I...i...i...i tamed it!!!

[Tubetwang]

I finally tamed this EL34 Express...

12AU7 in each slots...

Should have done that a long time ago...

I did tried everything else...

I now get the tone i love...Chris Spedding effect...Link Wray caper...yep-yep.

I did it! I did it!

[Reeltarded]

I get the feeling you would really like a Dumber Steel String Slinger.

[Tubetwang]

Ho no... not another amp...

Seriously...

I should look in to it, but...these dumbler are so complicate to build, it seems...

[drhulsey]

I finally tamed this EL34 Express...

The BEASTMAN cometh

[Structo]

Funny I am doing the same thing in that Hammond amp I rebuilt.

One thing you might want to check is the plate resistors on the 12au7's.

Those tubes draw a lot more current and if the resistors aren't bigger they get pretty warm!

check your voltages.

[Tubetwang]

Funny I am doing the same thing in that Hammond amp I rebuilt.

One thing you might want to check is the plate resistors on the 12au7's.

Those tubes draw a lot more current and if the resistors aren't bigger they get pretty warm!

check your voltages.

Hey man,

thanks for the tip...

didn't know that!

Will do!

[paulster]

You could also try 12AY7s or 5751s which will be drop-in replacements.

The gains are higher than the 12AU7, but you might find a good combination that works for you.

12AX7: 100
5751: 70
12AY7: 44
12AU7: 20

[Zippy]

... or you could tweak your Express to reduce the gain.

[benoit]

Ho no... not another amp...

Seriously...

I should look in to it, but...these dumbler are so complicate to build, it seems...

Really they're not that bad, especially now that board layouts are available for all the boards as well as chassis drilling templates. I did it before all that stuff was available and it wasn't that bad. Go for it! Or at least don't let that be the reason you don't build one. Never know what you might be missing!

[M Fowler]

Tubetwang,

Did you change the 100k NFB resistor to a lower value because that will also clean the amp up as well as other tube types. I run Ecc83 and 5751 not the lower values. You also need to learn how to run that guitar volume pot with an Express. I have had more of a learning curve with the Express than any amp I have ever played through.

Ben do you have any extra octal tubes from that Stromberg-Carlson project?

Mark

[benoit]

Ben do you have any extra octal tubes from that Stromberg-Carlson project?

Not really. The amp acutally belongs to a friend of mine. I'm still not sure if he wants it back or not. If he doesn't, I'll probably just gut for parts. It has a pair of 6550s in it, phillips, I think?

[Tubetwang]

I'm a dad at home play-along-with-cd-kind-of-guy.

I've tried every 12's combinations but the amp was always way too loud...amp volume at one, guitare volume at 3.

It's the loudness that i wanted to tame. I love a little hair but.

I do have one of Dana's VVR2 on hold but i haven't installed yet.

I did put one VVR2 in the Liverpool but i get too much distortion when VVR2 is dimed.

If i could only get a little time off for myself... alone with guitar and amps, i would most likely find the sweet spot...Too busy but...Freedom 50 is a scam!!!

One thing is certain, i love the sound with the bright switch engaged...

Cuts like a knife!

I've recently knocked a pair of 5F1 tweeder...they sound great for my play-along-cd-gigs...right volume too...but they lack the fullness-big-bass-bloom of the Trainwreck.

When finding the right volume/tone is the mood...

[Tubetwang]

Tubetwang,

Did you change the 100k NFB resistor to a lower value because that will also clean the amp up as well as other tube types. I run Ecc83 and 5751 not the lower values. You also need to learn how to run that guitar volume pot with an Express. I have had more of a learning curve with the Express than any amp I have ever played through.

Ben do you have any extra octal tubes from that Stromberg-Carlson project?

Mark

Thanks for the tip Mark!

I didn't know that.

Will give it a try next time i open her up...

[Tubetwang]

For the record, i have found the right tube combination for my EL-34-Express-gig-along-set-up.

12AX7 in V1 and V2 and 12 AT7 in V3.

The amp was on 1 and i did get a nice sweet saturated sound.

Chris Spedding didn't say anything after the 2 hour set, but, i am sure he was o.k. with my performance.

He's a man of few words...

[M Fowler]

Since my Express is a Ceriatone built amp and I plan to build a TW correct Express later I decided to change up the tone circuit a little. I changed the C3-C4.022uf to .033uf and will be changing C2 500pf to 250pf. Immediately the high treble of this Express was tamed and I get a very useable bass and mid tone. I am going to see what some changes in the presence circuit will do. There is plenty of cutting treble in this amp and especially if you flip the brite switch. R12 and R13 could be reduced to 820 as well that would have a drastic affect.

Maybe it was OK that I didn't build my own Express as this has been fun tweaking this one.

Mark