looking for the beautiful simplicity

[lumox0013]

ok please help me .I'm struggling ,,, my main rig is 2 plush 1060's on celestion 4-12 and eminence black powder 4-12, but its all beef,no chime.I wanted to build myself a top shelf amp and add some el84 to my sound . so I built a liverpool clone, and after adjusting it for about 4 months I decided this is waaaaay toooo much gain for me, I also love pedals so ive kinda melded the liver pool and rocket output sections together, and im looking for a simple lo-gain single channel pre-amp to mate w/ my power section! please help !! right now I have a spitfire pre on it ,sounds sweet but my pedals dont like it, too much gain.I will be running this amp in a 2-12 w/ eminence EM12G's I've been saving for a long time.( these speakers are the schnizzle) thanxxx in advance for any help you guys can give!!!

[M Fowler]

You should have just built the Rocket as that has a great pre.

The Spitfire has parallel input and high gain, look at V1 using two 68k grid stoppers. I like my spitfire but it does get some gain and not much volume.

Mark

[Normster]

One of my favorite builds for a clean amp is along the lines of an AC50. Use the Rocket preamp, no bypass cap on V1b, solid state rectifier, and fixed bias EL34 output section. Nearly as chimey as a Rocket, more headroom, loves pedals.

[M Fowler]

Normster is that different from your RocketReverb amp you built?

[Normster]

That's the one. With or without reverb, it's my favorite Tele amp.

[dartanion]

I concur with Norm. Great tele amp for sure. I have a similar amp but cathode biased, mid boost switch, and some other tweaks. Great clean platform and lots of chime. Loud though, but in a good way. It's been my primary gig amp for a few months now.

[lumox0013]

thanxx for the insight I kinda thought the rocket to be like the liverpool in the gain dept. I'm gonna re build w/ a rocket board and check it out.I will repost after the rework. I will be trying the el 34 thing down the road though, thanxxx again for the advice

[Bob-I]

thanxx for the insight I kinda thought the rocket to be like the liverpool in the gain dept. I'm gonna re build w/ a rocket board and check it out.I will repost after the rework. I will be trying the el 34 thing down the road though, thanxxx again for the advice

The Rocket has a gain structure more like a Fender than a T-wreck. It has a great shimmer and like already stated, is a perfect Tele (Strat) amp. I use my EL-34 Rocket reverb with a 2x12 with WGS V30 and Brittish lead.

[tubeswell]

Low powered simple fixed bias 6V6 pp tweed amps have got plenty of chime and take pedals well too.

(e.g.; 5G9 has a 2 channel VA stage feeding vol/tone then straight into an LTP then fixed bias 6V6s. Sounds good with a 5k primary OT at a plate voltage of about 370 through a G12-20W. Minimal tone-sucking)

JM2CW

[Zippy]

Check out the Rocket in the "Rockster KT-66" version. It's everything you're asking for. RJ Guitars has led the way on that project. It's well documented and has been built by several members here. Simple, toneful, loves pedals, robust...

[Zippy]

The Rocket has a gain structure more like a Fender than a T-wreck.

The Rocket IS a Trainwreck. Perhaps you meant to say "more like a Fender than either a Liverpool or Express"?

If so, it is most like the tweed Fenders ala 5F6A - 3-knob tone stack, cathode follower, etc.

What? You say the Rocket has only TWO knobs?! It is implied in the Rocket to a fixed value. RJ and I prefer to add the mid range knob to the front panel.

Enjoy.

[M Fowler]

I know I have bad hearing but I find I personally don't need a mid pot so the Rocket is perfect for my use and what a great amp for most any type of music.

[dartanion]

The Rocket is really a single channel hot rod AC30. The EL34 versions of it that I have heard/built sound like an AC50. I have tried 6L6s in mine and it changes the flavor to a chewy American tone. Less bite and more smooth if you are into that. I do a simple mid boost on mine by putting a bypass cap on a switch for the second triode. It works quite well, adds a bit more gain, boosts the mids, and sounds more forward. With it off, it's clean, clean, clean, until you really crank it up.