Tweed BluezMeister combo (small)

[tubenit]

I converted my combo amp to Geezer's Tweed BluezMeister. Not sure IF I want to tweak anything on the OD or not?  Clean has a warm full tone to it. OD is very creamy smooth. I like it. It does that "blooming" thing.

I have rebuilt this chassis into so many different amps that I gutted all the preamp and pots and put in a new board using Hoffman's board material.  I created a paper template and taped it on the board. Easily sawed the board length with a hacksaw. Drilled holes without a drill press. And mounted turrets by hand with a hammer. Took about an hr. I like how the board turned out. I used tagboards in the past which are awful to do tweaking with. I wished I had started using Hoffman boards yrs ago.

I was concerned that the small combo (which is about the size of a 5E3 Deluxe) might have oscillation problems or be noisey at idle. It has NO oscillation problems at all and is super quiet at idle. I am surprised it worked out so well given the wiring is pretty messy still.

I tried a suggestion from Sluckey about using a different kind of buss wire & I like it. Very easy to work with.

This is what I have prior to any tweaks. Not sure it sounds quite as transparent on the OD as Geezer's soundbits indicate his does?  Clean sounds comparable good, IMO.   However, I did use some different component values & I haven't tweaked it yet. It has such a rich full tone to it that it almost sounds like it has reverb in it. I haven't hooked up the passive effects loop yet but will.

I did add the mid-boost switch and am glad I did so. I like that tone and it seems to add to the blooming effect, IMO.

I used mini-pots for the bass pot and the "cut" pot so I could fit everything on the chassis front. Currently don't have room for a relay jack or relay though.  The clean to OD is a DPDT switch.  I might be able to double deck a relay board above the layout board and create a small jack where the cut pot is?

I'll post a revised schematic and layout after I experiment with tweaks (if I do those) & then place the editable versions in the SCH library.

With respect, Tubenit

[Tone Junkie]

Looks real good Tubnit,Nice work as usual.Bill

[Geezer]

WOW! Looks great!

Glad to hear you like what you hear! 

Currently don't have room for a relay jack or relay though.  The clean to OD is a DPDT switch.  I might be able to double deck a relay board above the layout board and create a small jack where the cut pot is?

What is that on the back panel? (see attached picture)
Looks like a socket hole plug/cover.....could you put the jack there?
I think your idea about "floating" a relay board over the main board would work.

Great work!

Geezer

[phsyconoodler]

Looks like he had a tube there at one point and bolted a plate over the hole.

[jojokeo]

I tried a suggestion from Sluckey about using a different kind of buss wire & I like it. Very easy to work with.

I did add the mid-boost switch and am glad I did so. I like that tone and it seems to add to the blooming effect, IMO.

With respect, Tubenit

*what kind/size of buss wire are you talking about?
*agree - hard to get any bloom effect or the smoother-singing lead tone ala Santana w/out lots of mids in the signal that the tradional FMV stacks don't provide unless something's done to modify that.
*do you think you'll ever install VVR into this?
*is there much diff btwn this and the other dumble-ish amps you've made? If so, what? They all seem very similar.

**I love your cabs T, but how is the feeling of tearing up a perfectly tweaked amp that plays beautifully for something that you "hope" is as good w/ the possibility that you may or may not like more? 

[tubenit]

The photo on my first post shows a buss wire on the edge of the layout board. It's just a wire taken from the 3 wire typical house wiring that I soldered into one of the turrets. Fit perfectly.

No, it won't have VVR. Not room & it doesn't need it for some reason. All the ooomph seems to be in the preamp section so the master volume gets it at pretty reasonable levels.

The Tweed Overdrive Special and the Tweed BluezMeister have similar blooming type capabilities. I think maybe the TOS has a little more chime and better harmonics. I can hear the notes a little better in the TOS when chording. My Tweed BluezMeister is probably creamier/smoother overdrive for playing lead. The sustain and blooming seems about the same on both. I do think the "clean" on the TBM is better than on the TOS.

I think maybe my TOS is a little more touch sensitive to play. However, I noticed the TBM tone changes pretty dramatically with how hard you pick so it's pretty touch sensitve also. There is a more dramatic change between the clean and the OD on the TBM for sure.

I think maybe the TOS may cut thru a band mix a little easier?  But I haven't tried the TBM with the band yet so I don't really know for sure? And I haven't tried the 5881's in the TBM yet either. Just currently using JJ 6v6's. And I haven't tried digital delay of the outboard effects loop yet either in the TBM.

That's the best that I can compare them at this juncture. I can't say for sure which I like best yet?

Regarding tearing up a perfectly good amp hoping you can make it better ..........

One of my favorite quotes is the following from Helen Keller:  "Security is an illusion. Life is either a wonderful adventure or it is nothing at all"
 

With respect, Tubenit

[jojokeo]

That's the best that I can compare them at this juncture. I can't say for sure which I like best yet?

Regarding tearing up a perfectly good amp hoping you can make it better ..........

One of my favorite quotes is the following from Helen Keller:  "Security is an illusion. Life is either a wonderful adventure or it is nothing at all"
 

More info than I expected, thanks.

I still build amps w/ cabs but have gravitated to doing more chassis amps over the last year or two. This way I can mix and match w/ diff speakers & cabs making for my own little playing & testing center. As I have learned more and I go back to older stuff I haven't played in a while, I get re-energized in hearing & playing stuff and then I'll go back and make a better tweak on something that I may not have known at the time. Then it's like a new & improved love affair again.

Have you thought about getting another chassis to fit your custom cab of choice and making another chassis amp that can be changed-out into your cab? I know about your rule, but this may have some value in several ways and you could always sell one of them off at some point if you ever needed or wanted to?

[tubenit]

Have you thought about getting another chassis to fit your custom cab of choice and making another chassis amp that can be changed-out into your cab?

Oh sure, I've thought about that.  

BTW, I am using a 12AV7 in V1 but also like a 5751 and 12AX7 in that position too.

With respect, Tubenit

[jojokeo]

I figured you did but had to ask. 

a 12aV7 in v1? Never thought that would be an option but if a 12au can work then it should I suppose w/ 2 - 2.5 times mu over the 12au (but they are power hungry little devils)? What about a 12aT? They have a better freq. response over the 5751 & 12ax & might add just a bit more chime? Just thinking out loud...

[drumslinger2000]

Sweet build Tubenit!  What speaker did you end up with?

[tubenit]

I used a Emminence Red, White & Blues.

This is the schematic after tweaks.   I added a quasi-sorta 5E3 tone stack on the OD. I also followed Geezer's suggestion to lower the value of some of the resistors in the signal path.

Nice tone. It does the blooming thing quite well and the OD is very creamy smooth, IMO.


EDIT:  I added a 250p cap across the drive pot today. It opened up the amp some more, increased the touch sensitivity and added some harmonics (that previously seem to be somewhat missing).

With respect, Tubenit

[tubenit]

Here is one soundclip of the combo:

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=10193624&q=hi&newref=1


I posted another soundclip of this Tweed BluezMeister combo here:

http://www.el34world.com/Forum/index.php?topic=10940.0

My playing isn't in the same league as Geezer's and there's alot of mistakes in the playing but you
can get some sense of the tone, hopefully.

With respect, Tubenit

[drumslinger2000]

Very nice tubenit.  nice tones from the amp.  was this a 50 watt build like Geezers?

[tubenit]

6V6 amp & maybe closer to 14 watts?

With respect, Tubenit

[drumslinger2000]

thank you sir.