1 watt revisited

[bigdaddy]

OK this is what I am doing.

I ordered a killer ant 1 watt amp. I'll see how it sounds and if it can be improved upon.

I ordered a weber mini mass 15 watt. It has some tone controls and with a 6V6 or 6K6 might just take off enough edge.

I checked into some yellow jackets, wanted some opinions on them before I order. Has anybody used them in an SE amp?

I contacted David Allen about using 6K6GTs with some of his transformers.

I am also making an isolation type area, maybe in a closet in my room, plus add more insulation to my bedroom. I already have plenty. If this guy had a carpet it would help.

So those are the things I am doing. Any ideas would be appreciated. I don't want to have to rip apart all the work I have done over the past few years, my labor, sweat and even blood are in and on those amps. I have the scars from the burn marks to prove it...

I like the VVR idea and some of the other things said. So if anybody would like to offer anything in anyway I would sincerely appreciate that.

I see my other post was deleted, that's maybe a good thing, I was angry and worried about any harm to my mom. She's almost 80 years old.

Thanks

[Heinz]

I know this is all about tube amps...but what about a little SS amp?

The "Ruby"/"Little Gem" is a very simple under-one-watt design at almost no cost. Here's the link: http://www.runoffgroove.com/littlegem.html
There are are some sound samples on those pages, as well. I think it sounds pretty cool.

Please don't beat me!

[6G6]

By the time you get the level of a 1 watt, with a mini mass, you may as well just skip to a headphone amp.
Vox has a little one that just plugs into the jack on your guitar and the headphones plug into it.

You are right to be concerned about your Mom.
Best of luck with the new neighbor.

[bigdaddy]

Someone else suggested a head phone amp......I really hate headphones. I just want to hear myself about as loud as a TV set or radio. But with a good tone.....I know a lot to ask.

Hopefully the Killer Ant and the Weber mini mass for my other amps will be enough. It's amazing how loud a 5 watt amp can be with a good speaker.

I will report on both. If the Ant sounds good I might change a few amps I have and add a real tone stack. If you look at the schematic it does have a cathode following tone stack with fixed values.

[7string]

That Micro MASS looks nice. It has separate bass/treble volume controls. I think this will work well with the your Killer Ant.

A setup like the one in Doug’s Library of Information with the stereo tube preamp and TC rack effects is a killer front end for a low watt amp for practice. I usually use a 4x12 too.

[tubenit]

A setup like the one in Doug’s Library of Information with the stereo tube preamp and TC rack effects is a killer front end for a low watt amp for practice

Doug's stereo tube preamp along with Guitar Rig can create an incredibly diverse palate of tones from clean to acoustic to over the top overdrive ...........all at levels that you can have a conversation over.  It's one of the most amazing set ups that I have ever heard. I have heard one exactly like his.



With respect, Tubenit

[bigdaddy]

I also ordered some 6K6 tubes to see if I can get some of the amps I have down in volume.

I'm not in good shape and rebuilding, building, modifying amps is something I might not be able to do anymore. That's why I bought the Killer Ant and the Mini Mass, I don't know if I can do any work anymore.

The little mini mass sounds like it might do the trick on the bigger amps or the killer ant. It does not have a volume control, it has two tone controls so you can dial in the sound. I'll find out.....

Right now I have a nerve issue that shoots pain down my left side, into my leg, hip and left testicle. Like someone kicked me in the the nuts. This is not a pleasant thing at all..... When it happens if I am standing I will fall down. It happened in the doctors office but luckily I had my walker. Yeah, I'm serious, I am literally on my last legs........

But I am basically a happy person and as long as I have a guitar to play I'm OK.... I won't let anything take me down, period, I'm a fighter. Maybe other people can learn from me about surviving and fighting and not giving up with life no matter how bad things get.

[jojokeo]

My experience w/ 6K6s are that they will lower your perceived volume by almsot half over 6V6s so that may not be quite enough? The 1 watt amp will be better but I'm not familiar with that particular make. I have made a similar amp like Doug's Firefly amp and it kicks serious booty at lower vol levels. By changing tubes you can get real diversity and feel. Plus mine can give a neat slight tube rectifier sag if wanted. This is something that you would want (maybe for your playing style?) because the physical feedback response & feeling you get in your fingers when sag is produced from a cranked amp gives you more of something that your senses feel that solid state amps or smaller amps have a hard time in creating. You could get more of the mojo factor while still being less loud.

Another possiblity that's been suggested is modeling software like Guitar Rig, but I happen to have Vox's Guitar Jam and it's quite realistic and versitile w/ a lot of diff amp and effect combinations you can create. It gives you this sag effect in a lot of combinations too. It comes w/ it's own stereo speakers and you can plug it into monitor speakers or even your own amps if your want. The other nice thing is you can eliminate the guitar parts of any mp3 song you load into it to "be the man" or use it to learn stuff too. It seems ideal for your situation at a very low cost. It used to be $200 but is lowered down to $130 or so. http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Vox-JamVOX-Guitar-Jam-and-Practice-Tool?sku=159906
Good luck b-daddy

[bigdaddy]

I have a pretty good unit already and I hate anything like modeling units. I even tried overdrive pedals.

I like the idea of the firefly and have to look into it. But I don't know if I am up to complete rebuilds....????

Anybody have a good updated version of the firefly schematic and/or layout?

[jojokeo]

Here it is...
You can omit the first stage and it's still fun to play but the gain from the cascode stage gives great cranked amp sound & feel albiet w/ more output power/loudness. It is a fun amp & circuit to tube test with.

[bigdaddy]

It looks like you can basically try any type of preamp there is......

Cool...... :3some:

Thank you....it does look a lot like the killer ant, but the kill ant has a very Marshall type preamp but with fixed tone stack values.

This along with the 6K6 tube to replace some of the 6V6 amps and the mini mass might solve ALL my noise issues. I think I can replace transformers in other amps and a little rewiring and it will be a firefly.

Plus....I was honestly looking for less volume. I went to the champ amp in the beginning to get lower in volume. Now this might be what I was looking for to begin with. I also feel it was TOO loud in my bedroom to begin with and was building an isolation area in my closet to handle the volume. Maybe I can go back and start recording again.

Everything is a huge issue with me, the simplest things are monumental because of my condition. It's exhausting and painful to even do 15 minutes of work. But I have a plan now and options. Thank you.