Testimonial of Trinity 5E3 Tweed Deluxe

[gearjunkie]

Well after a hard fought battle with this amp, last night (Feb 21/2012) I decided to pack that chassis up in the cardboard box the kits came in along with my blackheart cab with my new cannabis rex installed into it, the ol tele and head to the hall for jam as we do most Tuesdays nights.. boy did people look when I pulled this chrome thing out of a box and set it down on top of the cab and started running wires...I let it warm up good with the standby on, and once I was ready I plugged into the Bright.. set the normal channel volume to about 7 or 8, same for the tone on amp and guitar... played quietly until I felt I had it where it was right and when this one guy took off with "good hearted women" in E, I thought, here's your chance you've been waiting for... My buddy that runs the hall standing across from me with his Martin hanging off his neck, had to quit playing he was laughing so hard...That setup is beyond my Greatest exspectations... I mean the tone from that amp and tele is a thing of beauty..For any of you Country lead players that love that infamous Bark of a tele, don't be shy to contact Reilander pickups in Surry Bc as Mike built me those pups and last night were their first run too..Very nice pickups and priced right....there Mike you got your plug....anyways..I told a friend at first break, if i was a rich man, and told someone whom I trusted, here's $10,000, you know my style of music and playing....go out there and find me the guitar/ amp/speaker combo that will blow my socks off, I don't think he'd return with anything that sounds any more perfect than what I now own.. i've been around country bands for most of my 51 yrs and i'm telling anyone that will ever read this, if you're sitting on the fence with indecision, get the credit card out and order this up and do it asap, because you won't be disappointed...

On the drive home last night, it hit me that there was no hum, no more hum that my little blues jr..I was having such a great time while we were playing that I hadn't even thought about the hum....

Stephen (owner of Trinity Amps) was kind enough to call me this morning to prove to me that he was going to make things right with me over this first build and when I mentioned to him about the amount of noise at the workbench, he then mentioned how other influencial power sources such as flourescent lights with transformer in it can have an great effect....it hit me that was exactly what it was causing me sleepless nights..

After Stephen made the suggestion to call hydro over the incoming high line voltage I phoned and they were here within a few hours and dropped it down from 132 to 124, but to my dismay, B+ voltage still sitting at 425, .... $%&*

Until someone has a respectable idea of what could be causing this voltage issue, (still getting 18VDC at V2 pin 7 ) BUT, I'm not worrying anymore about it, what i'm going to focus on now is to play the thing...the only thing this amp building greenhorn can hope for is that it doesn't burn my tubes out too overly early, but it's not smokin nor does it show signs of catching fire...

In summary, i'm truly sorry for the headaches i've given anyone, and also for how I reacted because frustration simply got the best of me, and I truly appreciate everyones help getting this amp up and running...

If you happen to be going past a music hall and hear a twangin ol telecaster barkin' out some sweet country/rockabilly tones, it could just be a Trinity Tweed Deluxe..

I'd like to give a big thank you especially to "Crusinhome" who helped me more than I thought anyone would care to, especially to a rookie like me, and everyone else on this forum who helped me out along the way with their kindness and suggestions.. I'm grateful..

[hackworth1]

Many Power transformers these days are producing higher than optimum B+ Voltage no matter the brand. It's easy to waste some volts with a zener diode between the center tap and ground. For example, A 25 volt zener diode (cathode points to ground) will reduce B+ by 23 volts or so.

[TheRumRunner]

Joy always follows the first pluck of a string.

DW

[gearjunkie]

Thanks guys....so where's a good place to get one of these zener diodes?? so it's spliced into the B+ line ??

I know this is another rookie question, but in laymen terms, how and where do i measure my idle dissipation then firgure out how many watts that is?? thank you..

[telex76]

Glad you are liking the sound anyway.

[Cruisin Home]

Your welcome for the Help Ernie. Not often you get to help a crazy mechanical canuck lose his elctrical tube amp cherry! You are a fast learner, and likely on your way to sonic utopia!

FWIW the Sovtek 5Y3s run a bit high on the B+. Dont worry about it, keep palaying the &*^% out of it!!!!!

enjoy Brother

[t-luxe]

Yep. An NOS 5y3 will drop your B+ 20-30 volts.

Thanks guys....so where's a good place to get one of these zener diodes?? so it's spliced into the B+ line ??

I know this is another rookie question, but in laymen terms, how and where do i measure my idle dissipation then firgure out how many watts that is?? thank you..

https://taweber.powweb.com/store/vdump.htm

http://www.webervst.com/tubes1/calcbias.htm

[gearjunkie]

Thanks again Cruisinhome....regarding the Sovtek causing her to run hotter, is it any cause that the tubes will burn up quicker or prematurely on it....What will running
NOS 6V6 NEC power tubes do to it, as I did some chicken tradin with a buddy and have a matched pair of them...

[Wileyone]

Originally Posted by Ernie R

Thanks again Cruisinhome....regarding the Sovtek causing her to run hotter, is it any cause that the tubes will burn up quicker or prematurely on it....What will running
NOS 6V6 NEC power tubes do to it, as I did some chicken tradin with a buddy and have a matched pair of them...

Nice to see you got your Amp/s done Ernie

[gearjunkie]

too bad having them soldered together is only part of it Wiley.. what a let down to plug the 2nd one on last night and have it worse then the first.. but we'll get through it...