Hi Zachary; I have a 1481 waiting its turn on the bench. I think they, and the Silvertone 1471, dollar-for-dollar are among the best buys out there. If you pull the trigger, you might want to consider a new Weber W022905 or equivalent Hammond output transformer. Will really open it up without giving away the crunch. CJZachary said:
best amp
- Thread starter X150
- Start date
Guilderagain
Member
Hello X-150,
When I was primarily rocking (in my mind anyway), I had my Marshall Valvestate VS-100. It worked great with my Fender Stratocaster, Roadhouse (original 1996). I still have it and I have ventured into clean sound for over a year with my X-150, X-170 and X-500. I bought a Epiphone Valve junior (5watts) thinking the tubes would give me a warm sound. I didn't like the distortion that this amp had with the Guild humbuckers (BTW, it sounded superb with the Strat single coil Texas Specials) I even modified the Epi amp to improve voicing - it did, but I was still not satisfied and sold it. However, I kept my Marshall. I must admit, it does a bang-up job on the clean end. It's definately a keeper.
Good Luck!
Alex
When I was primarily rocking (in my mind anyway), I had my Marshall Valvestate VS-100. It worked great with my Fender Stratocaster, Roadhouse (original 1996). I still have it and I have ventured into clean sound for over a year with my X-150, X-170 and X-500. I bought a Epiphone Valve junior (5watts) thinking the tubes would give me a warm sound. I didn't like the distortion that this amp had with the Guild humbuckers (BTW, it sounded superb with the Strat single coil Texas Specials) I even modified the Epi amp to improve voicing - it did, but I was still not satisfied and sold it. However, I kept my Marshall. I must admit, it does a bang-up job on the clean end. It's definately a keeper.
Good Luck!
Alex
RussB
Member
The Peavey Classic 30 fits the bill. It's tonefull little beast and gig-worthy. Install a ceramic Weber Blue Dog speaker for the win! 
Thanks for the information, Cap'n. I have been putting the litle Silvertone through its paces...after getting it home I was suprised how reluctant it was to overdrive...my Strat's single coils were really not enough to push it to saturation. My old ce-100 has some pretty bright Franz pickups that got it dirty enough pretty quickly, though. I have to agree...as an amp for recording or just rocking out with, the low wattage Silvertones are a great buy. A real hoot! Pure fun!
I have read some posts you have written on other boards about this amp and mods that can be done to it...where did you learn how to work on amps? How could someone like me, who knows next to nothing about tube amp circuits, learn to service and work on tube amps? I have looked through books like Aspen Pittman's or Jack Darr's and they are fun to read, but Greek to me.
I have read some posts you have written on other boards about this amp and mods that can be done to it...where did you learn how to work on amps? How could someone like me, who knows next to nothing about tube amp circuits, learn to service and work on tube amps? I have looked through books like Aspen Pittman's or Jack Darr's and they are fun to read, but Greek to me.
Hi Zach; pound for pound they are the best buy out there.Zachary said:
I strongly recommend Howard Sams Basic Electricity and Electronics vols 1 and 2 and some kind of either on-line or night-school electronics; yes, they all teach solid state but they also teach the fundementals; how to apply Ohm's law ... electron theory and so on. I started by blowing up old '60s pieces of gear. One of the reasons there's so little of it left is because people my age 20 - 30 years ago were buying and toasting it. Anyway, I promise you that a structured approach is more rewarding than the willy-nilly route I took. As a very famous poet once wrote: "There's no success like failure ... and failure's no success at all".Zachary said:
In a week or two, I'll be threading a Silvertone that another BBer owns that he's been messing with. Since he didn't blow it up, he must be doing something right. The truth is no one teaches vacuum tube electronics anymore; such a pity. J
Zachary said:
Bump; Hi Zach; from the man, Jack Darr; someone posted his work on line. http://www.pacificrecone.com/JackDarrBook.html
As ever, this stuff makes more sense if you have a working something or other to relate to ... or a beater ... or anthing for which you have a schematic. Good reading ... there will be a quiz :wink: CJ
MichaelK
Junior Member
capnjuan said:
I second the recommendation! Those are excelllent books for learning the basics. I should qualify that... I started them but only learned the basics in vol. 1, I did not complete the series. I still have them, though.
Toasting gear is one thing... toasting myself in the process is worse. Me, I'll just change preamp tubes, fuses, and power tubes in amps that don't need re-biasing... that's it. Not that I'm defending my ignorance, I just know my limitations.
Steve Carr designs his amps so the user can re-bias easily with the proper tools, but as far as I know he's the only guy doing that.
The Capn presents an example in this regard that I will slowly, and carefully move towards. The next big leap for me willl be discharging caps, so I can retension power tube sockets without frying my stupid self. Both tasks will be new for me (retensioning, and acting responsibly). But necessary I think. My Vicky tweed pro has two rather loose power tubes, so if I don't learn to do it, my tech will have to.
In the meantime, I've learned there is much basic stuff that can be done. Such as:
Swapping pre-amp tubes to voice amps
Swapping, biasing power tubes (same purpose)
Swap speakers
Swap reverb tanks
All you need for that stuff is a bias rite, money, and a soldering gun. (and more money ...)
In the meantime, I've learned there is much basic stuff that can be done. Such as:
Swapping pre-amp tubes to voice amps
Swapping, biasing power tubes (same purpose)
Swap speakers
Swap reverb tanks
All you need for that stuff is a bias rite, money, and a soldering gun. (and more money ...)
Hi Michael; best practice for discharging caps is using a 5 watt (sand) resistor of fairly low resistance; between 50 ohms and 1 K ohms. Although any value in this range will do, I use 8 ohm / 20 watt resistors because in addition to low resistance (caps discharge more quickly) and safety (20 watts way more than needed), 8 ohm / 20 watt resistors can also be used as a dummy load for any twin 6V6 amp; when you need to power it up for testing but don't want a speaker connected (Leo's law #347; never power up without a load - a dummy or a speaker - tied to the output transformer). 8 ohm / 20 watt resistors or, if you're feeling your oats toyz for big boyz.mad dog said:
Using insulated-handled neednose pliers, manipulate the resistor so one lead is touching one of the cap leads and the other resistor lead is touching the chassis. Hold it there for 20-30 seconds; use your meter to measure any residual DC between the cap lead and chassis. Something left? Do-over til the reading is negligible. Gibson and many mfrs use pin 1 of the 6V6 as a ground tie point (1 isn't connected internally); using your VOM, if you can determine that pin 1 is grounded, you can touch the other end of the resistor to either of the 6V6 pin 1s; otherwise, use the chassis.
The schematic/pic below is a GA40; the amp is Rob's of Buffalo Amps on eBay here for the full-size pic. The blue circle upper right is the choke and the arrow points to the grommeted opening in the chassis where the two chokes leads emerge. Since it's going to be crowded in there, you can trace the choke leads to where they are connected to a cap section. If you don't trust your ID of the choke; it has two leads, the output transformer has three. Your model is older so it isn't likely to match the pic below but if the spaghetti gets troublesome, look for the choke leads; the filter caps for the preamp should be pretty self-evident.
Good luck and remember, never touch your finger to a soldering iron to see if it's hot ......... always use someone else's finger :wink: J
Bump: Should have mentioned best tool for re-tensioning tube sockets ... and I guess dental hygiene too... J
Yeah, I hate it when the elastic wears out and they hang around your ankles and...... huh? What! Really?capnjuan said:
Oh. Well, that's completely different.
Nevermind.
Huck is an RDA (Registered Dental Assistant) and has gotten these sometimes as the dentist is about to discard them. They can be re-finished and re-sharpened, but after a while they just need to be thrown away. To a non-dentist they are still plenty sharp! Most dentists don't like to give them away to people not trained in their use (liability and all), but there's nothing illegal about it TTBOMK. If you a have good rapport with your dentist, get bold and ask if there are any you might have. They are good for all sorts of fine, close in work.capnjuan said:
Guildmark said:
+1
Several years back I lucked out & found about a dozen different dental pics, picked them put of a tub full of junk at a swap meet. Paid a shameful price, I think about 3 bucks.
One of the best $3.00 investments I ever made. I use them to some degree or another on just about every project. When necessary I hone them on a stone, same as a knife or chisel.
Relatively inexpensive imported pics are commonly available & quite useful but not at all the same as authentic dental pics.
Amazingly useful ... retrieving tiny washers dropped in the chassis, bending component leads in tight spaces, pushing wire out of the way, and the best for undoing old solder joints because the solder will melt onto but not stick to the stainless steel.Jeff said:
Very cool. Cap'n, you just gave me the means, knowledge and opportunity to RUN ROGUE inside my amps! And thanks to some other helpful advice, my socks will be up and teeth cleaned just in case they have to lay me out.
I'm working up my courage. This really is most helpful information. Thank you.
MD
I'm working up my courage. This really is most helpful information. Thank you.
MD
jp
Senior Member
Hey there Zachary,
It took me a while to grasp tube amp concepts too. I found that digging into a variety of books focused on tube amps, electronics, and amp repair opened the doors for me. Here's my list:
For basic electronics
-- Electronics One-Seven -- intimidating in size, yet very clear explanations of concepts, extremely thorough, and infographics that make sense
-- The ARRL Handbook for Radio Amateurs -- old school cool, any geezer will tell you to pick up a copy
For tube amps
-- The Tube Amp Handbook by Dave Hunter -- recommended to me by our ever-astute capnjuan, excellent explanations of each link in the chain of tube amp circuits
-- Vacuum Tube Guitar and Bass Amplifier Servicing by Tino Zottola -- plain old trouble-shooting guide, more like an "if-not-this-then-try-this" approach, it'll get you fixing even if you don't understand the theory
-- My read is going to be Inside Tube Amps by Dan Torres -- I've read that this has helped a lot of folks who have struggled with amp theory
Also, here's how to score picks on the cheap.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94500
It took me a while to grasp tube amp concepts too. I found that digging into a variety of books focused on tube amps, electronics, and amp repair opened the doors for me. Here's my list:
For basic electronics
-- Electronics One-Seven -- intimidating in size, yet very clear explanations of concepts, extremely thorough, and infographics that make sense
-- The ARRL Handbook for Radio Amateurs -- old school cool, any geezer will tell you to pick up a copy
For tube amps
-- The Tube Amp Handbook by Dave Hunter -- recommended to me by our ever-astute capnjuan, excellent explanations of each link in the chain of tube amp circuits
-- Vacuum Tube Guitar and Bass Amplifier Servicing by Tino Zottola -- plain old trouble-shooting guide, more like an "if-not-this-then-try-this" approach, it'll get you fixing even if you don't understand the theory
-- My read is going to be Inside Tube Amps by Dan Torres -- I've read that this has helped a lot of folks who have struggled with amp theory
Also, here's how to score picks on the cheap.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94500
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Item 1:
Do not lick the B+
Item 2:
Find out wth B+ is.
Do not lick the B+
Item 2:
Find out wth B+ is.
Thanks to all who gave advice...tube technology seems like alchemy. I'm gonna track down some of these tomes and see what I can teach myself.
Totally in love with my Silvertone, by the way. It works so well with the Franz p/ups...they seem like a pretty hot single-coil, and can overdrive the amp in a way my Strat just can't do. Just filthy rock/blues tone (and that is a good thing!).
Z
Totally in love with my Silvertone, by the way. It works so well with the Franz p/ups...they seem like a pretty hot single-coil, and can overdrive the amp in a way my Strat just can't do. Just filthy rock/blues tone (and that is a good thing!).
Z
I just picked up a '66 Ampeg Reverberocket II that cleaned up like new, but the tremolo doesn't work; any ideas before I bring it in or what it might cost to repair?