Songwriter 30

[dr. who]

Does anyone know anything about the songwriter 30? Anyone heard it?

[dr. who]

Is the songwriter 30 at all like the rockets? I am curious because it was built for cleans and it has 2 knobs & 2 switches where the 4 knobs would be on rocket, which I would assume would be volume, bright switch, deep switch, and a cut knob. How do y'all think Ken would have wired a bright switch, and deep switch?

[RJ Guitars]

Doc,

Let's take a look at it... http://www.trainwreck.com/sw30.html

From the back I can see 4 EL84's but there is some big octal tube over there in preamp land. I can also see a choke that is generally associated with the Rocket...

Also check it out! It has an IEC socket for the AC inlet!

No telling what is under the hood in this thing

rj

[Jackie Treehorn]

I can also see a choke that is generally associated with the Rocket...

From the positioning, it could also be a transformer phase inverter.

[Ron Worley]

I would presume that the Octal tube off to the right of that pic is the Rectifier...

Ron

[rfgordon]

"I would presume that the Octal tube off to the right of that pic is the Rectifier..."

I don't think so. The recto would be in the back by the power supply. Since it appears to be V2 (but we really can't see what else is lurking behind that beautiful maple bar) in a two-preamp tube setup, it's likely to be handling the PI duties. If so, the question is: what is it? 6SL7? 6SN7? some other variety?

[mojotom]

The Komet Constellation prototype ?

One input
Two volume controls
Two bright switches (could be replace by a three position switch, losing one position)
High Cut control

4xEL84/2x12AX7/6SN7 and a choke...

[RJ Guitars]

"I would presume that the Octal tube off to the right of that pic is the Rectifier..."

I don't think so. The recto would be in the back by the power supply... it's likely to be handling the PI duties. If so, the question is: what is it? 6SL7? 6SN7? some other variety?

I'm with you in agreement that it's too far from the power supply for a rectifier tube... however it seems to be setting about where V2 should be... that would strike me as more likely a 12SL7 preamp tube... FWIW

rj

[RJ Guitars]

The Komet Constellation prototype ?

One input
Two volume controls
Two bright switches (could be replace by a three position switch, losing one position)
High Cut control

4xEL84/2x12AX7/6SN7 and a choke...

You know there is an extra half of a 12AX7 that generally goes unused on a TW amp... If a person was so inclined they could use that extra stage in parallel to the first input. You can even voice it differently and give it it's own volume control - Viola! two volume controls.

"Zippy" here on the forum has been doing that for long time and just his week mentioned it to me again... another switch I could add.

rj

[dark]

[/img]

Kenny sent me this photo in December 2006.

Dark

[Fredaxis]

Thank you Dark,
The text on the picture gives the clue about the octal tube in the preamp section.
6188= 6SU7GTY is an ultra-premium, low noise 6SL7 substitute

[riscado]

as far as I'm concerned that amp is conspicuously similar to the komet constellation curently in production no?

[jaysg]

The (huge) PT looks like a Dynaco.

[doctord02]

as far as I'm concerned that amp is conspicuously similar to the komet constellation curently in production no?

Agreed, very similar. However, Ken did not design the Constellation for Komet, thats an original design from Hogy that predates this amp... But it wouldnt suprise me if Ken saw one and decided to see what he could do with that topology. By all accounts the songwriter is a clean amp. The Constellation is a gain monster as I understand it, maybe even more that the other amps they make.

[riscado]

I wouldn't be so sure of it, I bet Ken's definition of a good clean amp was more in the lines of an ac-30... So it's a point of view, as a lot of people tend not to consider them that clean at all.

I do know the constellation coaxes some very nice clean tones, using the 6SN7 octal preamp tube, too.