choosing the amp

[bigdan19]

hi im a new member here and im trying to make some decisions about what amp to get built. i know an amp builder here in australia thats going to do the build for me but i need to make an informed decision before we go ahead. hes never done a dumble circuit before but hes very experienced, plexis, fenders, matchless and TW'S. for my part its more about picking the right designs than the building.

im want an OD special but after reading through alot of the forum it would seem there are many variations of the design. what i originally wanted was an OD special control layout with reverb and an oboard fx loop.

after reading through alot of the forum, the consensus seems to be that reverb degrades the true sound of the amp and you should use the external dumbleator for the fx loop. is that an accurate or inaccurate statement?

things im after is clean headroom and a mellow overdrive without getting too bright. the loops important as id like to run delay through that. gregor hildens studio clip on youtube was what really got me, not heaps of gain but enough there to get that beautiful sustain.


id really appreciate some links, advice and a steer in the right direction from anyone, what amp to look at, features etc.

much appreciated
thanks daniel

[Structo]

Unless you are set on a scratch build you may want to check out Ceriatone amps.

They make a pretty good ODS clone.
You can get a kit in various forms of completion.

There are a few minor tweaks that can make them very good D clones.

Plus since you are in OZ the shipping shouldn't be so bad.

http://www.ceriatone.com/productSubPage ... neKits.htm

[jdh]

Daniel,

http://www.brownnote.net/

These are great amps, and you get the experience of building the whole thing (Ceriatone circuit boards are prebuilt). As I have said before, just the layout diagram from Brownnote is worth the price of the kit. Yes I know, it's free on line. Still, their attention to detail is most excellent.

Dennis

[bigdan19]

thanks guys. im familiar with both those companies but im not building an amp ever! lol seriously ill deffinately electricute myself, im way too clumsy. im getting it custom built, just trying to do a bit of homework on what ODS i should get built.

im not too keen on the ceriatone and ive been looking into the dlites for a while but decided i wanted a bit more flexiblitiy to incorporate the mods and ideas of the AG members. nothing wrong at all with those companies or their amps i should say. i was close to a dlite last year but after finding AG id like to use a good d layout with the members mods.

this will be second amp with this builder so the scratchbuild isnt too big of an issue.

im finding im running around in circles on the forum trying to find a layout and schematic for the build. the #124 seems to have a lot of info on it. id love to know what ODS amp,schem,layout and mods members have based their builds on.

[Luthierwnc]

First time around I wouldn't put the FX in the box -- especially since someone else will be doing it. Those of us who have made internal mods (I have and they turned out well) were either prepared for or suffered through some extra tweaking and fussing that a hired builder might not appreciate. I've always made my own chassis' but an off-the-shelf item will make that process worse.

Use a standalone D-lator or Reverb-a-loop on the maiden voyage. Plus, you may find they compliment other amps with passive loops built-in. See the post I just made on the Thiele cabs for a picture of an external unit and FX box.

Cheers, Skip

[bigdan19]

First time around I wouldn't put the FX in the box -- especially since someone else will be doing it. Those of us who have made internal mods (I have and they turned out well) were either prepared for or suffered through some extra tweaking and fussing that a hired builder might not appreciate. I've always made my own chassis' but an off-the-shelf item will make that process worse.

Use a standalone D-lator or Reverb-a-loop on the maiden voyage. Plus, you may find they compliment other amps with passive loops built-in. See the post I just made on the Thiele cabs for a picture of an external unit and FX box.

Cheers, Skip

yeh i think ill get the klein off nik at ceriatone and ditch the reverb idea. what about the ODS 101 non hrm schematic, from what ive read that seems to be the gernerally excepted circuit and favourite mods of some of the community. would that be a viable option?

[Luthierwnc]

Remember that the differences in most of these designs is 20 bucks worth of parts. For amps with small differences in resistors and caps (i.e. 220k plates vs 100k plates), get the spares in the same purchase. That especially makes sense if you have to order them from the US.

It might be a little sloppy but I don't tie the "replacable" components in wicked knots on the solder turrets or lugs. Once around or just enough to stick in the hole makes them easier to pull without rupturing the rest of the bits. sh