Started New Express build

[M Fowler]

I like the original TW cherry cabinet finish just the right color. I need to start on the cab finish soon! Winter project.

What sun

Mark

[cbass]

What sun

Mark

You mean it wansn't 70 and sunny everywhere today?

[M Fowler]

If the weather keeps changing I might just be living in the sun belt in a few years

The geese have been flying around the past 3 days.

[LeftyStrat]

I really have to be careful about taking my vitamin D, or I'll end up with seasonal affective disorder in these grey NW months.

Now I have a picture in my mind of me and a cherry cabinet sitting in front of one of those natural light lamps, trying to get a moon tan.

[M Fowler]

My wife hates winters, she gets the cabin blues. I tell her to just bundle up and go for a walk, works for me but I'm built like a bear.

Mark

[LeftyStrat]

My wife hates winters, she gets the cabin blues. I tell her to just bundle up and go for a walk, works for me but I'm built like a bear.

Mark

My wife is an Oregon Coast girl, so she probably deals with it better than me. I'm a southern boy, growing up where you could actually walk into the ocean without freezing your ass off. But she's home.

[Koop]

I spent 15 years in western Washington...I understand the cabin fever.
I grew up in San Diego where one day was pretty much like the rest - you know temp in the 70's, mostly sunny...yawn. I wish I could afford to buy back the house I sold there in 1986.

[Reeltarded]

I liked inside so much, I stayed there!

Almost 48 years of being mostly inside. Weather is a TV channel! I like AC and heat! I think playing gigs in Florida ruined my perception of normal temperatures. Colder than the poles in Florida, just don't go outside. I played Tucson once and it was like 126f in the light, but 80f in the shade. Man will never walk on the Sun, but Tucson is easier to get to anyhow.

I was in Pachuca Mexico one time. It was hotter than even Phoenix, which I think is classified as a blue giant.

I have heard that Eskimo Hell is a cold place. That is my kind of Hell. Brrrrrr!

[martin manning]

I did have to get out my trusty dental mirror and move a ground wire under the board that was apparently some how grounding out one cathode of V1. Moved the wire and presto

Also, had to make a new shielded wire for 820R grid to volume wiper because it was grounding out. All fixed now.

Mark, so you were able to do some work under the board after it was installed. How did you find the build in general- easy? On the tube socket wires, I soldered them to the socket pins first and then cut to length, stripprd, and soldered to the appropriate eyelet.

[M Fowler]

I was able to use my dental mirror to see that the wire of the V1b cathode cap/resistor pair was touching a ground wire where it entered the eyelet under the tone board. I thought no way that got melted into the ground wire during soldering but when I pushed the wire away no more continuity to ground. I knew something was up when my volume pot wiper and bright switch were reading to ground when testing. I also noted that I must have applied to much heat to the shielded wire and it was also grounding from braid shield to the core wire. Sloppy I know.

It is almost impossible to do any under board repair. I wired the sockets leads after assembly. The whole building process was easy I think and laid out very well. I would build another this way. For the LP I would lay things out differently leaving the tubes on the back row and place the filter caps on the tone board.

Mark

[M Fowler]

I put the amp in the cab and ran it for about 1.5 hours tonight and did not have any issues with the amp being uncontrollable so perhaps that was just something that only happened on the bench (open chassis).

It is great to have an Express that has bass tone for a change.

I guess I better figure out how to record for Garlin huh

Mark

[M Fowler]

Note: I used Triodestore Magnetic Components (MC) TW Express power transformer on this build incase anyone is looking for a good PT for their Express build.

The freaking PT is bigger then the Heyboer, Pacific or Edcor PT's so you have to make sure you allow for that. Reference my photo in earlier post showing a Heyboer next to the MC PT.

I also used the MC OT 6k6 as well.

Mark

[martin manning]

Mark, so the presonance is working with no instability issues now?

[Richie]

Mark, one of the best additions anyone could make or add to the express is, the bias pot,with test point on the back. Then you don't have to remove the amp from the cab to swap,test or bias the EL34s. The Komet style 10 turn pot is really nice,and can lock it in.

[Colossal]

It is great to have an Express that has bass tone for a change.

Mark,

What do you attribute to the increase in bass response? I am getting really nice low end out of the PCBXP but have 716Ps throughout. Just Mullard reissues right now, nothing special. Using the 6k6 tap, way better clarity. Presonance is great.