|
|
|
07-14-2009, 08:43 AM
|
#1
|
Human being with feelings
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Finland
Posts: 1,528
|
Vox AC15 -decendants?
I am finally planning on building a tube amp. I've fixed a few dozen amps along the way so I am familiar on the design and the dangers.
My current main amp is a modified AC15CC1. That is definitely the enviroment I'm after, be it 2x EL84 or Class A or both.
For finding the right schematic, the question is:
Which brands make AC15 -style amps?
I know Matchless does. Some say Bad Cat does, but that's not what I thought when trying out one.
I built a solo boost for my AC15, and might also do a gain boost and combine them to make a "two channel" amp. Actually, overriding the gain knob (to 10) and lowering the master would do fine. The same design might go for the DIY amp.
My DYI amp will have:
- footswitchable channels or "channels"
- solo boost
- reverb or fx loop
- 15W is plenty enough
- 1x12" (I love my Weber Blue Dog)
Which schematics should I look for? Let your ideas blossom as mine does!
__________________
______ Announcing__mrelwood plugins______
.. MacBook Pro 16" Late '19 .. Scarlett 6i6, Saffire Pro 24 DSP (+ADA8000) .. FCA610 .. EVE SC207 .. Focal: Shape 65, Alpha 65, CMS 40, Listen Pro ..
|
|
|
07-19-2009, 02:53 AM
|
#2
|
Human being with feelings
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Finland
Posts: 1,528
|
I'm surprised, no DIY guitarists here I guess.
I took a single-end 5W Blackstar HT5 head for a test. While the volume would've been okay for a gig, I found it sounding very cold compared to my AC15. I then got the idea of building a single-ended EL84 amp.
AX84 P1, heavily modded DIY Valve Junior, etc. Anyone gone down that road?
__________________
______ Announcing__mrelwood plugins______
.. MacBook Pro 16" Late '19 .. Scarlett 6i6, Saffire Pro 24 DSP (+ADA8000) .. FCA610 .. EVE SC207 .. Focal: Shape 65, Alpha 65, CMS 40, Listen Pro ..
|
|
|
07-19-2009, 03:01 AM
|
#3
|
Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: South Coast UK
Posts: 14,303
|
I've got a Laney LC15 that sounds very AC 15ish to me - although it's been a long time since I heard one.
Cheap as chips though and PC board mounted so maybe completely off track.
I would like to see how you get on with the build though
__________________
The grass is greener where it rains
|
|
|
07-19-2009, 12:35 PM
|
#4
|
Human being with feelings
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Finland
Posts: 1,528
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tedwood
I've got a Laney LC15 that sounds very AC 15ish to me - although it's been a long time since I heard one.
|
Thanks for participating!
I must say I felt that both LC15 and VC15 were very cold sounding to my tastes. Could've been better with a 12" (blue) speaker, but I just didn't feel any warmth or chime so didn't feel a need to bother.
Laney Lionheart 5W is something I must test though.
__________________
______ Announcing__mrelwood plugins______
.. MacBook Pro 16" Late '19 .. Scarlett 6i6, Saffire Pro 24 DSP (+ADA8000) .. FCA610 .. EVE SC207 .. Focal: Shape 65, Alpha 65, CMS 40, Listen Pro ..
|
|
|
07-19-2009, 02:19 PM
|
#5
|
Human being with feelings
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 99
|
Laney Lionheart 5W
Best amp i ever bought .
|
|
|
07-19-2009, 10:40 PM
|
#6
|
Human being with feelings
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Near Cambridge UK and Near Questembert, France
Posts: 22,754
|
Cath
ode biased.
For warm.
I built a Fender deluxe 5E3 clone and am now selling all my other amps.
The sound I had remembered from my youth and never found up until this amp.
|
|
|
07-20-2009, 01:14 AM
|
#7
|
Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: California
Posts: 1,436
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrelwood
I'm surprised, no DIY guitarists here I guess.
|
No, not me. It's hard, but I resist the urge. I do my own repairs only because it's the quickest and easiest way to get it done.
DYIing usually falls into what I refer to as "seductive process," something that (to oversimplify somewhat) amounts to an unprofitable distraction from what one knows he's supposed to be doing to achieve his real goal.
If your real goal is to build amps, then rock out, of course.
Seductive process ruins 99%+ of musicians as effective pros.
It took me decades to figure this out and why it's so.
Last edited by Bezmotivnik; 07-20-2009 at 01:23 AM.
|
|
|
07-20-2009, 02:04 AM
|
#8
|
Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Antipodes
Posts: 1,190
|
Great topic
Hey IvanSC?
Ivan r u there?
Did you build the clone from a kit and if so which kit? I am looking at gutting and rebuilding a valve inside an old solid state amp that I have. I felt the best way was to get a kit of a decent head and just build it into my combo being aware of the dimensions etc.
As the solid state is a Fender 35 watter it should be good enough for a decent tone given a good speaker.
BTW there are so many variables on getting a tone that I would not just give up on an amp without swapping out speakers, valves and various combinations of components such as transformers etc.
|
|
|
07-20-2009, 07:49 AM
|
#9
|
Human being with feelings
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Near Cambridge UK and Near Questembert, France
Posts: 22,754
|
cathode biassed as hell
One of Nik`s deluxe kits would do you just right.
www.ceriatone.com and tell him Ivan in the UK sent you.
I built the 5e3 but have also gotten others into building watkins/marshall 18 watt clones, a trainwreck and a jtm45 - all good and way cheaper than the US kits....
buy as little or as much of the kit as you need, too.
Nik is very approachable and answers emails very quickly.
In the UK www.theampmaker.com also does some nice kits.
and is also a top bloke.
|
|
|
07-20-2009, 07:59 AM
|
#10
|
Human being with feelings
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: the Bay
Posts: 701
|
FWIW, the guitarist in my old band had a laney vc30 1x12 that got a lot more voxy when he put a Weber Blue Dog Alnico speaker in it. Unfortunately, he had to move the tubes for it to fit, no easy task.
|
|
|
07-20-2009, 08:18 AM
|
#11
|
Human being with feelings
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,631
|
don't really understand the point of the original question. if you want to build an ac15 type amp, then perhaps build an ac15. the schematic is out there.
|
|
|
07-20-2009, 05:47 PM
|
#12
|
Human being with feelings
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Antipodes
Posts: 1,190
|
Thanks IvanSc I owe you a beer
The CeriaTone site looks great for all sorts of combinations and just what the OP asked about.
I think the trouble with beautiful old classic amps is that they were designed in a time of very limited sonic and connectivity options. While this is great musically as you plugged-in-and-played, it does little for what we have to do today. We have to deal with a demand for stacks of effects and just fundamentals like balancing volume where one guitarist has a double stack and another a 5 watt tube amp.
In these situations you may get it worked out on a sound stage then go into somebody's garage and it is nothing like the venues you play at. Additionally we all want to get a sound at home that approximates what we want to hear in a crowded room.
We know we can do it so we spend so much time getting the right sound that the 'rehearsal time' is all used up on gear and engineering and very little on playing.
|
|
|
07-21-2009, 09:12 PM
|
#13
|
Human being with feelings
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Finland
Posts: 1,528
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by jet
Laney Lionheart 5W
Best amp i ever bought .
|
Finally tried it out yesterday. Sounded and felt cold and dead to my tastes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bezmotivnik
DYIing usually falls into what I refer to as "seductive process," something that (to oversimplify somewhat) amounts to an unprofitable distraction from what one knows he's supposed to be doing to achieve his real goal.
|
Bezmo, I'm afraid I don't quite get you. Do you mean that one should not have hobbies, or do "fun stuff"? If I have the opportunity to achieve experiences and propably even get a great amp at the process, it's a trip worthwhile. Building an amp is something I really do want to do. Not a real goal?
Quote:
Originally Posted by d. gauss
don't really understand the point of the original question. if you want to build an ac15 type amp, then perhaps build an ac15. the schematic is out there.
|
There are a lot of AC15 type amps with different approaches, even from Vox. What I wanted to find out is which of these has the nature I like the most. What I know now is that AC15HTV (Handwired) is much closer than Bad Cat Cub II. What I don't know is if Matchless has a design that I would like even more. Or an AC15 from the 60's or 80's.
At the moment it seems that AC15HTV with a single-ended poweramp would be the one I'm building. I do realize that a SE poweramp will sound totally different from the HTV, but that's the "fun" chance I have to and want to make.
__________________
______ Announcing__mrelwood plugins______
.. MacBook Pro 16" Late '19 .. Scarlett 6i6, Saffire Pro 24 DSP (+ADA8000) .. FCA610 .. EVE SC207 .. Focal: Shape 65, Alpha 65, CMS 40, Listen Pro ..
Last edited by mrelwood; 07-21-2009 at 10:11 PM.
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:51 AM.
|