How do I adjust plate voltages?

[LPSGME]

OK, Please learn how to safely work on that amp before you go digging inside where there is over 400 volts direct current.
Good luck.

I used to do repairs at guitar store where they had a small box on the counter, with a sign on it saying: 'Do Not Pick Up'.

It was interesting to watch as people would push it, then then lift it up an inch and quickly drop it - instinctively expecting something to happen. When it did not, they'd pick it up; and then hold it high up - so as to look underneath at the bottom.

At that point they'd inevitably turn their wrist, turning the box upside down, and discover why the sign said: 'Do Not Pick Up'.

And being everyone who came in was either a guitar player or delivery person, you can imagine how many heeded the sign. LOL

[rvf263]

Yet another great thread!

This will certainly help me with my build.


Thanks!

[Structo]

OK, Please learn how to safely work on that amp before you go digging inside where there is over 400 volts direct current.
Good luck.

I used to do repairs at guitar store where they had a small box on the counter, with a sign on it saying: 'Do Not Pick Up'.

It was interesting to watch as people would push it, then then lift it up an inch and quickly drop it - instinctively expecting something to happen. When it did not, they'd pick it up; and then hold it high up - so as to look underneath at the bottom.

At that point they'd inevitably turn their wrist, turning the box upside down, and discover why the sign said: 'Do Not Pick Up'.

And being everyone who came in was either a guitar player or delivery person, you can imagine how many heeded the sign. LOL

Did the box shock them?

If it did, I built something like that when I was a kid.
I took a plain black plastic project box and made a circuit inside with a 9v battery, a transformer, a mercury switch and a tiny electric motor to make the DC pulse.
I used this metal foil on the the outside of the box so that if you picked it up the fingers on each side would get a charge!

I didn't put a sign by it at all.
People would see it and pick it up. Curiosity and all that.
Funny thing was that it caused a sort of reaction where they would pick it up and let go, pick it up and let it go.

I was at a party one night and had left it on the coffee table.
Well this chick who was pregnant picked it up and I about freaked out thinking it was going to cause a miscarriage.
So after that I left it home, but it sure was funny when unsuspecting people would pick it up.

[LPSGME]

Did the box shock them?

If it did, I built something like that when I was a kid.
I took a plain black plastic project box and made a circuit inside with a 9v battery, a transformer, a mercury switch and a tiny electric motor to make the DC pulse.
I used this metal foil on the the outside of the box so that if you picked it up the fingers on each side would get a charge!

I didn't put a sign by it at all.
People would see it and pick it up. Curiosity and all that.
Funny thing was that it caused a sort of reaction where they would pick it up and let go, pick it up and let it go.

I was at a party one night and had left it on the coffee table.
Well this chick who was pregnant picked it up and I about freaked out thinking it was going to cause a miscarriage.
So after that I left it home, but it sure was funny when unsuspecting people would pick it up.

Yes, this one was 99% identical to yours but utilized a relay, through whose DT switch the 9V was delivered to the relay coil - so that it flip flopped on and off causing the voltage on the coil to build.

I know what you mean about how people would play with it and could just not resist. Even after getting a shock they would often still pick it up to try it again, having acclimated to the sensation.

[LPSGME]

Structo, I only just notice your avatar. LOL.

Hey, I have one of Nik's D'lators on the way.

[Structo]

Cool, looking forward to the review.

Please tell me he didn't name it the Dildolator.....

[talbany]

I always thought HEAVY GRAVY would be a cool name for a Lator..Sell em @ KFC.. Percolator excluded!!

Tony

[LPSGME]

Looks like I need a different meter. Mine just blinks OL when I touch pin 3. I'll have to hit up my dad tomorrow when I head down to my hometown.

I'm either getting used to the way this amp sounds or I'm bonding with it. I don't know. I put in some sovtek 6l6's that were matched and biased around 35. Then redid the RF mod. I found a nice spongey OD sound.

I'll post my findings on the power tube voltage tomorrow or thursday. Thanks for all the help so far.

As I started listening to dumble amp clips, with each newly discovered series of clips, I kept hearing amps which I thought sounded progressively better than my HRM Ceriatone.

But after adding some mods (to be more OTS like) and such, and actually getting to play with it, I started liking my own amp more and more. Now as I re-listen to all the clips of amps I thought sounded superior, I come away just as impressed (if not more so) with my own amp.

So I'm not surprised if you are liking you amp more and more, as you become accustom to it.

[cdc3jj]

When I first built my 5e3 I had all the grounds running to an un-grounded terminal strip and it was a lot like the boxes you guys are describing. Everytime I touched it I got a jolt. Had a 68 bandmaster reverb that blew the bias pot and was doing the same thing a few years back. Electricity and I go way back. Honestly I'm terrified of it so I always try to be extremely cautious. I lifted my pops plastic plyers he had for electrical troube-shooting after the whole 5e3 incident and I typically hold the meter contact with them.

I'd be interested in some of the mods you did (or anyone has done) to get the BM more ODS like.

Speaking of dildolators... Is there a mod to put a tube in the circuit? I'm curious to compare SS to tube. Or better yet a kit? I read brown note offers one but couldn't find it. I'd like to build a tube based loop to compare to my kleinulator. I've seen some builds in the files section but no layouts or BOM. Which is really what I would need.

Picked up a couple meters today. One from my dad and another from wally world. Hopefully I can get the Ptube readings tomorrow.

I also tried a 12at7 in the phase inverter slot. Took away some of the D-squish. Made it sound much more blackface like to my ears, but w/o the D-overdrive it's kind of just a 50w deluxe w/o verb and trem.

Thinking about trying a tungsol 12ax7 in the PI spot, 5751's in v1 and v2 and some Tungsol 5881 power tubes. according to tube depot they have good compression and tight bottom end. And I love a tight bottom end.

Also, I noticed tonight at practice that I don't get much boost on the OD circuit with the footswitch. But I get a huge amount on the clean side. Wondering why that is and if there's a way to adjust the amount of boost? On each channel? Or if you can eq it? Seems to be mid heavy when engaged.

Sorry for so many questions in one post. I'm really glad I found this forum. Great source of info even for noobs like me.

[erwin_ve]

I always thought HEAVY GRAVY would be a cool name for a Lator..Sell em @ KFC.. Percolator excluded!!

Tony

I smell a upcoming project, Tony you're a cool name generator

[Structo]

I recently built a Dumbleator with the help of this forum.
It's not a terribly hard project to do. I used a Fender stand alone reverb PT which made it a bit more difficult since most of the schematics are for a different PT.

But the tube loop sure makes a difference on how the amp works.
Recently a guy came up with a schematic for a parallel tube loop.
I made a layout for it and it's in the file section.

Have you checked in the Ceriatone forum for mods to your amp?

I could be wrong but I don't think your BM is going to get the classic D tone since it has quite a few different parts than a ODS.
Different PI, different OD, etc.

If you can put into words exactily what you don't like about it then the guys here can most likely help you.

[mcinku]

I could be wrong but I don't think your BM is going to get the classic D tone since it has quite a few different parts than a ODS.
Different PI, different OD, etc.

I think you're wrong Tom... I think that Ceriatone BM is actually the closest amp to what is considered to be a "standard D circuit" for BM.
I think just one bypass cap is a little off, the rest is very much in line.

[Structo]

No the phase inverter is different.
Unless I misunderstood what you meant.
I agree that the Ceriatone uses the correct values for the HRM BM amp.

What I was saying is that it sounds a bit different from the typical ODS amp in tone.

Here are the main differences.

It uses a 511R cathode resistor with a 9K1 tail.

The OD entrance is different as well with a 470K/ 47pf > 120K.

The tonestack is different as well with a 47K slope, .02uF bass cap, .02uF mid cap and 25K mid pot.

1uF OD2 bypass.

It is a Dumble amp so it sounds like a Dumble but it is entirely different from a ODS amp.

[mcinku]

I think I need to ask some questions then...

It uses a 511R cathode resistor with a 9K1 tail.

I thought these were the correct values... I saw these values here
https://tubeamparchive.com/files/bm_dcl ... 12_171.pdf
and here
https://tubeamparchive.com/download/file.php?id=2508
So what are the correct values?

The OD entrance is different as well with a 470K/ 47pf > 120K.

OD entrance again the same as those above... ?

The tonestack is different as well with a 47K slope, .02uF bass cap, .02uF mid cap and 25K mid pot.

Apart from 25K mid pot which should be 50K but that more about what you like, the rest looks OK to me. What are the values then?

1uF OD2 bypass.

This should be 5uF right... I changed mine but the change is not that big.

[LPSGME]

I'd like to build a tube based loop to compare to my kleinulator.

This post at ceriatoneforum.com has an excellent sound clip comparing the Klein and D'lator using several tunes.
http://ceriatoneforum.com/index.php?topic=1163.0

It reads:

Here it is: www.e-noize.nl/goodies/Dlator_vs_Klein.mp3
It's a large file(13,5 Mb) so it could take a while!

Track Kleinulator Dumblelator
My one and only… 0.00-0.42 0.45-1.22
Funky vamp 1.24-2.00 2.01-2.39
Landau thing 2.41-3.23 3.25-4.28
Don’t need no Johnny 4.31-5.05 5.06-5.48
Talk to your son 5.52-6.33 6.37-7.19

All tracks are recorded with same settings and no fx in the loop. Also no eq and no other fx are added afterwards.
So it may feel a little to direct, however it's the best method to compare IMHO.
All tracks were normalized, initially I thought it had no volume issues. But the Dumbleator is compressing a fair amount, so it feels louder.