KT66 Deluxe Reverb - Video Added

[p2pAmps]

I am finally getting to this project.  It started out as a Deluxe reverb I bought for cheap.  After a lot of cutting and messing with this chassis I have everything in place to get started I think.  The CT trannies are for a Tweed Bassman, power tubes KT66s, and the circuit will be the ever familiar AB763.  It's sort of a prototype for me so we'll see where it ends up.  EIther way it's going to be fun and might turn out to be a killer.

[Backwoods Joe]

Those big bottles LOOK GOOD!

[p2pAmps]

I hope they sound good :). 

[MoparWade]

Looks really good!!

[Shack]

Can not wait....your builds are perty :)

[p2pAmps]

Well I finally got an evening to work on my KT66 DR that has been on hold while I work on other people rigs.  Made some good progress.

[eleventeen]

Should be a very clean machine, possibly more suitable for steel. Except for 6L6 vs KT66 (roughly the same tube) that's how my SF DR and SF Princeton are. They get pretty loud before they get dirty. But they sound awesome, clear and strong. I know you'll like it.

[TIMBO]

Lookin good,
I've got a pair of GEC KT66 that were in an old Aussie amp I bought. I'm hoping they are OK as I have not had them tested yet.
I'm thinkin a Blues Breaker.

[p2pAmps]

the KT66 DR is all done and sounding good!  One small tiny issue, I can't get a 12" in the cabinet now with the giant trannies!  Going with 2x10 16Ω Alnico Golds which I love anyway.

[eleventeen]

I will bring up two possible variations, neither one of which is astoundingly great, but just sayin'...


One is to move the OT to the far end of the amp, the preamp end. Yeah, sucks, especially on a clean brand new build (mine was already a PR and it was already chopped and "stock" was but a memory. But really, what are we talking about? Four screws, 5 wires. Not the end of the world. Been working OK for 35+ years in my '68 PR. I would not rely just on heat shrink to run full B+ across the chassis like that. I used: heat shrink, then jacketing from some coax around the heat-shrink splices, then bigger jacketing around the whole bundle. 2-3 Nylon cable clamps as it runs over the chassis.


The other is, you can probably very very carefully devise a particular rotation of the speaker where the OT pokes into the space between spokes on the frame. You wouldn't be able to do this on an older Jensen speaker that is nearly a solid cone but with perforations...meaning, it retains most of its "cone" form factor. But I was able to do this using an Altec 417 speaker that has a fearsome deep frame. Had  to remake the baffle board and of course that means taking off the grille cloth, redrilling, moving the "T" nuts if you are using that method.


Both of these are of course a big PITA, I only mention them so you know they are possible. For mine....I think I had to do BOTH (!)

[Willabe]

How do the KT66's sound compared to 6L6's?

Bass end tighter, cleaner, bigger, fuller? Same question(s) for Mids? Highs?

[p2pAmps]

How do the KT66's sound compared to 6L6's?

Bass end tighter, cleaner, bigger, fuller? Same question(s) for Mids? Highs?

Not sure yet as I haven't had time to mess with it that much.  I am waiting on a couple of 10s to go in it.  After that I plan to really play it hard and see what I ended up with.
I've got a PR on the bench that's 95% done and another reverb to build. 

[Willabe]

Ok, please gives let us know what you think after you play it for a while. 

[mresistor]

I'm thinkin the 10's will sound stellar.. 

[p2pAmps]

Ok, got her all done and man that thing sounds strong.  It has a ton of clear punchy low end and nice mids as well.  I need to grab a 335 and Strat next and see how it goes.  I did cut the bright cap off as my Tele was too bright, it a bright guitar anyway in all my amps. 

[Paul1453]

Someday I hope to make amps that look as pretty as all yours do!   

[p2pAmps]

I admit it, I'm having a ball tonight

[Willabe]

Volume pedal on the board? Who makes it? 

[tubenit]

Incredibly nice work! Thanks for sharing.  I hope you'll post some sound clips of the amp.  I've never played an amp with KT66's and would
love to hear how they sound.

with respect, Tubenit

[p2pAmps]

Volume pedal on the board? Who makes it? 

That is a Hilton Guitar Pro volume pedal.  I am the pickiest guy on the planet when it comes to volume pedals being a steel player all my life.  Almost all Volume pedals are tone suckers.  I have had a Hilton on my Steel rig for a long time so when it was time to make my pedalboard I busted out my 3 hundo and got a Hilton.  Worth every penny to me.

[p2pAmps]

Incredibly nice work! Thanks for sharing.  I hope you'll post some sound clips of the amp.  I've never played an amp with KT66's and would
love to hear how they sound.

with respect, Tubenit

Thanks Tubenit,

I will post sounds clips when I get a minute.  I want to mic the thing up this time and use a number of guitars to really see what it's about.
My first impressions are it has a ton of clean headroom which is exactly what I expected.  The Bass is tight and not an ounce of fartiness (is that a word)
I did cut one leg of the bright cap (47pF) as it was pretty bright with my Tele.  The feel of this amp will be hard to demo as I think you have to play it in person
to understand that part which would be different for each player.  I also wired the power tube sockets so I could stick some 6CA7s in there and see where that goes.

[HotBluePlates]

Looks great!!

Are you gonna have to change the thread title to "KT66 Vibrolux Reverb"?

[p2pAmps]

Looks great!!

Are you gonna have to change the thread title to "KT66 Vibrolux Reverb"?

I don't know what to call this darn thing.  Maybe KT66 Bastardized Amp!

[HotBluePlates]

I was joking, but 2x 6L6 and 2x 10" speakers is the formula for a blackface Vibrolux Reverb.

Most of the AB763-variant amps are differentiated by the #/type of output tubes and #/size of the speakers. There are also little difference in the power supplies and bias circuits, the size of shunt feedback resistor, # of channels and whether a Mid control is provided.

[Ed_Chambley]

Great stuff buddy. Nice looking as usual!
Did you put an ext speaker jack on the rear back panel?


I like the Gold 10 very much as well.  I have one in a single 10 over-sized cab and it does have the bottom of a 12" speaker, but they really like to be pushed.  I really like the KT66 Gold Lions and currently running a pair in my most used Super Reverb.

[p2pAmps]

Great stuff buddy. Nice looking as usual!
Did you put an ext speaker jack on the rear back panel?


I like the Gold 10 very much as well.  I have one in a single 10 over-sized cab and it does have the bottom of a 12" speaker, but they really like to be pushed.  I really like the KT66 Gold Lions and currently running a pair in my most used Super Reverb.

Thanks Ed,

The ext speaker jack is a leftover from the previous owner and does nothing.  I was going to pull it but I figure it looks better than a hole.  I will make up some panels when I get bored I guess.

So far the 10s are great.

[p2pAmps]

Recorded with my iPhone so she is pretty compressed.  In real life not so...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqt1cY_yjRc&feature=youtu.be

[Willabe]

 

What chorus pedal are you using? 

[pompeiisneaks]

Man that thing sings!  Loved it when you put on the OD and it starts wailing :)

~Phil

[p2pAmps]

What chorus pedal are you using?

The Chorus is a Keeley Seafoam

[Willabe]

It has a real liquid tone to it. Great smooth depth.

Thanks for posting a close up of your pedal board. 

[Backwoods Joe]

Really outstanding build and tone! THX for posting

[Paul1453]

Your playing is as outstanding as all your builds are!   

Some Steely Dan, ZZ Top, and a few others I recognized all sounded great!   

[eleventeen]

Really nice. Yeah, the feeling you get with an amp like that is that it could rip your head off with the reserve power it has.

[p2pAmps]

Really nice. Yeah, the feeling you get with an amp like that is that it could rip your head off with the reserve power it has.

Yes but it is also easy to tame which makes it very versatile for me.  I just plugged in my 66 335 and was double blow away.  I know there will be many more of these built soon as my buds get a chance to try it. 

[pompeiisneaks]

I like the rig, I've got a TC Electronic delay too but mines the X4 with a bit different setup.  I also use their HOF reverb that just sounds incredible.  I've got a few OD pedals, the Way Huge Sound Green Rhino and the EH Soul Food.  Both have very specific tonal shaping that I really like alone or together ;) 

I agree with the consensus, not only do your builds rock, but so do you :)

~Phil

[p2pAmps]

I like the rig, I've got a TC Electronic delay too but mines the X4 with a bit different setup.  I also use their HOF reverb that just sounds incredible.  I've got a few OD pedals, the Way Huge Sound Green Rhino and the EH Soul Food.  Both have very specific tonal shaping that I really like alone or together ;) 

I agree with the consensus, not only do your builds rock, but so do you :)

~Phil

Hey Thanks Phil.  Sounds like you have a nice setup.  Some of my pedals I have had since the late 70s!  The MXRs are from high school and still do it for me.  The newest one is that Vertex Boost, what a great pedal man.  Do yourself a favor and find one to try.

[tubenit]

That sounds GREAT!   Thanks for sharing the sound clip.  Really a superb tone.

Always enjoy your playing.

With respect, Tubenit

[Justa]

Wow!!  Stellar sounding amp and outstanding player.  Well Done!!

[p2pAmps]

I got a few requests for better pics of the back, here you go...

[p2pAmps]

One more sound clip with my 335 this time to get some contrast...

You guys should build one of these for sure...

! No longer available

[Willabe]

Thanks for posting the 335 clip. I'm not well versed with a Tele's sound.

That amp sounds great alright! 

[tubenit]

That last clip really impresses me.  That is absolutely beautiful tone!  I would be quite happy with an amp like that.  Well done!

Thanks again for sharing! 

With respect, Tubenit

[p2pAmps]

That last clip really impresses me.  That is absolutely beautiful tone!  I would be quite happy with an amp like that.  Well done!

Thanks again for sharing! 

With respect, Tubenit

Ok then, You must build one - it's required LOL

[tubenit]

Ok then, You must build one - it's required

This may sound odd, but out of the several dozen different amp designs I've built, ........... I've actually never built a clone of any manufactured amp. 

Closest to a clone was copying DaGeezer's HoSo56 but adding reverb and using different power tubes & tone stack.

I do think your amp would be a great one to build as a one channel design.

With respect, Tubenit

[p2pAmps]

Ok then, You must build one - it's required

This may sound odd, but out of the several dozen different amp designs I've built, ........... I've actually never built a clone of any manufactured amp. 

Closest to a clone was copying DaGeezer's HoSo56 but adding reverb and using different power tubes & tone stack.

I do think your amp would be a great one to build as a one channel design.

With respect, Tubenit

I think thats great.  I'm not good enough to design yet but I will get there eventually.  Right now building clones seems to be a way for me to sell amps and learn...

[shooter]

to be a way for me to sell amps and learn...

I'm like Tubnit, only built 1 clone 5E1, II get a lot of wow, that great sounding, but no sales because it doesn't say fender or ......

The reason I posted though, a Tube chart!! That is the quality touch I'm working towards.  Do you have *docs* you pass on.  I usually put a schematic, voltage chart, build notes in a *report type* plastic binder when the amps move away.

[p2pAmps]

to be a way for me to sell amps and learn...

I'm like Tubnit, only built 1 clone 5E1, II get a lot of wow, that great sounding, but no sales because it doesn't say fender or ......

The reason I posted though, a Tube chart!! That is the quality touch I'm working towards.  Do you have *docs* you pass on.  I usually put a schematic, voltage chart, build notes in a *report type* plastic binder when the amps move away.

PM me your email and I will send you a word doc tomorrow I use.  Very easy to edit and make your own tube chart ok.

Cheers,

[Ed_Chambley]

Very nice.  I told you that the KT66 and the 335's are made for each other.  Great tone and has a nice grunt to it.  Sounds a LOT like my Super Reverb with KT66.


Great JOB!

[p2pAmps]

to be a way for me to sell amps and learn...

I'm like Tubnit, only built 1 clone 5E1, II get a lot of wow, that great sounding, but no sales because it doesn't say fender or ......

The reason I posted though, a Tube chart!! That is the quality touch I'm working towards.  Do you have *docs* you pass on.  I usually put a schematic, voltage chart, build notes in a *report type* plastic binder when the amps move away.

Attached is a word doc, have fun