Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum
Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: Tbone55 on February 02, 2019, 10:07:07 am
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Hi There,
New to the forum. Just got my parts from Doug to rebuild my Blues Jr. III. The amp's not bad but I just hate the cheap components Fender uses and frankly I don't like it that my amp looks like the inside of a computer instead of an amplifier. I'm already seeing some caps that are starting to leak and from everything I've read there are mods (Billm, Fromel) that would make the amp better but I'd rather create a point to point circuit with real potentiometers and quality components. Besides, I'm retired and need to keep busy, especially during the winter months. I was building guitars for a few years as a hobby and now have moved into the amp world. Please excuse the long intro, hope you're still with me.
Anyways, I'm ready to start and have printed out all of Dougs instructions and images. The first thing I have to do is lace up the turret board and I want to make sure I'm following the proper procedure. I've viewed Dougs video for doing this and understand how it must be done. Do you use the image of the turret board that is laced up and follow it to lace up the correct turrets together? That seems to be all I have to go by. I don't see any other instructions for doing this. I guess I'm being a big of a nervous nelly but I want to check and double check each step of this build to try and make sure that I do it right and don't miss anything. Please chime in with your suggestions or advice.
Thanks. :icon_biggrin:
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Welcome!!
That image is pretty clear to me. It is shown from the top and shows jumpers as well as laces.
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Firstly - welcome Tbone! Your "lacing" comment immediately caught my eye because the first thing I thought of is lacing up my shoes or even the football cleats - after all it IS Super Bowl weekend!
Your answer in short is YES. Wire up everything you can ahead of time before installing it is the general rule of thumb. It can make the board installation, the input jacks, and many other small, complex, tedious, tasks much easier to install or after installation. That comment sounds kind of weird but in general do all the "pre-fab" you can do. When beginning this helps keep nearby wiring from being accidentally singed by your hot iron while focusing on what you're soldering. (a common rookie mistake)
I will show an example of replacing filter caps in an Ampeg with really tight quarters. All I had to do afterwards is mount the tag strips and hook up the filter cap wires.
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Welcome Tbone,
I did the conversion on my amp a few years ago, here are some pictures that may help.
turrets laced
https://goo.gl/wAjYiz
jumpers on the back, there is one jumper missing in this pic to the bias
https://goo.gl/rELpYY
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I like to print out the lacing guide and use a highlighter to mark the laces and jumpers as I go. Helps to insure I got 'em all right. I also like to treat the under board jumpers special so they don't fall out when soldering components or wires later on. I push the jumper from the bottom until the end pokes through the top. Then I bend the end over the top to form a little j-hook. For an example look at the pics dealing with jumpers and lacing on this page...
http://sluckeyamps.com/VAC15/ac15.htm
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Hey All,
Thanks for the great info provided. I appreciate it very much. Doug is correct when he says to take it slow and review each step after you're done. This will save you a lot of headaches in the end. I'm very good at following directions. After all, I'm married and got my PHD in husbandry training from my wife. :laugh:
You'll probably be hearing from me quite a bit.
Thanks Again. Cheers!
P.S. Enjoy the Superbowl. I don't care who wins as long as it isn't New England. No offense if you're a New England fan. :icon_biggrin:
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Don't ask to be " spoon fed " information
EL34 edit:
So a 7 day ban was not enough
How about 1 month now
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Don't ask to be " spoon fed " information
You know, I'm new to this forum and to working on amps but I've never been spoon fed anything in my life and it's not going to start now. Snarky comments are not appreciated.
EL34 edit:
So a 7 day ban was not enough
How about 1 month now
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I remember the ST LOUIS RAMS winning the Super Bowl in 2000. I also remember the Patriots videotaping the closed ST LOUIS RAMS practice, cheating their way to a Super Bowl win in 2002. Other than that.... Is there even a Super Bowl any more?
Jim
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:hijack1: :icon_biggrin:
Hijack over. Tbone, welcome aboard. Please ignore the ginger in the room. He was banned for 7 days due to this behavior in a previous thread. He was called out by several members here and the moderators, all hoping for an apology or a misunderstanding and he just got worse. Now he's banned for a month. His comment has absolutely nothing to do with you. Ignore him like we all are.
Can't wait to see your project! Please post pics when done.
Jim
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:hijack1: :icon_biggrin:
Hijack over. Tbone, welcome aboard. Please ignore the ginger in the room. He was banned for 7 days due to this behavior in a previous thread. He was called out by several members here and the moderators, all hoping for an apology or a misunderstanding and he just got worse. Now he's banned for a month. His comment has absolutely nothing to do with you. Ignore him like we all are.
Can't wait to see your project! Please post pics when done.
Jim
Thanks. I'm not going to let the comments of an outcast set the tone for what I believe will be a great experience on this forum. The NFL isn't what it used to be but then again the same came said for the state of the world. I will watch, of course, like millions of others, but after deflate gate and the way it was handled it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I look forward to the build and some great conversation on this forum. I will certainly post pictures and try to provide them at each step of the build.
A big thanks. Cheers! :icon_biggrin:
Edit; Fixed quote, Willabe.