Building the Tiny Giant amp

[karter2000]

I just finished mine last week, and I have to say that the TG is awesome.  I copied Taylor's layout in the 1590a with a standby switch and volume, and it fit great.  I'm using it as a bass amp, and I can't believe how good and loud it is.  I actually used it through a 4x12 bass cab with a drummer-only rehearsal, and it kept up as long as he wasn't hitting too hard.  The cab was only 8 ohms as well!  Can't wait to try it through an 4 ohm cab.  I ordered an IBM 16v 4.5 amp power supply from ebay, and it's quiet as well.  Awesome job Taylor!!!  Pics:

[Taylor]

Nice! Clean build.

Has anyone managed to put their TG into thermal shutdown?

[StarGeezers]

Taylor , I played mine for several hours at a time ... the case never even got warm , as I could tell ...

I'll be ordering another kit if you have any left ...

[Ben N]

It should be no problem to add a regulated voltage output for your pedals - it was one of the things I suggested that people could do, actually. Keep in mind though that it will be closer to 12v than 9v, so make sure your pedals can handle that and will sound normal at that voltage.

Or just add another regulator.

[pruttelherrie]

Has anyone managed to put their TG into thermal shutdown?

A week ago I played stereo in one cabinet at rehearsal with the TG and an EHX 44 magnum. Stereo but not really: the 4x12 in stereo mode still had the (-) of the halves connected which resulted in a shutting of/turning on/shutting of pattern. Within 20 seconds (it took a short while before I realised what was going on) the TG got too warm to touch. It didn't break though, I let it cool down a bit before powering on on a mono cabinet and it worked as before. One tough f*cker it is!

[StarGeezers]

 Got my second TG kit ... that was FAST !!!  Thanks Taylor !!!      This amp works so well, makes me want to try some of Taylor's other offerings... 

[p_wats]

Got my second TG kit ... that was FAST !!!  Thanks Taylor !!!      This amp works so well, makes me want to try some of Taylor's other offerings... 

Do it! I've built the Octave and Gristleizer and they are awesome!

[StarGeezers]

 PW,  will do that ...Thanks !!!! 

[foozertone]

I built the tiny giant and it works fine except the volume pot doesn't work. Any help?

[Taylor]

Sorry to be obvious, but if it really works fine, except that the volume knob doesn't work, then there's probably a problem in your volume pot wiring. Perhaps the lugs are shorted against each other, perhaps your ground connection on lug 1 is not connecting, maybe your pot is bad.

[myramyd]

Hey Taylor,

How does the TG take pedals--or more accurately, how does it respond to higher input signals?

The reason I ask is that I've built a couple of SS amps (Ruby, Noisy Cricket) and while they sound great, they start to fart out when presented with any kind of boost or overdrive gain that isn't turned down.

I'm assuming that since this has a buffered and presumably better preamp, (in addition to taking a line-level keyboard signal) it would be fine.

I would like to build a TG as a backup amp for gig emergencies (like the EHX "bullet"-named amps).

Your boards/projects look great by the way--I hope to build an Echo Base and Clean Octave soon also. I've seen quite a few Echo Base projects out there.

Thanks!
J

[Taylor]

Hey J,

The TG is fine with big signals and shouldn't clip in the preamp unless you hit it with a pretty massive boost. That said, slamming it with a booster won't necessarily sound good in the way that slamming a tube amp with a booster will. So it will take hot signals just fine, and it's meant specifically to go after effects. But I also wouldn't recommend hitting it with a clean boost if you're hoping for tube-like overdrive out of the preamp.

[p_wats]

Hey Taylor,

How does the TG take pedals--or more accurately, how does it respond to higher input signals?

The reason I ask is that I've built a couple of SS amps (Ruby, Noisy Cricket) and while they sound great, they start to fart out when presented with any kind of boost or overdrive gain that isn't turned down.

I'm assuming that since this has a buffered and presumably better preamp, (in addition to taking a line-level keyboard signal) it would be fine.

I would like to build a TG as a backup amp for gig emergencies (like the EHX "bullet"-named amps).

Your boards/projects look great by the way--I hope to build an Echo Base and Clean Octave soon also. I've seen quite a few Echo Base projects out there.

Thanks!
J

I just got back from using mine on tour in eastern Canada and it sounded great. Took my OD and Fuzz pedals just fine...of course, like Taylor just said, it doesn't respond like a tube amp, but it played very nicely with my pedal board.

[myramyd]

Cool,

Yeah, the reason I ask is more so there is some headroom available for various drive pedals and also for a simple boost for leads. I don't expect to drive it like a tube amp, so no problem there.

I've just noticed that quite a few SS amp designs (cheaper commercial combo amps and such) don't like it when you hit it with a clean/lead boost after the drive pedals--I'm talking like a +5-10dB boost, not a full-on slam.

I didn't think there would be any issues but wanted to double check.

I shall be ordering one very soon. I might combine with a bypass-able ROG Tonemender in the same box. If I go that route I will post pix!

J

[StarGeezers]

  Been playing my TG through an Eminence Wizard , and is it LOUD !!!    Easily keeps up with the band ... 

  I use my RFD OD pedal into it , no problems at all and very sweet and smooth sounding ...    My first TG now lives in the gig bag as a "spare" amp .... The new one I'm building is just for the Studio ... 

[andersom]

I think is messed up, i crossed the red V+ and  black ground Ground at the dc input..
Is there some sort of protection in the circuit, or did the LM338 T blow?


any help is welcome.

[Taylor]

When you say you crossed them, did they short out together, or did you connect power where ground should go and vise versa?

[andersom]

i connected power where ground should go and vise versa does this mean i have to teplace the lm 338?

[Taylor]

Did you try swapping them to be correct and turning the amp on to see if it works? If it doesn't work, then yes switching out the regulator is probably the next thing to do.

[andersom]

Hi Taylor, i flipped the power and ground, i get a sound but it is a really distorted sound.
here's pinout for the tl 072
pin 1  3,3
pin 2  3,0
pin 3  3,0
pin 4  0,0
pin 5  8,8
pin 6  4,4
pin 7  3,0
pin 8  3,0

regulated output is 8,7 volt

it looks like i'll place an order for the LM 338