Tube Amp Archive

Finally got this thing in proper order. Sounds great and the harmonic trem is pretty incredible, to say the least!

Quick Demo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH-FadWoaOA&t=131s

UPDATE: Apparently they pulled the wrong transformer. They sent out a blackface Princeton transformer, instead of the brown, hence the higher voltages. I ended up building a brown Deluxe while I was waiting for the parts and it sounds great. The problem is the original Princeton build is still not f...

Ended up grabbing the Brown Concert as I needed a bit more power. What an amp!! Sounded decent at the guy's house so I took it home.. Well apparently something had shaken loose on the ride cause the thing was intermittently crackling and popping when I fired it up. I opened up the chassis and there ...

Thanks for the responses. Price and condition seem decent but a few more brown amps have come up and I am now leaning toward a brown deluxe for 2,200. Seller also has a 6G11 Vibrolux for 3k. 6G3 Deluxe: Screen Shot 2020-10-27 at 12.48.01 AM.png Screen Shot 2020-10-27 at 12.48.11 AM.png Screen Shot 2...

UPDATE: A 6G3 Deluxe has come up for 2,200 in essentially mint and all original condition aside from handle and speaker transferred from his vibrolux of the same year (from what the owner says). Seller also has brown Vibrolux. It's in decent condition (not mint) and he is firm at 3k. I think I'm go...

I have verified the pots are good. Checked all the wiring twice but the problem still persists. I just want to know if it is possible the high voltage could cause v1 or the knobs to behave this way. Thanks for pointing that out Phil. I am aware of the danger but I will try to be more cautious when w...

This may be unrelated to the transformer problem but I did notice the amp would make a popping sound and the volume would drop out (the low level hum would cease until the volume knob was turned back to the lowest position). When the knob was turned back down you could hear another pop and the retur...

The transformer diagram provided in the 3rd post says it is wound for 120V

Label on the transformer says "FBPP Tone Clone." Thanks! As far as the switches I am doing some experimenting with cathode bypass caps, a gainstage / boost switch, and bright switches (trying to emulate the bright channel on a 6G3 using switchable caps, and possibly a blackface style bright switch d...

That's what I was thinking. I ordered a few transformers including a 6G3 PT and I can only assume they somehow mixed the order up? Hopefully everything works out. Note: above I stated 766 and 366 VDC as the AC voltages. I mistakenly wrote 766 instead of 733 VAC. Still way high but I wanted to correc...

Thanks for pointing that out. I think you are right but I am still reluctant to contact them as a fairly novice builder. I just don't see any other explanation. The rectifier is pulled and the AC high voltage secondary is still testing high. The only variables appear to be the wall voltage and the t...

Testing the end of each high voltage secondary (red to red, pin 4 and 6) I get 733 VAC. Testing the high voltage center tap to red secondary I get 366 VAC. The last thing I want to do is contact MM about their product but I can only believe what the meter is telling me. I have tested with multiple m...

I have a NOS Phillips 5Y3GT installed now and another GE 5Y3 for backup. The issue is the high voltage winding is already putting out 76 volts AC more than is listed by the manufacturer.

The filter caps ARE rated at 500 volts AND there are two 25uF/50 volt capacitors in parallel in the bias section so I think I am covered there. The transformer is brand new. Is it possible the high voltage winding is wrong from the manufacturer? I just installed it today. What else would cause the 6...

Thank you Davidg. You are right on. I ended up rewiring the normal channel to have 1 less gain stage and the amp is near perfect (could maybe use a slight adjustment on the bass channel but I am already very pleased with the results). It sounds good all the way up the dial on the normal channel, and...