sws626 wrote:
Hi Jason,
I'm still waiting for my cabinet, so haven't hooked it all up yet, but I have high hopes for this.
WARNING: GEARHEAD CONTENT BELOW...
The arrangement I settled on actually provides two methods for scaling the power. You can either scale the output amp circuits, leaving the pre-amp unaffected or you can choose to scale the circuits of both the pre-amp and the output amp.
In addition to the power scaling, I've had the following changes made to the original Blackheart amp, some of which were just for convenience and others I'm not sure will make much difference, but didn't add anything significant to the cost, so I thought maybe worth a try:
- The original has a single EL84 output tube made in China. This has been replaced with a higher quality JJ EL84 and supplemented by a second Sino 6L6GC tube. You can switch between them on the fly to get a different sort of sound.
- Likewise, the original 12AX7 preamp tube has been replaced with a JJ ECC83.
- Alongside the original solid state rectifier, a Sovtek 5Y3GT tube rectifier has been added and you can switch between them on the fly.
- The original output transformer has been replaced by a Hammond 124DSE transformer.
- A switch has been added to bypass the tone control, which otherwise tends to limit the preamp gain.
- A 3-way pre-amp bias switch has been added to select how the speaker output signal is fed back into the amp circuit and thus how clean or crunchy the sound.
- Separate line level output and headphone sockets have been added. They take their signal from the output transformer and can be used with or without speakers. The headphone socket mutes the speaker output when used.
- Separate controls have been added to independently adjust the gain of the preamp and power amp. Originally, the amp lacked any sort of "master" control.
- Standby switch added -- the original was either "on" or "off."
- A bit of rewiring was done to remove some buzz and hum.
- All the capacitors have been replaced.
I know this sounds like a lot of work to do on a already pretty fine amp and it added another $200 onto the cost of a $200 amp. But I couldn't stop myself and it still seems like a good value when you look at the alternatives.
I'll post some samples when its all set up and running. Maybe by then I'll also have picked up the ES-335.
-Stuart
OK, I'll admit, I'm a gear head as well....
Good move with the tube switch.
And for the newbs, swapping tubes on the fly takes practice, never with bare fingers.
The Bug that Dennis bought has a lot of nice features, and having one myself, I wholeheartedly support the purchase. The Bug has a 0.1/1/5 power output, headphone, reverb, and cab output built-in. No aftermarket mods required, except of course for the tubes. For $150.00, I wouldn't put that much more into it for caps, and point to point wiring.
The whole idea on this thread was for Dennis to learn what he wants as far as sound, and tone, and all that good stuff. Didn't want a headdunk Baptisem in the deep end of the pool, and divert his attention too much towards electronics, and glass tubes, and so on and so forth. After all he has a knock-out guitar to learn with.