I'm tired of anemic guitar amps!

[toobfreak]

I'll have to invest in some bias adapters, but I think I have everything else I might need. I decent ESR / LCR bench meter would be a nice addition.

Speaking of your bench meter, you remind me of an old gizmo I made. I used to make these really balanced, precision circuits, and years ago, I devised a little gizmo I could add to a measurement/test circuit that would dramatically extend or contract the scale of the measurement by a dramatic degree, not only to dramatically extend its testing and measuring range much farther than intended for measuring really huge values, or to greatly focus the measuring to much tinier and more precise values, by doing both in a very /predictable/ and consistent way so that a formula could be applied to the instrument output that if the meter was seeing this, then it was measuring that, and deriving the actual, measured value from that calculation.

It was fun to make but I never really had much call for it in actual practice, and today, it just takes up a small compartment in a case I have for holding various test and measuring probes and accessories.

 

[Chuz Life]

Speaking of your bench meter, you remind me of an old gizmo I made. I used to make these really balanced, precision circuits, and years ago, I devised a little gizmo I could add to a measurement/test circuit that would dramatically extend or contract the scale of the measurement by a dramatic degree, not only to dramatically extend its testing and measuring range much farther than intended for measuring really huge values, or to greatly focus the measuring to much tinier and more precise values, by doing both in a very /predictable/ and consistent way so that a formula could be applied to the instrument output that if the meter was seeing this, then it was measuring that, and deriving the actual, measured value from that calculation.

It was fun to make but I never really had much call for it in actual practice, and today, it just takes up a small compartment in a case I have for holding various test and measuring probes and accessories.



View attachment 1215786

As tool caretaking and organization goes, I am the exact opposite kind of the that you are.

The only time I have ever owned anything like the neatness in that pic was maybe on the day I bought them.

I should share a pic of my mess. It's like a bad "hoarders" episode.

Interesting about the bias jig.

Not that I would use it (who knows though) I would like to see more about it.

 

[toobfreak]

The only time I have ever owned anything like the neatness in that pic was maybe on the day I bought them.

Yeah, I think I got the empty case for like $7.00, and the high density blue foam was free leftover scraps. I glued about 80-90 pieces of foam together to make all the custom compartments you saw to hold all those accessories neatly.

 

[Chuz Life]

Yeah, I think I got the empty case for like $7.00, and the high density blue foam was free leftover scraps. I glued about 80-90 pieces of foam together to make all the custom compartments you saw to hold all those accessories neatly.

Now, when I was into photography, I did take care of my cameras and lenses that way.

Somewhere along the line, I lost that discipline and now I just live in a giant junk drawer.

 

[toobfreak]

Now, when I was into photography, I did take care of my cameras and lenses that way.

My buddy used to joke how the case companies must have loved me. I've got a custom case for most everything.

My last custom case a couple years ago was a totally over the top storage case for my best Oster hair groomer with a custom designed storage system for organizing its many detachable blades and accessories.

 

[Chuz Life]

My buddy used to joke how the case companies must have loved me. I've got a custom case for most everything.

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View attachment 1215821


My last custom case a couple years ago was a totally over the top storage case for my best Oster hair groomer with a custom designed storage system for organizing its many detachable blades and accessories.

I won't judge.

LOL.

Too much to imagine for me to 'get there' though.

 

[toobfreak]

My last custom case a couple years ago was a totally over the top storage case for my best Oster hair groomer with a custom designed storage system for organizing its many detachable blades and accessories.

I won't judge. Too much to imagine for me to 'get there' though.

Since the Scruffmeister has abandoned this thread with his finished amp, here are a few pictures of my last case. It was much harder than it looks. Took me about three month's work, this thing really busted my balls, but I put everything but the kitchen sink into it. First I had to find just the right case, then I had to figure out just the right way to organize and cut it all to hold everything as I intended. Here is about the best shot I have of the case inside.

The box holding all the blades lifts out (if you want) and perfectly stores all twelve very divergent blades inside with a special illustrative chart on top to relate all of the blades and clip-on attachments by use and data. Of course, the chart is hermetically vacuum sealed in clear, protective plastic.

On the right side is a neck brush and bottle of blade lube. Under it is a hidden storage compartment for other things, spare parts, etc.

There is a great deal more, but that is the short-short story behind that case.

 

[Chuz Life]

Inspired by scruffy and toobfreak, I've started rebuilding my bench to work on larger amps, guitars, etc. My old bench was too small.

Before

Since the Scruffmeister has abandoned this thread with his finished amp, here are a few pictures of my last case. It was much harder than it looks. Took me about three month's work, this thing really busted my balls, but I put everything but the kitchen sink into it. First I had to find just the right case, then I had to figure out just the right way to organize and cut it all to hold everything as I intended. Here is about the best shot I have of the case inside.

View attachment 1217414

The box holding all the blades lifts out (if you want) and perfectly stores all twelve very divergent blades inside with a special illustrative chart on top to relate all of the blades and clip-on attachments by use and data. Of course, the chart is hermetically vacuum sealed in clear, protective plastic.

View attachment 1217416
View attachment 1217417

On the right side is a neck brush and bottle of blade lube. Under it is a hidden storage compartment for other things, spare parts, etc.


View attachment 1217418
View attachment 1217419

There is a great deal more, but that is the short-short story behind that case.

Ok. Now you are a candidate for that tv show called "my strange addiction"

 

[scruffy]

Hi all, I'm still here, haven't abandoned you. The company that makes the front panel, wants a data file. I have to do the cad/cam myself. The measurements are oddball so it's taking a while. Meanwhile though, the amp works and it's in use.

 

[scruffy]

One intermediate piece of news is, I replicated the preamp section into a 1U chassis, it's in a rack with a 1U 2kw power amp. (I figure that's enough, right?)

I'll take some pics later today. I found some mil surplus right-angle tube sockets on eBay, and an old Triad PT that's only an inch and a half tall.

Really, the verdict is still that 100 watts is insufficient for live bass. It's just barely enough for indoor practice. Back in the day when we were actually touring I used 8x15 Bag End's and a 1200 watt blue-light Walter Woods, you just dime the level and you're good to go.

Form Factor makes something comparable these days (Walter died, if you know how to service his amps you can make a fortune). It's only 1kw though, it's barely enough for solid state. 2kw is enough, so far I've played the beach and the park, and the preamp gives it just enough tube sound yet still retains dynamics on the low B.

 

[Lockback]

These are some of my toys.

The one on top is a Laney Klipp.

The one right under it is a Marshall Major.

You can see the BC Rich Mockingbird in the corner, and that's a 6 string F bass right behind it.

View attachment 1205713

Lots of Fenders. Good choices.

 

[Chuz Life]

One intermediate piece of news is, I replicated the preamp section into a 1U chassis, it's in a rack with a 1U 2kw power amp. (I figure that's enough, right?)

I'll take some pics later today. I found some mil surplus right-angle tube sockets on eBay, and an old Triad PT that's only an inch and a half tall.

Really, the verdict is still that 100 watts is insufficient for live bass. It's just barely enough for indoor practice. Back in the day when we were actually touring I used 8x15 Bag End's and a 1200 watt blue-light Walter Woods, you just dime the level and you're good to go.

Form Factor makes something comparable these days (Walter died, if you know how to service his amps you can make a fortune). It's only 1kw though, it's barely enough for solid state. 2kw is enough, so far I've played the beach and the park, and the preamp gives it just enough tube sound yet still retains dynamics on the low B.

Beautiful amps, discrete components.

I wouldn't be afraid to work on one, with or without a schematic.

It looks like the one in the image needs repair, as a matter of fact.

Note the 8 pin IC that looks like the top has been tore off or blown off of it.

 

[Chuz Life]

Damnit guys,

You're making me work.

Don't call 911, it always ends up looking like this.

 

[scruffy]

Here's the preamp (minus the front tone stack which I'm working on).

Here's the right angle tube sockets.

Here's the PT that fits, I get 350v + 6.3

 

[Chuz Life]

Here's the preamp (minus the front tone stack which I'm working on).

View attachment 1217590

Here's the right angle tube sockets.

View attachment 1217589

Here's the PT that fits, I get 350v + 6.3

View attachment 1217592

That mounting creates a few options.

 

[toobfreak]

Here's the right angle tube sockets.

Cool. I don't think I've seen those before. Are they ceramic? Where are they made?

 

[scruffy]

Cool. I don't think I've seen those before. Are they ceramic? Where are they made?

They're plastic. I found them on eBay, they were advertised as mil-surplus, guy had four of them, I bought all four. There's one left, for a gonkulator or something.

The other option was going to be building a 1.5" circuit board, they also exist on eBay but the mounting is inconvenient.

There's 1U left in the rack. I was thinking of getting one of those new MXR bass synth pedals, and putting it in a 1U with midi control.

 

[Chuz Life]

Damnit guys,

You're making me work.

Don't call 911, it always ends up looking like this.

View attachment 1217572

The bench rebuild is in process!

Using parts of the old bench to get there.

 

[Chuz Life]

Damnit guys,

You're making me work.

Don't call 911, it always ends up looking like this.

View attachment 1217572

In case anyone asks. . . I didn't do THIS!

 

[Orangecat]

Sacrilege! I picked up a 90s USA Fender SS tweed Bronco a couple weeks ago. Surprisingly good for solid state, and excellent bass response for such a small cabinet.