Finished 5G9 Fixed! trem.

[Willabe]

Ok, I got it to record, but I don't know how to post it.

I posted for help in sound-bits and in video/audio.


                  Thanks,    Brad     

[Ed_Chambley]

Ok, I got it to record, but I don't know how to post it.

I posted for help in sound-bits and in video/audio.


                  Thanks,    Brad     

When you get it posted, post a link.  I can't find my way around here very well.  I can't wait to hear it as I am sure is Kewl.

[Willabe]

Here's a sound clip of the trem.

Mid 80's (?) 62 reissue Strat, rosewood fret board, stock pups, middle pup on, Tubby Tone 12" speaker in a mojo single 12" open back cab and stand alone reverb in the front. The very end is without the trem, 6V6' are set to only 20mA each at this time. I'll set them higher later.

I don't play very much any more but you can still get the idea.  

        
                        Brad      

http://soundcloud.com/brad-willabe/5g9-trem-sounds

[tubeswell]

So trippy that it just keeps on makin' you wanna play huh?

[Ed_Chambley]

That is beautiful.  Why the disclaimer I don't play much anymore.  Playing was very clean and articulate.  Heat those tubes up a little and get that bastard screaming.  It sounds like it would have a great tone for the E box at fret 12.  Doesn't sound like it would get shrill at all.  I'll bet you could get a great woman tone with some Humbuckers.

Building takes time away from playing, that is for sure.  I made a deal with myself a long time ago that I play time equal to building time.  I have been active playing since the mid 70's and have lots of friends who do gigs.  I am not "In a band" per say, but there are a few local great vocalists who call me for their guitar man.  A long time ago I met Rick Derringer and asked him how did he ever get the opportunity to play with so many different people and continue working.  He said there are 3 simple rules.  Be on time, know the material and always remember you are no more than part of the foundation for the singer.

[Tyrannocaster]

That tremolo sounds fine, fine, fine. It was a lot of work but you got it going in the end; excellent. I would have liked to hear it at the extremes of the speed pot, though.

I was interested in hearing that because two days ago I did a review of the new Fender Excelsior amp for another forum and I played around with its tremolo. I did a clip to show what the Excelsior sounds like for me and I began with the trem: https://www.box.com/s/139c7f6cfca04807565e (only the first section of the clip uses the trem)

I'm not trying to hijack the thread here - my point is that while the Excelsior has an easy-to-use tremolo (it doesn't use a tube for the trem, BTW), it isn't one of the better ones I've heard, and the effect gets too weak as you slow its rate down. Yours sounds like what I want to hear from an amp with trem. Anybody curious about the Excelsior can read my comments about it here: http://agileguitarforum.com/showthread.php?tid=21911

[tubeswell]

Re the excelsior vs the 5G9 trem, the trem circuits in both amps are fairly different (and the excelsior uses a source follower to buffer the signal) Brad's amp has the classic hypnotic trippy slam that only the 5G9 trem has)

[Willabe]

So trippy that it just keeps on makin' you wanna play huh?

Now that you mention it, it does sound a little late 60's-ish, especially when I drop the whammy bar.      

I was a little worried I'd have a hard time with not staying in sink with the term speed but so far no problem.      

I  _really_  like the sound of it, gives a nice texture on certain things/songs. I could have used it in the blues clubs on a hand full of tunes back then, I think the guys/players would have loved it too.

And yes it does make me wanna keep on playing.    

That is beautiful.  Why the disclaimer I don't play much anymore.  Playing was very clean and articulate.

Thanks Ed for the kind words.

Thing is I used to play _a lot_  when I was younger. 3 - 4 hours a day at home was pretty normal and 6 to 8 was fairly common + a gig or 2 a week and I sat in every chance I got (4, 5 times a week) with who ever was playing in the blues clubs that I hung out at the time. Then I left the clubs/bars and played a lot in church. I would also go on song writting jags at times, logged a lot of time on those too. Also had a Tascam 8 track real to real 1/4" tape/mixer that I spent some time with. It kinda all went in cycles through the years of lots of playing time and not so much at other times. I'm on my 4 set of frets on my Strat.        

I pretty much had stopped all together when my parents passed away and my brother came to live with me. He was blind and his health was bad, seizures, plus a long list of other compounding health issues. He passed on now about 2 1/2 years ago. My closest aunt & uncle also passed during the same 5 (?) year period. Any way it was just too much for me, maybe now I'll get back to playing a little more.

A long time ago I met Rick Derringer and asked him how did he ever get the opportunity to play with so many different people and continue working.  He said there are 3 simple rules.  Be on time, know the material and always remember you are no more than part of the foundation for the singer.

I love Derringers playing. "I Think I'm Gonna, Jump, Jump, Jump" is unbelievable.

I think what he told you is very true and wise and the older I get to me the _song_ is the boss. I try to play what fits the song and it's singer. The _song_ is everything.

I would have liked to hear it at the extremes of the speed pot, though.

Well, you did hear 1 extreme, the slow end.  

I have to add a little more capacitance in the LFO to slow it down a little more. Full up speed is so fast you can't really even tell it's on.

I'm working on the cab for it now. I glued the 4 sides up today about 2 hours ago. I'll post in cabs and speakers about with pics as I go.



                                 Thanks,     Brad      

 

[Tyrannocaster]

I wasn't implying that the Excelsior uses the same circuit; only that it doesn't sound as good.

[Ed_Chambley]

So trippy that it just keeps on makin' you wanna play huh?

Now that you mention it, it does sound a little late 60's-ish, especially when I drop the whammy bar.      

I was a little worried I'd have a hard time with not staying in sink with the term speed but so far no problem.      

I  _really_  like the sound of it, gives a nice texture on certain things/songs. I could have used it in the blues clubs on a hand full of tunes back then, I think the guys/players would have loved it too.

And yes it does make me wanna keep on playing.    

That is beautiful.  Why the disclaimer I don't play much anymore.  Playing was very clean and articulate.

Thanks Ed for the kind words.

Thing is I used to play _a lot_  when I was younger. 3 - 4 hours a day at home was pretty normal and 6 to 8 was fairly common + a gig or 2 a week and I sat in every chance I got (4, 5 times a week) with who ever was playing in the blues clubs that I hung out at the time. Then I left the clubs/bars and played a lot in church. I would also go on song writting jags at times, logged a lot of time on those too. Also had a Tascam 8 track real to real 1/4" tape/mixer that I spent some time with. It kinda all went in cycles through the years of lots of playing time and not so much at other times. I'm on my 4 set of frets on my Strat.        

I pretty much had stopped all together when my parents passed away and my brother came to live with me. He was blind and his health was bad, seizures, plus a long list of other compounding health issues. He passed on now about 2 1/2 years ago. My closest aunt & uncle also passed during the same 5 (?) year period. Any way it was just too much for me, maybe now I'll get back to playing a little more.

A long time ago I met Rick Derringer and asked him how did he ever get the opportunity to play with so many different people and continue working.  He said there are 3 simple rules.  Be on time, know the material and always remember you are no more than part of the foundation for the singer.

I love Derringers playing. "I Think I'm Gonna, Jump, Jump, Jump" is unbelievable.

I think what he told you is very true and wise and the older I get to me the _song_ is the boss. I try to play what fits the song and it's singer. The _song_ is everything.

I would have liked to hear it at the extremes of the speed pot, though.

Well, you did hear 1 extreme, the slow end.  

I have to add a little more capacitance in the LFO to slow it down a little more. Full up speed is so fast you can't really even tell it's on.

I'm working on the cab for it now. I glued the 4 sides up today about 2 hours ago. I'll post in cabs and speakers about with pics as I go.



                                 Thanks,     Brad      

 

In life there is always a storm coming.  You have seem to stay in the trenches with integrity.  That's being a real man.  I too have had to lay aside playing from time to time, but if it's its in your blood it always will be.

I absolutely despise recording, so I bought Pro Tools.  Now if anyone wants me to record, I tell them to send me the files and I will send the guitar parts back.  I don't even like playing clubs, but I still do sometimes.  I like fairs and car shows, but my favorite is I have a soundproof basement.  My buddies come over.  We fire up the grill and turn on the amps and PA.

I spent about 2 years learning country style and there are so many wannabe country singers that I get more work than I want.  They always want to record.  I only play.  Nothing like the gel that happens when you are playing with others who are good players.

[Willabe]

Ed again, very kind words, thank you.

I like me some country. Vince Gill and Lee Roy Parnel are 2 of my favorites, I also love Patty Loveless.    

I got around to setting the bias up from 20mA per tube to 35mA per tube. I have a NOS 12AY7 in the 1'st position and with the amp full up with the trems depth full up no red plating on the 6V6's. Trem still sounds great and still has plenty of depth, more than I need or would use.

I played the amp for, mmm, almost 3 hours last night, with the volume set to 11:00 to 12:00, tone set around 1:00 to 3:00 plugged into the #1 bright input jack. Ran my late 80's (?) reissue 62' rosewood fret board Strat with stock SC pup's (I need to get a set of Fralins in it!) and my early 90's (?, first year they were made) Heritage Les Paul with HB's (tuned to open E for slide), into the 6G15 verb I built. Tone - Tubby 12" hemp cone, alnico speaker in an open back Mojo 1-12 cab. I need to try a 12AX7 in the first position.

I gotta say, this amp sounds real good to me. I'm very glad that I made it. Very nice sustain without a ton of distortion. Slide notes hang on and sing nicely, as well as finger played notes. Very quite too. I bet my old (late 40's - early 50's) Gibson lap steel is gonna sound great through this set up too, but I need to have the pup re-wound as it gave up the ghost. I'm very happy with the overall sound and have no complaints so far. I could see gigging with this set up no problem, well depending on the size of the room.

Brought it to a friends church sunday and had a jazz guy play his 80's Ibanez Artist (335) through it. He liked it a lot, said it was very "round" sounding. (He's got a DR re-issue that he plays through at church.)


                       Brad      
    

[TIMBO]

Nice work Brad, I'm sure that my wife would rather me do some more practice and less building for her ears sake!!!! 

[Willabe]

Thanks Timbo.

Yeah, I'm luckey like you, my wife likes it when I play.


                     Brad