Lightning clone improvements

[jcat5503]

Larmar MV?

Any thing else?

[Darkbluemurder]

Definitely LarMar PPIMV. Or go to VVR (variable voltage regulation).

I further recommend to lower the 220k Ra at V1 to 100k max. This will improve high end when turning down the guitar volume knob. To me this more than offsets the gain loss (it's not much anyway). If you want more clean throughout the gain knob's sweep you can go down to 56k or even 47k.

Instead of the Vox type tone stack (which has the bass pot grounded) you could unground the bass pot which would then be closer to a Fender or Marshall tone stack. The Vox stack does severely scoop the mids when the bass control is dimed.

Cheers Stephan

[M Fowler]

I built both the Spitfire and Lightning.

The Spitfire I wouldn't change a thing, great as is.

The Lightning is aggressive, sounds good but not much in the clean department so Stephan I will have to try those changes you mentioned to see if that helps this amp, thanks!

Mark

[Darkbluemurder]

I built both the Spitfire and Lightning.

Very different amps. The Spitfire needs the 220k plate load resistor at V1 since it is the only gain stage.

The Lightning is aggressive, sounds good but not much in the clean department so Stephan I will have to try those changes you mentioned to see if that helps this amp, thanks!
Mark

Mark, you're welcome. You will find that other than the Spitfire the Lightning will not need that much gain in the first stage since the preamp has two gain stages.

If you want to increase headroom (and don't need even as much as the reduced gain from a lower plate resistor on V1) you can eliminate the cathode bypass cap on V2a. If that reduces the sparkle too much you can put a 0.1uf cap instead of the stock 22uf.

Cheers Stephan

[M Fowler]

Thanks Stephan, at least that is something I can mess around with on the Lightning or just leave it alone and get that amp into a cabinet one of these days.

[Darkbluemurder]

Mark,

You could also add a 220k/220k voltage divider after the 1M gain pot like in the MAZ jr. That will take the gain down some, too.

Cheers Stephan

[guitardude57]

Mark,

Would you happen to have a visio or other layout, for the Spitfire control faceplate?

I just got my hands on a working AO 35 Hammond chassis.............thinking about a Spitfire.

Thanks, Mike

[M Fowler]

Mike,

I have a lot of files on the Spitfire and Lightning but faceplates is not one of them, sorry.

It would be a simple one, maybe BNP Lazers or others have that on file already. They can't make one that says Matchless but I bet they can make one that says Spitfire.

Mark