Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum
Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: Rolteus on May 24, 2026, 12:41:58 pm
-
I'd like to share a design I've been working on for some comments/feedback.
I'm no expert as you can see.
Here is a summary of what I'm proposing.
The design uses Hoffmans AB763 Two Channel 17" board with bias on the board.
It's perfect for my modified circuit.
I'm attempting to correct some issues with the Ultralinear and maybe add some features that I feel it needs.
Got rid of Reverb and Vibrato and added a Fenderish style Presence.
Put a Tube Buffered FX loop send and return on the front of the amp with jacks on back. The return level acts as a proper master volume.
Reverb and Vibrato were so poorly implemented in this amp they steal all the fire. Deleting them and installing a proper FX loop
to allow the use of proper reverb and delay makes this amp useable again and much more flexible.
The loop is really transparent and solves some issues with master volume amps with an FX loop.
Since the amp is clean I opted out of the traditional MV and the PPIMV entirely. The Fender MV was junk and nobody wants that thing anyway.
The loop return works as a final program volume.
I may add the PPIMV if the amp is too much.
Having channel volume, loop send level, and loop return level makes the amp much more flexible
and you're able to dial in a sweet sound at a lower volume and drive your fx in the loop properly.
You can even use the loop levels as an added gain stage and it's pretty hot.
I added a gain stage to the normal channel to fix the phase issues and give that channel a bit more push and
maybe allow the channels to be used together with a jumper.
After that I added a cathode follower to sum the two channels into the FX loop.
Any feedback, comments, or criticisms are greatly appreciated.
I'm kind of riffing here just wondering if this can work.
-
Does the amp not work or something? You can do whatever you want to it, but the amp won't be worth anything when you're done, if that matters.
Besides the output transformer, it isn't difficult to modify the ultralinear to an ab763 circuit, and you have the added master volume pot/switch, as well as the ground switch on the back to add some mods.
Anyways, if you would like comments on your ideas, it's best to make up a schematic. Pretty hard to "read" a layout.
-
A customer brought me this amp we we've talked extensively about what he wants. This amp is a favorite of the Pedal Steel players which is why he wants this particular amp.
He's not worried about what it's worth or reselling it. This is more of an experiment utilizing the Ultralinear transformers with some added design features to the original design.
Backstory:
The amp fell off the shipping truck upside down and dented the chassis and broke the cabinet.
We figured rather than try to 'fix' the amp we will make a head shell and do a refurb/update/restore/custom job and go all the way.
I'm not working with a schematic for this amp perse, I'm using the Fender Twin Reverb 135w Ultralinear schematic
and modifying the layout. I do intend to create a new schematic but I'm designing the amp in DIY layout creator.
He's not worried about money. We're getting the chassis powder coated titanium white and doing all CDE Orange Drop caps, metal film resistors
and a new turret board and adding a choke. Basically new everything with a bunch of changes and new features.
I'd rather work in layout than design by schematic. This amp was once stock Fender but it had been recapped and was pretty tired.
It's been gutted for powder coating. We're going to give it the classic car restoration treatment with some updates and upgrades.
I'm enjoying this experiment and the opportunity to create something totally unique and bring this old amp to life.
The original amp was pretty boring and noisy. The reverb and vibrato are marginal at best. That old master volume had to go!
For pedal steel the amp doesn't have the punch and harmonic richness they need for that style of playing.
These are never used stock they're always modded in certain ways for that instrument and style.
So this is just for fun because we can we do it.
Thanks for the comment.
-
Cool. Yes, if the amp is damaged, I can see rebuilding it for sure. On that note, I'm sure it took a lot of time to figure the layout, and you're basically asking people to reverse engineer your drawings to offer opinions on viability. If you're serious about asking opinions, a schematic will offer a lot more results.
-
If you're serious about asking opinions, a schematic will offer a lot more results.
That's a big circuit, need a schematic to see what's going on.
-
I get it.
I'm working from the original Fender Schematic that's crudely drawn by hand and copied on a rotten potato. :dontknow:
I have all the values and most of the amp is basically stock except for the things I removed and a couple things I added.
I'll be creating a schematic once I'm finished with the design.
I can read and design in schematic but I find it easier to create this design in layout because of all the work it would take to transpose the hand drawn schematic in a schematic editor. My goal is to create a new schematic of my new design once it's finished.
Also I purchased a Hoffman Turret board and used his turret layout for this amp because it's basically the same amp so his layout and the values from the original schematic work work perfectly together. Plus removing reverb and vibrato frees up a couple of tubes for other stuff.
Thanks for the comment.