5F2 to 5F1 Tonestack Cutout

[hackworth1]

You could put a pot there. Its a good idea. a 50K pot would be good. Two legs on the pot to use it as a variable resistor.

[charisjapan]

Originally Posted by keithb7

Charis you mention bigger iron for more cleans. That got me thinking about a recent experiment I did. Ripping apart a Hammond organ I now have many vintage 12AU7 tubes. I tried one in my 5F2A. Much cleaner. You gotta work your pick hand hard to get some medium crunch. Unsure but it seems to me it also delivers a little less volume. Maybe its easier to change a tube depending how much dirt or gain, you want?

My thoughts on how a NFB switch works, is no, it does not allow you to remove the 22k resistor. It stays there all the time. You are just cutting off and blocking the signal coming off the speaker jack, that was headed to the 22k resistor. So nothing goes in. The 22k resistor controls how much signal goes through, back into the circuit. I thought that was how I wired mine up. I also thought you could put a variable resistor on a knob, a pot, to have a variable amount of NFB. This pot, replacing the fixed 22k resistor. I'm still learning too, so maybe I'm out to lunch. An expert could surely correct me, pls do!

Keith,

Now that the Bugera V5 Acting like it should, I have an amp with master volume that gives me cleans and humbucker capability in a small amp.

And my Vibro Champ build, which will undergo a full re-build into a 5F2A Princeton Tweed cab already has the 15W PT, so promises some nice cleans, so...

Whatever I may have said about a 5F2A and cleans is no longer that much of a consideration... I want dirt! Brash, bratty, raw, unadulterated dirt. Single coils are 'der rigueur' for that build now that my L-P has bedroom-level sound.



But thanks for the input, and I will continue to understand NFB and other things...

[keithb7]

Charis I hear ya, pure, bratty, raw dirt is a great thing! I'm there with ya. I was just going through an old stash of tubes I picked up, but needed to sort through. I found a vintage Mullard 12AX7 in there and 5 qty vintage Westinghouse 12AX7 tubes also! I been trying them out through my 5F2A all evening. My ears hurt a little from all that dirty unadulterated sonic porn. I love it!

[charisjapan]

Originally Posted by keithb7

Charis I hear ya, pure, bratty, raw dirt is a great thing! I'm there with ya. I was just going through an old stash of tubes I picked up, but needed to sort through. I found a vintage Mullard 12AX7 in there and 5 qty vintage Westinghouse 12AX7 tubes also! I been trying them out through my 5F2A all evening. My ears hurt a little from all that dirty unadulterated sonic porn. I love it!

Haha! On the other hand, I wonder if a 12AU7 would tame this 5E3 beast! That, and if I get a little time I want to check my wiring on the VVR Dave made for me. He also sent me a NOS GE 12 AY7 that might give me a bit more smooth at lower volumes. Man, the TD is not only raw, but LOUD!

charisjapan

[tubeswell]

12AY7 is the ticket in V1 for a fatter, bluesier tone with less shrieky gain

[charisjapan]

Originally Posted by tubeswell

12AY7 is the ticket in V1 for a fatter, bluesier tone with less shrieky gain

Yes!!

I just now put in the NOS GE JAN 12AY7 that Dave sent me. It is exactly as you described above. Man, is this thing sweet! Except I would like it a bit quieter.

charisjapan

[Che_Guitarra]

Watching your build with interest CJ. The 5F1 is a loud little bugger too (especially with a bigger speaker) - i'm considering installing a VVR pot just to knock a few db off when I feel like a bit of late night playing... it's well loud even halfway up the dial Bloody tweeds

For mine, a NFB switch definitely opens up the sound in a greasy rock direction I prefer. My 5F1 seems to grungle up quite late on the dial otherwise - not that I mind; without mods it's still a monster tone - especially with a nice Tele in neck position.

I'm just hanging to get the Weber speaker I ordered to get an accurate picture of how my 'lil beasty will finally sound.

What size speaker are you opting for?

[charisjapan]

Originally Posted by Che_Guitarra

Watching your build with interest CJ. The 5F1 is a loud little bugger too (especially with a bigger speaker) - i'm considering installing a VVR pot just to knock a few db off when I feel like a bit of late night playing... it's well loud even halfway up the dial Bloody tweeds

For mine, a NFB switch definitely opens up the sound in a greasy rock direction I prefer. My 5F1 seems to grungle up quite late on the dial otherwise - not that I mind; without mods it's still a monster tone - especially with a nice Tele in neck position.

I'm just hanging to get the Weber speaker I ordered to get an accurate picture of how my 'lil beasty will finally sound.

What size speaker are you opting for?

Hey, Che!

Well, I've just about expended my amp budget until 2014... Not necessarily $$$-wise, but explanations-wise as to why I need another amp. My wife of 30+ years is very understanding of my hobbies, but this will be my 3rd build and 6th tube amp. Nobody needs that many, right? (well... c'mon guys, right? )

But it just so happens that I have an interesting cab I picked up last year for a few bucks, and though unconventional, it might make some interesting noises with a 5F2A. It's a 60W 6 X 5" 5.3-ohm cab that was part of a set sold by Fender Japan, but made in Korea in the '90s. I guess it was kind of a flop, because I can find little info on it, or even the speakers in it, other than that they are Celestion "Commando Stars." I rewired 4 of them series/parallel for 8 ohms, and connected my Vibro Champ, and it rocks! The cab is about the size of a Tweed Princeton, and if I pull the two bottom speakers out, there's plenty of room for a chassiss, so...

Who knows, maybe I'll recover with some vintage tweed I picked up on auction?

[hackworth1]

I'm putting together some attenuator kits. Easy and cheap to make. Simple circuitry. Will do what you need to get the volume down and keep the tone w/o the complicated circuitry of the VVR.

By the weekend, I'll have the parts and a price for the kits.

The attenuator is built into a 4x3x2 project box - jack in, jack out. one knob.

You take the speaker out jack from your amp and patch it in to the attenuator with a double ended male patch cord (U-Build It Parts included).

Then you take your speaker cable and plug it in to the attenuator.

The little box fits in the bottom of your combo cab.

Adjust the knob and kill a ton of output or a little.

Playing with the volume knobs on the three - the attenuator, the amp, and your guitar yields myriad volume levels and sounds.

It will ship to Australia or Japan for $18.

[picknpluck]

Put me down for one of those attenuator kits when you get them together, please!

[keithb7]

I think my Canadian neighbors also want me to build one. Also count me in for one. Dave are you thinking about one of those Hammond aluminum project enclosures? They are excellent sturdy boxes.

[charisjapan]

Originally Posted by hackworth1

I'm putting together some attenuator kits. Easy and cheap to make. Simple circuitry. Will do what you need to get the volume down and keep the tone w/o the complicated circuitry of the VVR.

Hackworth,

I very much look forward to seeing that!

[Telenut62]

Ditto

[charisjapan]

I wonder if this is of any use? I pulled it from a Fender Japan 20W SS amp. (it had one 12AX7 preamp tube.) I haven't even a clue how to test what the outputs are )

[TNO]

I think negative feedback is a good thing in these little single ended amps. They have so much drive anyway.