Tips for the sexiest offboard wiring!

[Brymus]

Sorry to go OT here but...Why are there lamps in that amp?
I dont remember seeing that in the matchless schematics.

[John Lyons]

Most/all the matchless amps have lit faceplates/logos.

[DougH]

I would say that Fender made instruments (in particular, since that is my area of expertise) which were just barely adequate for professional use, most of the time. 

I played a Fender Telecaster in a high school band in the mid-70's and it was an absolute piece of crap. My $100 Squire Strat is a much better built instrument than that Tele ever hoped to be. I never associated Fender with high quality, especially "back in the day". Yes, a lot of pros used the brand so it was minimal acceptable quality I suppose, but never really great. Looking back from today, I would say people were better off with Peavey than they ever were with Fender, from a reliability perspective. Marshall was another good one with their output xformers blowing due to inadequate protection of the screen grids. And EHX with their cheesy folded aluminum chassis, chaotic wiring, and cheap components were another example.

All of these name brands were icons of some sort but I laugh when people today hold them up as some sort of standard of quality. They all put out some pretty nasty stuff at times- and some of them all the time.

[Ronsonic]

Just to remind, Leo was out of Fender after 1965. If there were better built amps before then from any source, I'd love to hear about them. It's all well and fine to boast of our 21st Century sensibilities and construction practices, but we still aren't using better hardware, pots, jacks, switches and sockets.

[solderman]

Well
Since this tread has developed to contain the guts of Amps as well I might chip in my favorite. The work from Mojave Amp Works. There Amps has a killing sound AND looks as "Sexy" as an Amp inside can get. At least I admire there craftsmanchip.






And they sound is built to kill.
http://www.mojaveampworks.com/5SoundClips/Scorpion/ScorpionHeavy-LPaul.mp3

The funny thing is that the guy who recorded this, Blues Saraceno (known to be a guitar wizard for those of you that did not know) has done his best recordings as far as I'm concerned on those Amp clips from Mojave Amp,s

I think those clips by far beats his records allthough the are short.

One day I want to own one of those.

[Thomeeque]

 Very important point here IMO is, that this wiring is sexy thanks to very smart layout of the chassis and thanks to fact, that the circuit is pretty simple actually - so good wiring is not only about good work with wires (if you catch my drift ) and sometimes you just cannot make it so nice and tidy..

One day I want to own one of those.

So build one - do you see there something you would not handle?

T.

Edit: Btw. MetroAmp's Amp_Kit_Instructions show very nice wiring job!

[caress]

sexiest offboard wiring = NO offboard wiring... only PCB mount.   

[MikeH]

sexiest offboard wiring = NO offboard wiring... only PCB mount.   

Ooh!  A paradox!  The most delicious pie is one that doesn't exist.  Hmmm... wait- is that a paradox, or just an impossibility?

[DougH]

The most delicious pie is the one that doesn't exist because I just ate it... 

[jacobyjd]

sexiest offboard wiring = NO offboard wiring... only PCB mount.   

Ooh!  A paradox!  The most delicious pie is one that doesn't exist.  Hmmm... wait- is that a paradox, or just an impossibility?

The most delicious pie is the one that doesn't exist because I just ate it... 

The cake is a pie!

[MikeH]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Paradoxasaur

*Official Derailment

[G. Hoffman]

I played a Fender Telecaster in a high school band in the mid-70's and it was an absolute piece of crap.

Judging Fender in the 1950's by Fender in the 1970's is not a particularly valid practice.  The Fender in the 50's and early 60's WAS good enough for most situations, if seldom better.  Fender in the 70's is a whole other thing.  Leo Fender strove to make things as cheap as practical.  CBS era Fender strove to make things as cheap as possible.  Very different things.  They also tried to get market segments they didn't have the shop for.  In short, they made crap.  Even when they made good design decisions (the micro tilt adjustable neck), they always accompanied them with awful designs (the three bolt neck). 

It's all well and fine to boast of our 21st Century sensibilities and construction practices, but we still aren't using better hardware, pots, jacks, switches and sockets.

Speak for yourself.  The amp I just finished is all 2w (or higher) 1% metal film resistors, 5% film caps, 10% electrolytic caps, and 2w 5% pots.  I'll grant that I'm still using Switchcraft #11 and #12 jacks, but that's just because they really are the best (a little minor work every 20 years, and they will last your lifetime!).  I would also say that the overall consistency of electronic components has gotten much higher in the last 50 years.  So, we get better parts for less money (particularly when adjusted for inflation).

You'll forgive me for being anti-nostalgic, but I don't have much patience for "the-past-was-better-than-today."  If I'd been born in the fifties, I would have died by the time I was 13, so I don't think it was a much better.


Gabriel

[amptramp]

I liked the Traynor tube amps that came out in the '60's - they were tested by throwing them off the roof of the (single-storey) factory building.  Whereas the Mojave amps shown above have terminal strips mounted on standoffs, the Traynor (and many other) amps of the era used a terminal strip sandwiched onto another plain strip.  Thus, there was area support rather than just support under the standoffs.  The terminal strip and its underlying strip were bolted to the chassis, so a jolt in one direction compressed the strip against the chassis over its full area and in any other direction was no worse than the standoffs and sideways shear forces did not tend to break screws the way they would break standoffs.  Their wiring was never noteworthy for being exquisitely neat or artistic, but it got the job done.

A number of you are probably familiar with military standards for testing such as MIL-E-810, but the major threat to music equipment is not temperature / vibration / shock / humidity or any of those issues covered in the MIL-standard.  The main threat is abuse.  The roadie who drops the amp on the asphalt before loading it into the van.  Power line spikes.  The guy who rips the cables out of the jacks rather than pulling them out carefully.

The Traynor amps had good chassis and transformers and circuitry that was nothing special, so they are great amps to modify.  I modded one to take sweep tubes in the output rather than 6CA7's, tubes that were worth $37 apiece whereas the $6 sweep tubes had to be modified for lower screen voltages and addition of plate caps, but otherwise required no changes.  The tubes I used were 6BQ6GT's (good for 25 watts) and no modifications (even to the bias voltages) would be required to upgrade to 6DQ6B's, which are rated at about the same power as 6CA7's.  BTW, plate caps on amplifier output tubes look bitchin'.

Most amps of the era overloaded the output tubes grossly with plate supplies that were sometimes 150 volts above the absolute maximum ratings.  Most sweep tubes can tolerate larger plate voltages.  They ate tubes, but tubes were cheap and plentiful and available everywhere back then.  Many drugstores had tube testers, so if you were down to your last 6V6GT (or whatever), you could go to the local store, test it and get a new one.  Things are a little different now.  I am one of those who believe that beauty and sexiness (the topic of this thread) follows function - but go with whatever turns your key.

[humptydumpty]

Well
Since this tread has developed to contain the guts of Amps as well I might chip in my favorite. The work from Mojave Amp Works. There Amps has a killing sound AND looks as "Sexy" as an Amp inside can get. At least I admire there craftsmanchip.






And they sound is built to kill.
http://www.mojaveampworks.com/5SoundClips/Scorpion/ScorpionHeavy-LPaul.mp3

The funny thing is that the guy who recorded this, Blues Saraceno (known to be a guitar wizard for those of you that did not know) has done his best recordings as far as I'm concerned on those Amp clips from Mojave Amp,s

I think those clips by far beats his records allthough the are short.

One day I want to own one of those.

I think it's cool that I live where they operate.

[Paul Marossy]

Most amps of the era overloaded the output tubes grossly with plate supplies that were sometimes 150 volts above the absolute maximum ratings.  Most sweep tubes can tolerate larger plate voltages.  They ate tubes, but tubes were cheap and plentiful and available everywhere back then.  Many drugstores had tube testers, so if you were down to your last 6V6GT (or whatever), you could go to the local store, test it and get a new one.  Things are a little different now.  I am one of those who believe that beauty and sexiness (the topic of this thread) follows function - but go with whatever turns your key.

Wow, really? 150V above absolute maximum is really pummeling those poor power tubes.  

I remember the days when tube testers and tubes were at the local grocery store, in the mid-1970s. Those days have come and gone. Now we are at the mercy of whoever sells them at whatever price they are asking for them.  

[Fuzz Aldryn]

Hi,

that tubes have been cheaper the days back was something that I always belived too until I saw the first list catalogue prices of them back in the 60s and 70s. Though they were nominal cheaper you have take to account what people do earn in average these days. Doing that most common tubes like EL34/84 etc. have cost at least twice as much as they do nowadays. Same with gas, coffee, meat, transistors...
But this might only apply to Germany... 

Regards
Helge

Sexy offboard wiring in amps? Have a look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsPf2I_EwfY
The new Hiwatts ... yammi.

[DougH]

The Fender in the 50's and early 60's WAS good enough for most situations, if seldom better.  Fender in the 70's is a whole other thing. 

Be that as it may, Fender was always a "name" and used by pros, regardless of its pre or post CBS status. I haven't checked lately but I'd be willing to bet that mid-70's Fender gear goes for a high price these days because it's old and it's "Fender".

My point still stands- big name music companies have all put out their share of garbage. Which is why I laugh at the snob appeal some of this stuff has.

You'll forgive me for being anti-nostalgic, but I don't have much patience for "the-past-was-better-than-today."  If I'd been born in the fifties, I would have died by the time I was 13, so I don't think it was a much better.

I agree with that. Not to mention, the fifties was one of the stupidest eras in the history of the U.S. But I won't go into that here...

[joegagan]

i love this thread. doug, you crack me up when you joke around, but your serious points are great too.

so many great experts to learn from here, thanks to everyone.

doug, i could go down a half mile from here and buy a mid 70s twin in perfect working condition for 600 bucks. i would say that it is very inexpensive for what it is. that means it has not followed inflation for about 30 years, let alone increase in value.

on the other foot,  the average 70s car is worth pennies on the dollar of its 70s value, so i guess fender amps aren't too bad. but they haven't appreciated.

[davent]

For the wire fetishists. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDJibf8uZnQ&feature=player_embedded

[DougH]

doug, i could go down a half mile from here and buy a mid 70s twin in perfect working condition for 600 bucks. i would say that it is very inexpensive for what it is. that means it has not followed inflation for about 30 years, let alone increase in value.

Yeah Joe, that was just a bet. Obviously one I would have lost... 

It was just a guess, looking at how well nostalgia sells with other stuff. I always thought the 70's Fender guitars were getting expensive, but I could be mistaken.