fender super 60 - looking for ideas

[ajs]

Hi, just found this site. Guitarist and EE but not experienced at amp repair/mod.
Need advice: I play straight jazz, fusion, rock, pop, etc. '61 Gibson ES-350T (byrdland)
for jazz, mid-80s Strat with a variety of nice Duncans for most other styles. Main
and only amp is an 89 Fender Super 60. Been retubed and biased, and have
replaced speaker with Eminence Legend GB-128 -- pretty happy with this generally.

But of course, I can't quite sound like Wes, Pat or Robben with this setup

Any suggestions on:

1) improving clean channel definition for straight jazz? thinking tone circuit/presence mods maybe...
2) improving overdrive channel, particularly at low volume? the thing can sing
when it's turned way up, but of course what i want out of that is more a
dumble/rivera carlton/robben sound at small-club volume.

TIA for any advice!

-- ajs

[DonMoose]

If you can afford to be without it while you're modding, I hear these make nice ODS conversions.

Suggest a Bluesmaster (huge clean) ODS without the HRM.

[Structo]

Try a 12AT7 in V1 or possibly V1 and V2.
There are even lower gain dual triodes to try if you wish.

The 12AT7 is almost half of the gain of a 12AX7.
That should give you more clean headroom.

Google Super 60 mods.

Most likely this is a pcb amp so modding it is going to be tedious.

Torres sells a complete point to point kit for it at a price of $695!
http://www.torresengineering.com/fesu60kiandm.html

Here is the schematic:
http://www.schematicheaven.com/fenderam ... 0_rack.pdf

[ajs]

thanks -- saw that torres kit, but $700 seems a bit much and risky...the tube replacement idea is interesting. i also saw on torres the 5751 mentioned:

http://www.torresengineering.com/5751jan.html

how do i know if is this really a safe thing to do?

-a

[danotron]

I gutted my Super 60 and made a ODS out of it...it kicks ass!!!! I get complements every gig on tis amp.

[Structo]

thanks -- saw that torres kit, but $700 seems a bit much and risky...the tube replacement idea is interesting. i also saw on torres the 5751 mentioned:

http://www.torresengineering.com/5751jan.html

how do i know if is this really a safe thing to do?

-a

I think it is perfectly safe to try different gain preamp tubes.
It may sound great or it may not, you just have to let your ears be the judge.