of a thing. The angel hair wiring shown in the before shot is kind of a let-down.

The guts look like they mean business now.

Ha! Yeah, caught what you were after. This lacquered-cotton insulated wire is great. It's inexpensive, pretty strong, and looks new-yet-vintage at the same time. The stuff actually adds a structural element when used, say, with a floating ground buss wire. A few connections with this wire, and it's held in there all stable-like.

Not quite the perfect vintage repro look, but the functionality is much better. Kind of like the sending electrons out on reinforced concrete roads instead of asphalt paved streets. Yeah, the asphalt is perfectly capable, but is not as solid and may require more maintenance over time.

It is inconvenient that my amp guy is in Texas but I'll be sending him a Gibson BR-6 as soon as I get the Twin back. Hear that, TJ? You're my amp guy now.

Flattered!!!

Heh...just be sure to plan ahead before committing to some work, as I'm a tad busy at the moment:



Not pictured is your Twin, and another HRDlx awaiting surgery. Sure, half of the jobs are personal projects, but still! (that pic is for you, PM)

[curtisstetka]

Quit your day job.

No, it's understood. Just at some point in the future I'd like that BR-6 to get some lovin' from someone who knows which end of the soldering iron to hold.

[Gris]

The old Gibson BR amps are strange creatures, fortunately there are many schematics available. They run octal pre-amps, para-phase inverters and really low voltages. Great breakup but not loud. Biggest PITA is they usually use field coil speakers. I have restored a few. I would recommend having Ted Weber recone the speaker if an original field coil. That will save you some time and aggravation.[IMG][/IMG]

[Kap'n]

I used to have a BR9 ages ago. That thing was a complete rats nest inside, and probably put out one or two watts with a pair of push-pull 6V6's. I'd bet if you shook the amp, it would short out.

It did look cool, though.

[Gris]

Teeny tiny OT on the inside?

[Kap'n]

I don't remember exactly - it was 20 years ago, but the chassis looked very similar to yours. The cabinet was a very cool beige "aeroplane cloth" covering.

[Gris]

yeah, i made that cab in the pic - or rather my friend did. got the amp at a g-rage sale for $15. never did like it. too weak for my power lust.

[Kap'n]

Yeah. If it was 1 or 2 watts of total sonic anarchy it would be one thing. That thing was tamer than a pet rock.

[curtisstetka]

I like mine. It's got a sweet clean sound. It's also got a 2 prong cord and a broken handle and who knows what going on inside. I'll say it is good to hear that they're quiet amps. I thought something was wrong with mine.

[Gris]

IMO they are worth more than they are worth - if you know what I mean... ;-)

[Kap'n]

I like mine. It's got a sweet clean sound. It's also got a 2 prong cord and a broken handle and who knows what going on inside. I'll say it is good to hear that they're quiet amps. I thought something was wrong with mine.

I suspect yours is sonically better than mine was. Different model.

This was what mine looked like.

And for you electronic types, here's the schematic. A single tube preamp, and a transformer PI.

Here's Curtis' BR-6 schematic. Look, a real tube phase inverter!

[Gris]

Oh yeah i forgot about the interstage transformer, mine had one too. and that's the kiss of death, just like on the Fender Musicmaster amps. It just sucks all the tone right out. uber constricted. but my BR9 wasnt as bad as a MM...

[gooman]

NICE soldering joints,el perfecto DUDE

[Cygnus X1]

Now we're getting somewhere!
You have done amazing things in a very short time, NT.

I'm a mere student-you're a true inspiration!

[NTBluesGuitar]

NICE soldering joints,el perfecto DUDE

Thanks! Heh...but, in person, they're far from perfect. At least in looks, but they're perfectly functional, which is what counts.

Now we're getting somewhere!
You have done amazing things in a very short time, NT.

I'm a mere student-you're a true inspiration!

Dude...I've only been at this for a couple of years. Keep hangin' out here and you'll be surprised what the senior members can teach you. But thank you for the compliments!

[rudutch]

I could send you this Ashdown Peacemaker 40 (total POS) when you are really up for a challenge.. I figure the cassis and xfmrs MIGHT be reuseable. No additional charge for the hot melt glue that finds its way into the PCB mounted power tube sockets.

This is 3 steps down the ladder from a HRDX

[jazzalta2]

withdrawn

[yankeerob]

I could send you this Ashdown Peacemaker 40... 3 steps down the ladder from a HRDX...

Depends where they had it made - the original British iron's not too bad... man I hate seeing PCB guts...

[JAM]

T.J.,

Your amp wiring is work of art!

[yankeerob]

Heh...just be sure to plan ahead before committing to some work, as I'm a tad busy at the moment...

You're busy...

[chuckocaster]

damn rob, maybe one of these day i can come over on a work exchange program, that'd be fun!

TJ and CS, that amp is lookin sweet! i know curtmo is gonna be elated with the results.

[NTBluesGuitar]

You're busy...

Touche! I love what you're doing with that amp, man. I hope I get a chance to try one.

Very nice!

[yankeerob]

Some of those are for 1 watters... we measured 118 dB at 1M off the ME-1 w/25W alnico on Saturday - that sucker wails - sounds like a 6BQ5/EL84 amp but with the softer grit of - say - a SE 6V6 when you really push the back end and the big muff tone stack is surprisingly effective - we just added a coupla resistors to the bass side of it to attenuate the bass in two preset cuts - hats off to Guido... Haven't fired an ME-3 through that cab yet but judging from the response of the ME-1 it'll be fine. Pine is definitely an ace cab material... presents the sound of the speaker with greater neutrality... I'm very pleased anyway