New liverpool build - needs taming :)

[nasdak]

Hello!
Great forum here with lots of informations !!!

I built a liverpool clone based on a italian el84 amp.
The amps sounds very good... But very loud too
I wired a ppimv master volume (dual 250k pot) and it does the job but i wonder if i can make better !
Does vvr work good in a liverpool? Should i scale the whole amp or just the PA?
Thanks !

[Guy77]

Hi. When I had my Liverpool amp I also had a PPIMV and then I built an Airbrake and I liked that the best. In regards to installing a VVR maybe try just scaling the Power section so that way you don't loose the characteristics of the preamp.

My vvr was scaling the whole amp , I didn't like it when it was turned down too low. You may have better results just scaling the power section. Others may chime in here regrading the vvr.

In the end i went with an Airbrake and ppimv and left the voltages stock.

Cheers

Guy

[M Fowler]

Those looks like some nice transformers for your Liverpool nice job.

[nasdak]

Thanks! Good old iron from the 70's
I'll investigate the vvr for the power section only.
Wich MOSFET should i use?

[frankdrebin]

the point with VVr is that if you scale all the amp,the preamp will sound bad and you need to block DC coming out of the grids,if you scale just the PA you need a simple MV in front to keep the ratio.
And yes,once again,PPIMV less than half sounds like ass,just look at it on a scope and you figure why.Same thing for the cross line type.
It could work with buffers after the PI,but who's willing to do it?

[nasdak]

yeah i think you're right. They're meant to be played loud aren't they ?

[Colossal]

yeah i think you're right. They're meant to be played loud aren't they ?

They really are. Best to knock off some dB with an attenuator with Trainwreck amps. That's a nice build. Say, out of curiosity, are you playing humbuckers or single coils? I can't really tell what values you used for the RC in front of the clipping stage. Maybe 56k and 2n2?

[nasdak]

PAF style pickup on my LP and vintage 62 on my strat
Can't remember, i think it's a 68k and a 0.002uF

[Colossal]

PAF style pickup on my LP and vintage 62 on my strat
Can't remember, i think it's a 68k and a 0.002uF

Thanks. Sometime folks tune those components on the Express to fatten up the low end a bit. Liverpool seems better with 33-68k there. Plenty of gain on tap.

[nasdak]

Just made some tweaks to my liverpool build : tried to parallel the 2.2nF coupling cap with another 2.2nF (i used a nice vintage polystyrene cap). Damn !!! it adds some bass response that was lacking, sound it very full now, what an amp !

[Mark]

I was thinking 0.0022uF wasn't right for a Liverpool amp. The 0.0047uF sounds much better to me.

Perhaps it would be better to make a 15 to 18 watt version, but they are still really loud. There must be a valve out there that yields lower wattage.