NEW GEAR!! Buying anything?

[rayc]

Are you going to experiment with sag or whatever it is that happens when the supply isn't up to spec?

[Greg_L]

Are you going to experiment with sag or whatever it is that happens when the supply isn't up to spec?

I could, and I might, but that's not really why I got it. I got it to slowly apply voltage to this amp I'm about to build and any future builds/repairs. It's always better to ramp up the voltage and monitor things before going full power on new builds or repairs. I've been living dangerously.

[jonny deep]

They're good for breaking in speakers as well, aren't they?

[Greg_L]

They're good for breaking in speakers as well, aren't they?

I'm not sure how that would work. A Variac reduces voltage from the wall. It's a variable transformer power supply. I think their main uses are for acting like a "speed control" for things like electric motors or simply controlling the wall voltage going into a device. I don't see how hat would help to break in a speaker. Maybe there's a way that I just don't understand yet.

[jonny deep]

They're good for breaking in speakers as well, aren't they?

I'm not sure how that would work. A Variac reduces voltage from the wall. It's a variable transformer power supply. I think their main uses are for acting like a "speed control" for things like electric motors or simply controlling the wall voltage going into a device. I don't see how hat would help to break in a speaker. Maybe there's a way that I just don't understand yet.

I've seen variac breaking in offered as an optional extra when buying amp speakers. I guessed they use a varying voltage to move the speaker cone back and forth at a non-audible frequency overnight.

[jonny deep]

[BBvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eaj4znaVFyQ[/BBvideo]

[Greg_L]

[BBvideo=560,315]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eaj4znaVFyQ[/BBvideo]

Wow very interesting. I had no idea!

[Greg_L]

Oh my goodness, it's here. What have I done?!?!?!?!



It's so many little bits and pieces. I've got a day of just checking that all the parts are there ahead of me.

[muttley]

This is gonna be stella...

New Thread. New Thread.. New Thread..

[Bubba]

Woohoo! How long before you start?

[Greg_L]

Woohoo! How long before you start?

This weekend I'm gonna unwrap everything and lay it all out. It's a lot of stuff. I need to make sure that every capacitor, pot, and resistor is the right value.

There are no instructions. Not even so much as a "danger don't shock yourself" sticker. All I've got is a layout off the net and a schematic.

So....first things first....catalog, organize, and inventory. After that, I'll probably start mounting transformers and the power supply.

[Bubba]

Not even so much as a "danger don't shock yourself" sticker.

That's almost un-American. Equipment is usually replete with stickers like "Warning, do not attempt to eat this amplifier".

So, I think you have the right idea. I'd be itching to start, though!

[Greg_L]

That's almost un-American. Equipment is usually replete with stickers like "Warning, do not attempt to eat this amplifier".

So, I think you have the right idea. I'd be itching to start, though!

As it sits right now, it's very overwhelming. No lie. I need to get it all separated and tackle it in little chunks.

[JD01]

Good luck, mate. I'm sure you'll ace it.

[jonny deep]

That's almost un-American. Equipment is usually replete with stickers like "Warning, do not attempt to eat this amplifier".

So, I think you have the right idea. I'd be itching to start, though!

As it sits right now, it's very overwhelming. No lie. I need to get it all separated and tackle it in little chunks.

You're starting pretty high up the curve! The amp I built had a 3/5 difficulty rating by the seller (and had some fairly tricky soldering), but it had step-by-step instructions, including how to test everything so you don't get killed to death. Good luck, man. Take it nice and slow (as I'm sure you know!).

[Greg_L]

You're starting pretty high up the curve! The amp I built had a 3/5 difficulty rating by the seller (and had some fairly tricky soldering), but it had step-by-step instructions, including how to test everything so you don't get killed to death. Good luck, man. Take it nice and slow (as I'm sure you know!).

Right. I picked one of the hardest amps ever to do for my very first build. Lol.

I don't understand why it's considered so hard though. I mean, I see the trillions of little pieces obviously, but I'm not exactly sure what it is about this circuit that's supposedly so difficult except for just the sheer amount of bits and pieces. I think there is a lot of room for error with the tremolo and reverb. Maybe that's what makes it so hard. Most of the problems I've been reading with these builds has been all operator error though. And grounding. A lot of people put things in backwards or ground the thing all wrong. Lots and lots of bad soldering. If I can go slow and not do those things, maybe it will work right off the bat. I doubt it though.

[JD01]

Try not to accidentally connect yourself to the mains when you connect the amp to the mains.

I'll be really interested to see how this works out though.

[Greg_L]

Try not to accidentally connect yourself to the mains when you connect the amp to the mains.

I'll be really interested to see how this works out though.

Lol. It's going to be fine.....eventually. I know that much. Eventually it will work. What it takes to get to that point is anyone's guess.

I'm gonna try to add some external bias test points. That would be a good mod tweak to do.

[jonny deep]

If I can go slow and not do those things, maybe it will work right off the bat. I doubt it though.

That's what I did with my build. I pretty much took two whole days on the soldering. All the test voltages were in range and it worked first time. I was pretty surprised, but being steady and careful paid off, I guess.

I had the advantage of instructions like this, of course:

http://www.ampmaker.com/infocentre/thread-142.html

Not sure I'd go about a build just from a schematic!

[Greg_L]

That's what I did with my build. I pretty much took two whole days on the soldering. All the test voltages were in range and it worked first time. I was pretty surprised, but being steady and careful paid off, I guess.

I had the advantage of instructions like this, of course:

http://www.ampmaker.com/infocentre/thread-142.html

Not sure I'd go about a build just from a schematic!

No one that I could find offers step by step instructions for Fender builds. It's weird. I wonder if Fender threatened some kind of litigation against kit builders.