looking for build idea.

[bakerlite]

I am hoping some folks knowledge and experience of playing different amps may come in useful here!

I need a new amp for my current band i started with -

i have switched from bass over to electirc guitar for ths project - its like being a teen again.

just to say from the off - if i had the money i would buy a 1963 era jmi AC30

its the only amp i have played that has the tone i am looking for

my hiwatts and fenders arent fitting the bill at all.

SO, i am looking for existing layout or amp that utilises 2 el84's in the output stage and have something akin to the ac30 norm and top boost channells.

Tremolo - is not essential and i can use pedal if really needed.

Reverb would be so nice but i fear hard to come by a layout incorporating all my needs.

I would like  to keep size and weight down as i do alot of miles when i am playing, alot of stairs , you get the picture :) so maybe 2 output tubes.

so that limits me a small bit

i'm not sure what makes me love the AC30 so much is it the overall package or is it the 4xel84's or is it more the preamp - hard to call.

i dont have the skill // knowledge / experience to mix and match existing schematics together to make (what i think) i want.

Does anything spring to mind?

Sorry i know posts like this are a bit vague but at the end of the day you cant beat real world experince and who knws someone might know of something!

to summarize:

ac30 sound
reverb? :)
smaller than ac30 (will build in head cab anyway but maybe a 2x output tube version)


i dont ask for much now do i



thanks folks

[OldHouseScott]

The Matchless Lightning might fit the bill, it's basically a top-boost channel into two EL84s for about 15 watts. Another option is the TopHat Club Royale. Same kind of deal, a cross between a top-boost  and Marshall channel into two EL84s. This schematic is for the Club Deluxe, the Royale is the same except for the output tubes.

[bakerlite]

Thanks Scott

I'll check em out.

I should definitely have mentioned that my favourite part of the AC30 tone is when its not pushed into any distortion but just running clean uncranked

still very loud mind, but not utilising the amps break up characteristics that it may or may not be famous for.


thanks again

[RicharD]

+1 for Matchless but I like the EF86 side of the DC30.  I found it to have better definition when set to 11 as compared to the triode channel.

[Baguette]

Hey,

You may want to check the Ceriatone website since they provide lots of layouts for classic amps.
You may look at the 18W TMB amp. Juste replace the tone stack with Vox values and you'll be set.
Or maybe they even have a Matchless Lightning layout which looks like the ticket for you (then maybe you could remove the cathode bypass cap on the second stage to make it cleaner???)

[Milnoque]

I built a Trinity TC-15 from the kit they sell. It's based in the lightning. It has an EF-86 channel and a top boost channel. The cleans on the non-ef86 channel are gorgeous.

2 cents from a rank newbie

[bakerlite]

yes the tc-15 looked pretty perfect to me-
i don't have trinity money right now though - i'm gonna use chassis and cabinet i already have and re punch them where needed,
i will invest in a good OT and average PT -
and source other components myself.
A shame but i dont think there is any tc15 documentation on the web i looked around.
Its understandable i guess being their product and all.
what i really liked about it is it has the channel i really want and a channel that i may no doubt end up needing at times.

the spitfire looks ok - maybe a possibilty or like you say clean up the lightning a bit and go with that.

food for thought.

[sluckey]

A shame but i dont think there is any tc15 documentation on the web i looked around.

The TC-15 is very, very well documented. So are the other Trinity amps. Just go to their website, sign up on the forum, and enjoy.

I built a Matchless Lightning and later added an EF86 channel like the DC30. The TC-15 is almost identical to what I built, once again proving that I just don't have any original ideas.   

[bakerlite]

oh man - i never saw the resources section!

interesting - i am curently leaning towards the spitfire though as i hadn't seen that till tonight

it looks nice and simple - and having not used ef86's before i worry they may not fit the bill.

i think i get attracted to the tc15 for the extra channell but maybe a pedal will do there though they do have a widely reported awesome clean sound but i reckon the spitfire should get closer to the vox cleans having 12ax7's in the pre's

i need to rig something up soon, man if i were made of money and muscle id lug an ac30 around for sure!

thanks for the input -

i guess the thing to do is go over schems and compare the spitfire channell with the vox channell and see how similar it is.

[Milnoque]

Be advised that you may have to try several EF86 tubes to find one that isn't microphonic. I'm told that Amperex made one of the better ones. I'm not particularly fond of the EF86 channel in my amp. It's fine. It's just not my cup of tea. YMMV

I built the TC-15 with no experience just using the instructions provided and other than a mistake wiring up the output impedance switch it just came up and worked. It sounded great from day one. I may tweak it one day to lose just a little of the bottom end, but I'm still digging it just like it is for the time being.

[jojokeo]

just a few ideas:
EF86 being microphonic - run it at a higher voltage/lessening the load resistor
EF86 "not cup of tea" - not running it correctly
EF86 can be VERY versitile when set up properly w/ the appropriate pots/switches.
Why not make two inputs - one for EF86 & the other w/ a paralleled 12a_7!?!
Cleaner amp - play around w/ the pi load & tail resistors also (big help).
Cleaner amp - use a robust ceramic speaker
Cleaner amp - use nfb (but this goes against Vox design/sound/tone)

I may tweak it one day to lose just a little of the bottom end

simply lessen a coupling cap or your "bass" cap in the tone stack - simple

 

[bakerlite]

Thankyou all for your advice - i genuinely looked over everything suggested, i really appreciate the feedback.

By sheer chance i found one of tubenits ideas on the interweb and it essentially fits the bill of my first post.

However there is the four tubes in the output section.....