Tweedle Dee / mods or not?

[fred.violleau]

Here to report the surgery went very well, patient is fully operational.

LAR MAR master volume is definitely the best option I have tried. Off course the sound evolves a bit through the course of the pot as the PI gets more stimulated, but at least it behaves like a master volume.

Super happy with that mod. Would recommend if low volume playing is needed.

Thanks Martin for the reco!

Fred.

[ChopSauce]

Thanks Fred,

Felt like mentionning https://ampgarage.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 88#p176188 here for future reference:

Hi...

Have owned/tweaked/build a lot of amps (Fender, Marshall, Boogie, Vox) over the years...
[...]
Discoverend THIS forum and with help of great people have build:
#102 - great amp
#183 great amp - (added a strat switch)
Bluesmaster - great platform - tweaked HRM board for more mids.

Extremely nice amps, but [...] Wanted something simpler - grap n' go - build the mentioned(*) tweed combos, which are build like stock 50's combos...

Except
1) Using Dumble grounding scheme as per #102, #124, #183.
2) Carbon comp resistors in the signal path only
3) Cathode resistors - metal film
4) Anode resistors - Dale (like #124)
5) All signal wires are shielded RG174U, grounded at one end only
6) Anode/cathode wires (ApexJr) - run in parallel and close to chassis.
7) Heater wires are floating above tube sockets.
8 Output transformers bigger than stock.
a) 5E3: (new) Hammond 'Blackface Deluxe Reverb', 12" Tonetubby (1750H)
b) 5F4: (new) Hammond 'Blackface Tremolux', 2x10 Weber 10A125 (1750J)
Power tubes biased for approx 65% off max. dissipation

Both amps have very low noise floor and have very fat tones.

Additional mods:
a) 5E3: "Ground switch" can add Global feedback (=Princeton rev)
b) 5F4: "Ground switch" output tubes to cathode bias for a little more compression (very subtle effect in this amp). Below the chassis Fat switch added, which can add either a 500p or a 1000p mica across the 250p treble cap.

So I have tried to use the knowledge acquired on this forum to build a couple of great tweed amps. I sometimes use a Zendrive or Providence SOV-1 with a DD3 for a little slap.

Hope this info is usefull to other blues oriented players.

(*) Tweed Deluxe (5E3) and Super (5F4)

[ChopSauce]

Had some hard times figuring how to cut within some terrible junk wood...
(& some cold times cutting that outside, this afternoon)

DSC08430.JPG

but the result came surprisingly not so worse.

Now, wish me good luck: I envision cutting the finger joints by hand - after some inspiration by Paul Seller"s videos.

[norburybrook]

that looks great. Bit of sanding to smooth all the joints off and you're good to go with tolex.



M

[ChopSauce]

The boards are just one above the other for the pic - and give me some courage...

No assembly still. All the hard work remains to be done...

But I wanted to thank you, because your comments about your own build definitely convinced me to build a combo...

[norburybrook]

The boards are just one above the other for the pic - and give me some courage...

No assembly still. All the hard work remains to be done...

But I wanted to thank you, because your comments about your own build definitely convinced me to build a combo...

You don't need to make finger joints if it's going to be covered. Seriously, that wood is quite thick and with a font baffle screwed in it will have an inherent strength with just screwed and glued but joints. All my combo's cabs have been done that way. Some car body filler and a sander will fill and smooth out any imperfections and then the tolex or whatever covering hides everything.

if you want to do finger joints then that's great, it seems like a lot of work though if you want to do them by hand.


M

[ChopSauce]

Probably this is one more thing I'll do just once in my life, but I'm willing to do it. Especially as I intend the cab to stay bare wood - with patina - at least in a first step.

I also realised that nobody seems to have corrected the schematic and the BOM for the 10M grid leak resistor - https://ampgarage.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 11#p418311

... so here they are:
(hopefully without mistakes)

Tweedle-D Schematic-v.2.jpg

I probably should have added a note to keep track of the mod on the pic, but I've been unable to do that easily, for I'm not used to image editing software.

[ChopSauce]

Still no idea(*) about https://ampgarage.com/forum/viewtopic.p ... 48#p422948...
(a "better" way to achieve paralleling/cascading with a single switch)

[fred.violleau]

I offered a solution in your thread.
Not sure about the single input jack feeding the two inputs, but this could be put on another realy, synchronized with the A / B Chan selection.
that would be three relays to perfom the operation, but it seems doable !

Capture d’écran 2021-02-08 à 13.25.04.png

Let me know what you think!

Fred.

[ChopSauce]

So I'll reply on the other thread. My current concern deals with woodworking...

[ChopSauce]

Afterwards, I am a bit sorry I have been mixing the discussion about mods with the report of the build but I don't know where to put this, which I bookmarked for discussion with Marcus (if I'm not mistaking):

- if you're considering tone stack mods, how about adding a (switchable) "Framus mid-control"
(https://robrobinette.com/5e3_Modificati ... id_Control)

Framus_Mid_Control.png

...



The modification looks interesting, but may someone report about how it sounds?
(NB: just out of curiosity, I don't intend to do that at all)

[ChopSauce]

Forgot where I left the thread, writing about my errands, but here is where I am:

I got a cab...

DSC08677.jpg

... still in need for more patina, but at least showing a TV style front...

And the outcome will be more something of a sleeper/relevant to the Fender section, I guess:

I'm finally going for a genuine tweed Deluxe on the bright channel and a Tweedle Dee on the normal side. With the help of the VVR, I should be able to dial the voltages of the original tweed Deluxe, too.

Best of both worlds? We'll see - or manage to, at least -

The third and last mod will be a line out jack, that is add two resistors to the external speaker jack.

EDIT: hosted pic on the forum

[fred.violleau]

Interesting choice to have both flavors on the same build! Still doing the feedback loop on the PI? Any link to you build on the sleeper section? I am curious to understand how you deal with the B+voltages and the VVR

Cheers,

Fred.

[ChopSauce]

That was just a suggestion for the admin to move this topic in the Fender section, but it doesn't matter to me, actually.

For a cathode bias amp, the VVR circuit in itself seems (I haven't tried it yet, I'm only wiring right now) as simple as:

VVR scaling 18_Watt_Lite PI and output only.gif

The trickery comes when you have a fixed bias...

PS Not sure which exact flavours I will end with...

[pompeiisneaks]

That was just a suggestion for the admin to move this topic in the Fender section, but it doesn't matter to me, actually.

For a cathode bias amp, the VVR circuit in itself seems (I haven't tried it yet, I'm only wiring right now) as simple as:

VVR scaling 18_Watt_Lite PI and output only.gif

The trickery comes when you have a fixed bias...

PS Not sure which exact flavours I will end with...

I can definitely move it if you want, but since it was originally based on a dumble amp, I don't see any reason it needs to be moved. It is now honestly neither dumble nor fender and 100% chopsauce

~Phil