Most versatile Guild amp ?

[Nuuska]

Hello

i am finally - very slowly - starting to build me an all-tube amp. it will be a two-channlel combo with one 12-inch speaker - most likely old EV-Wolverine - while I happen to have one - at least for starters.

Amplifier will be a two-part contraption - I have an ancient german amp chassis with x-former - selene rectifier and two 2x50uF capacitors - capable to power a 2x6V6 power amp with some preamp tubes. My friend has an output x-former that suits 2x6V6 - and they will be plenty loud for anything at home. So far I'm leaning towards making a copy of Fender Princeton amp - unless you can sweet-talk me into something nicer.

At this point it might be good to tell, that I play with clean sounds - overdrive is not my alley.

I will leave that power-amp at the bottom of the cabinet and connect it with signal cable. Preamp will be at the top.

Now we get to the more interesting part.

Top preamp will have one input and two channels that can be switched and will be sharing a spring reverb and tremolo - this is easy part. Output will be led to power-amp on bottom - but there will also be individual line outputs for both channels and reverb - for who can ever tell why . . . This is starightforward and easy, too.

Input will be stero-mono switchable - as most of my guitars have separate outputs for pietzo and humbucker - even my Strat has "stereo" output - each pup can be assigned to A-or--B . . .

One channel will be a Fender-channel w Volume-Bass-Mid-Treble-Reverb-Tremolo - easy - plenty of info how-to-do.

The other channel will be a GUILD-channel - I will have it feed Reverb & Tremolo, too - and here is my actual question.
Which GUILD tube amp has most versatile preamp-section ?

Thunderstar looks promising with it's +/- tone controls and that tone-switch ( whatever it does ??? )
And it is very conviniently already built with insert-point betwen pre-amp and power-amp.

NOTE - difference between bass-amp and guitar-amp is mostly at filter frequensies - they are easily shifted - so do not hesitate to propose a bass amp, if it is interesting. Nor a guitar amp w.o. trem or rev - they are easily added.


Idea is to have two channels with basically different voicings - not just two channels with separate tone-controls.


I play mostly fingerstyle w occasional easy strumming - like them jazz-tones, too - no need for distortion or overdrive.

Thank you.

 

[Default]

Remember that the Guild tone stack is a Baxandal.

 

[Nuuska]

Yes - that is one thing - other is that - to me - mysterious tone-switch with three positions. What does it precisely do?

 

[SFIV1967]

Remember that the Guild tone stack is a Baxandal.

I never knew about Baxandall...Now I had to read about him, interesting!

Amplifier Tone Control

Amplifiers, explained with the minimum of maths. Amplifier design, Amplifier Classes A to H, NFB, Circuits, Power Amplifiers, Op amps.

learnabout-electronics.org

Ralf

 

[F312]

What are your thoughts on tubes? Vintage? Current, builts? Then what types, preamp section, and power, etc.

Ralph

 

[GAD]

Yes - that is one thing - other is that - to me - mysterious tone-switch with three positions. What does it precisely do?

On my Thunderstar Bass amp with the 3-position switch I considered it to be a nightmare of capacitors and resistors all point-to-point wired into a mass of untraceable madness. I ended up bypassing the entire thing mostly because it drove me nuts trying to trace it all out, but also because I hated every sound except the brightest one.

 

[Nuuska]

On my Thunderstar Bass amp with the 3-position switch I considered it to be a nightmare of capacitors and resistors all point-to-point wired into a mass of untraceable madness. I ended up bypassing the entire thing mostly because it drove me nuts trying to trace it all out, but also because I hated every sound except the brightest one.

So what DOES it do? Boost? Cut? Destroy?


RALPH

Because of readily available parts - power-amp section will be Fender Princeton style. This old chassis, that I have is equipped with power x-former plus selene rectifier and 4x50uF filtering + 6,3V heating - I tested it without load yesterday and will repeat test with adequate load.

Bias will be either two separate - or level + balance - modern 6V6 tubes - we have plenty of russian tubes, too - so that might be an option - then we would just have to stock spares. My friend is giving me suitable output trafo, that he doesn't need.

I have old Fender Vibro Champ - and I like the sound of it - that is why one channel will be Fender - and I want to have spring reverb.

And two channels with multiple routing options - because all my Guitars except X-2000 Nightbird have pietzo + humbucker. OK - the Strat does not, but it has compatible stereo wiring. Instead building preamps into every guitar to make them work like Guild Crossroads - i have the amp take care of it.

One extremely useful control - which I've never seen on a guitar amp - is adjustable low-cut filter - instead of having a fixed cutoff frequency I'd like to be able to sweep it up to 400Hz with roll-off 6 or 12dB/octave. Audio mixing consoles have that and it is absolutely fine way to clean mud and extra rumble.

Finally I repeat - no need to full blast or overdrive or distortion - so power-amp behaviour at those levels is not important.

 

[Default]

Basically, it changes the negative feedback on the preamp section. Saves you from having to solder bypass caps of different values on the cathode of the 12ax7. I would sub in .68, and 25 mfd. Guild used 32 mfd, which boosts non-guitar frequencies, which makes sense if you run an accordion, or organ through the amp.

 

[matsickma]

From a "Versatility" POV I would vote the Guild Superstar amp as Guilds most versatile amp. It has dual channels each with a high and low sensitivity input, the 3 band frequency switch, Reverb, Tremolo and footswitch. The preamp is separate from the power amp section so technically you can come up with some alternative power amp stages. It had a pair of 6L6 power tubes for around 50W output and house a single 15" speaker. The basic speaker doesn't have great high frequency response but the option for a EV SRO or JBL D130 existed so you might have one of those. It was marketed as "do everything" amp for guitar, bass and organ and with the two channels you could combine two instruments or voice and instrument like the HS garage bands did back in the day. As a combo it's heavy but is contained in a single package.

I personally don't think it is the best sounding Guild amp but with a pedal board it would likely be a excellent amp. (I infrequently use effects so others may have a better opnion on the pedal board performance.)

Guild removed the Master Vol control on the later amps like the Superstar but you could add an attenuator between the preamp and power stage if you wanted to drive the preamp hard and control the volume.

For my money the Guild amps that use 7591A power tubes sound the best. That would be the first two versions of the Thunderbird, Thunderstar and the Maverick.

M

 

[Default]

I have the JBL in my Superstar. Bring a dolly, you do not want to carry this thing.

 

[matsickma]

I believe it! As a young pup it would be a badge of honor to tote a Superstar with a JBL!
For some reason the pain of moving the amps around is long forgotten. However I never forget the hastle/challenge of helping the keyboard guy moving a Hammond and "TallBoy" Leslie! And it seemed worse after the gig!
M

 

[Aarfy]

Sorry to VEER here, but are there two Ralph’s? That’s incredible if so. Both just signing their name - what a world we live in.

hi, Ralph(s)! Thank you for all you contribute to LTG!

 

[F312]

It’s extremely rare for me to hear that.

 

[mavuser]

it is Ralf and Ralph- 2 of our very best!

66-J, 98-RT, Thunderstar, Thunderbird

 

[GGJaguar]

For me, the Maverick (love 7591s) and the 98RT (because, you know, Ampeg).

 

[fronobulax]

I believe it! As a young pup it would be a badge of honor to tote a Superstar with a JBL!
For some reason the pain of moving the amps around is long forgotten. However I never forget the hastle/challenge of helping the keyboard guy moving a Hammond and "TallBoy" Leslie! And it seemed worse after the gig!
M

<veer>
My college roommate was the better bass player so I ended up being a roadie. He would borrow my equipment sometimes and so we had a 1x15 speaker cabinet that was about 50lbs. and a 2x15 that weighed 110 lbs to move to and from gigs. The drummer wouldn't let anyone touch his kit and all I remember about the guitarist is that he constantly apologized that his gold top Les Paul was from the 60's and not the 50's. The keyboard player though had a Fender Rhodes piano and a Hammond B-3 and Leslie and moving them was a PITA especially after moving the bass cabinets, but I helped anyway. </veer>

 

[F312]

it is Ralf and Ralph- 2 of our very best!

66-J, 98-RT, Thunderstar, Thunderbird

It's nice to have a friendly chat or have someone know your name.

 

[matsickma]

In thinking of my experience with the pre 1965 Guild amps I would rate the 66J as my favorite. If I recall it's power amp section uses a pair of 6V6 tubes. Over the years I had at a 66J, 98RT, early 200S, later 200S, 99J or 100J (model with 15in spkr), early 50's Masteramp and two different 40T's. Unfortunately all but one of the 40T's (separate preamp and power amp chassis) remain.
M

 

[Default]

All but one remain?

 

[Default]

Let's see
2x Model 60(a)
1x Model 60(b)
2x Model 110
1x 200s (56)
1x 200s (64)
1x 66J (58)
1x Masteramp (6v6)
2x Masteramp (6L6)
1x 50J
1x 98RT
1x 40T
1x 99J
1x 100J
Reverb Converter
1&1/2 Thunder 1
2&1/2 Thunder 1 RTV
1x Thunderbird (65)
2x Thunderstar Bass
1x Thunderbass
1x Thunderstar
1x Superstar
1x Maverick
27 plus two chassis.

I may have a problem.