Whats on your amp workbench?

Amp tinkerers and people who aren't afraid of 700 volts or so in here....

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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by TmcB »

MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 6:15 am Nice. Did the 50Hz hum reduce?
As far as I can tell it did sweet f-all other than looking prettier

Didn’t get to give it much a whirl though
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by MikeC »

Slowy wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 7:31 am
MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 6:15 am Nice. Did the 50Hz hum reduce?
Mike, what's your thoughts on the Cajun?
I was A/Bing it against a 10" Alessando '59 Alnico. Cajun was good, louder and much fuller in lows, def better say in a band situation. But with my Strat and PR (abd no band) it was too bassy for me, sounds more like a 12" to my ear. AA1164 PR is a bassy amp IMHO! But horses for courses aye!
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by MikeC »

TmcB wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 7:39 am
MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 6:15 am Nice. Did the 50Hz hum reduce?
As far as I can tell it did sweet f-all other than looking prettier

Didn’t get to give it much a whirl though
Identifying hum as 50Hz or 100Hz really helps. If PT (or AC heaters) it would have been 50Hz.
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by TmcB »

MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 6:15 am Nice. Did the 50Hz hum reduce?
50hz yes! Buzz I’ve been chasing, no.
I have heard it said that these 90’s early 2000’s Vox/Marshall power transformers are noisy but I’m trying to rule everything else out (tubes/lead dress) before I drop $350 on a Hammond that may not actually sort it
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by MikeC »

TmcB wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 9:07 am
MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 6:15 am Nice. Did the 50Hz hum reduce?
50hz yes! Buzz I’ve been chasing, no.
I have heard it said that these 90’s early 2000’s Vox/Marshall power transformers are noisy but I’m trying to rule everything else out (tubes/lead dress) before I drop $350 on a Hammond that may not actually sort it
Nah I mean hummmmm. Rectified AC hum (or noisy B+) is 100Hz. It's not always easy to tell by ear.
What actually is buzz?
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by TmcB »

MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 9:10 am
TmcB wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 9:07 am
MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 6:15 am Nice. Did the 50Hz hum reduce?
50hz yes! Buzz I’ve been chasing, no.
I have heard it said that these 90’s early 2000’s Vox/Marshall power transformers are noisy but I’m trying to rule everything else out (tubes/lead dress) before I drop $350 on a Hammond that may not actually sort it
Nah I mean hummmmm. Rectified AC hum (or noisy B+) is 100Hz. It's not always easy to tell by ear.
What actually is buzz?
If you go to 2:15 onwards here, this exactly the buzz I have in my one
[youtube]https://youtube.com/watch?v=UbynIuLdIuo[/youtube]
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by MikeC »

If you go to 2:15 onwards here, this exactly the buzz I have in my one
[youtube]https://youtube.com/watch?v=UbynIuLdIuo[/youtube]

I hear the "buzz" - it sounds like white noise being modulated by 60Hz (in the case of this video).
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by Slowy »

MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 7:41 am
Slowy wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 7:31 am
MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 6:15 am Nice. Did the 50Hz hum reduce?
Mike, what's your thoughts on the Cajun?
I was A/Bing it against a 10" Alessando '59 Alnico. Cajun was good, louder and much fuller in lows, def better say in a band situation. But with my Strat and PR (abd no band) it was too bassy for me, sounds more like a 12" to my ear. AA1164 PR is a bassy amp IMHO! But horses for courses aye!
Exactly what it sounds like to me.

So now I'm thinking of a 1x10 cab for those more intimate moments.

Jeez, there's no end to it. :crazy:

Would it be easy to reduce the bass in the circuit?
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by MikeC »

Slowy wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 1:14 pm
MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 7:41 am
Slowy wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 7:31 am

Mike, what's your thoughts on the Cajun?
I was A/Bing it against a 10" Alessando '59 Alnico. Cajun was good, louder and much fuller in lows, def better say in a band situation. But with my Strat and PR (abd no band) it was too bassy for me, sounds more like a 12" to my ear. AA1164 PR is a bassy amp IMHO! But horses for courses aye!
Exactly what it sounds like to me.

So now I'm thinking of a 1x10 cab for those more intimate moments.

Jeez, there's no end to it. :crazy:

Would it be easy to reduce the bass in the circuit?
Such a great hobby for this very reason (no end to it) - no wonder there is so little time to play & practice guitar!!!
Alternatively you could install a vintage Alnico 10" in your PR combo and a have 112 cab for those more "band" moments!
You are welcome to try my Eminence GA10-SC59 10" AlNiCo. It's virtually new so more broken in = good :thumbup:
There is already Bass Reduction done to your PR as follows:
1. Changed the V1 cathode bypass cap from 22uF to 4.7uF. This lifts the signal floor up from around 12Hz to 50Hz or so, much more sensible for a guitar.
2. Changed PI coupling cap (pin 7 of PI) from .02uF to .001uF (the typical value in bigger Blackface amps). This tames the low end considerably making the Bass knob range more usable and the amp tighter at higher volumes.

The PR I was A/Bing to your's has no bass reduction mods.
So can I install my Eminence GA10-SC59 10" AlNiCo into your PR and try it?
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by Slowy »

MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 1:29 pm
Slowy wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 1:14 pm
MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 7:41 am

I was A/Bing it against a 10" Alessando '59 Alnico. Cajun was good, louder and much fuller in lows, def better say in a band situation. But with my Strat and PR (abd no band) it was too bassy for me, sounds more like a 12" to my ear. AA1164 PR is a bassy amp IMHO! But horses for courses aye!
Exactly what it sounds like to me.

So now I'm thinking of a 1x10 cab for those more intimate moments.

Jeez, there's no end to it. :crazy:

Would it be easy to reduce the bass in the circuit?
Such a great hobby for this very reason (no end to it) - no wonder there is so little time to play & practice guitar!!!
Alternatively you could install a vintage Alnico 10" in your PR combo and a have 112 cab for those more "band" moments!
You are welcome to try my Eminence GA10-SC59 10" AlNiCo. It's virtually new so more broken in = good :thumbup:
There is already Bass Reduction done to your PR as follows:
1. Changed the V1 cathode bypass cap from 22uF to 4.7uF. This lifts the signal floor up from around 12Hz to 50Hz or so, much more sensible for a guitar.
2. Changed PI coupling cap (pin 7 of PI) from .02uF to .001uF (the typical value in bigger Blackface amps). This tames the low end considerably making the Bass knob range more usable and the amp tighter at higher volumes.

The PR I was A/Bing to your's has no bass reduction mods.
So can I install my Eminence GA10-SC59 10" AlNiCo into your PR and try it?
You knock yourself out, young man. All in the name of experimentation!

Although the Cajun behaves more like a 12, I rather like it. And I do have my ancient Harmony which still retains some aural modesty so I'm not feeling deprived in any way :D
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by MikeC »

Slowy wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 3:33 pm
MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 1:29 pm
Slowy wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 1:14 pm

Exactly what it sounds like to me.

So now I'm thinking of a 1x10 cab for those more intimate moments.

Jeez, there's no end to it. :crazy:

Would it be easy to reduce the bass in the circuit?
Such a great hobby for this very reason (no end to it) - no wonder there is so little time to play & practice guitar!!!
Alternatively you could install a vintage Alnico 10" in your PR combo and a have 112 cab for those more "band" moments!
You are welcome to try my Eminence GA10-SC59 10" AlNiCo. It's virtually new so more broken in = good :thumbup:
There is already Bass Reduction done to your PR as follows:
1. Changed the V1 cathode bypass cap from 22uF to 4.7uF. This lifts the signal floor up from around 12Hz to 50Hz or so, much more sensible for a guitar.
2. Changed PI coupling cap (pin 7 of PI) from .02uF to .001uF (the typical value in bigger Blackface amps). This tames the low end considerably making the Bass knob range more usable and the amp tighter at higher volumes.

The PR I was A/Bing to your's has no bass reduction mods.
So can I install my Eminence GA10-SC59 10" AlNiCo into your PR and try it?
You knock yourself out, young man. All in the name of experimentation!

Although the Cajun behaves more like a 12, I rather like it. And I do have my ancient Harmony which still retains some aural modesty so I'm not feeling deprived in any way :D
Young man... faaark I'm a pensioner in 18 months!
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by Slowy »

MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 3:51 pm
Young man... faaark I'm a pensioner in 18 months!
You are depressingly well preserved.
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by MikeC »

Slowy wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 6:14 pm
MikeC wrote: Sun Oct 27, 2024 3:51 pm
Young man... faaark I'm a pensioner in 18 months!
You are depressingly well preserved.
I'll take it :thumbup:
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by TmcB »

IMG_5508.jpeg
IMG_5508.jpeg (2.23 MiB) Viewed 578 times
New pots wired in, with what feels like metres of extra cabling removed

Still to come - input jack rewiring with shielded cable, and at some point belton sockets with bear traps.

Cabinet needs some love too
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Re: Whats on your amp workbench?

Post by Bg »

shit, latest tolex delivery is 'delayed' in Auckland. So do I go trad black on my Princeton or go full Peter Green like my Vox?

Might turn up tomorrow and I can delay the choice till then.
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