5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: Pics on Page 11

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wproffitt
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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by wproffitt » Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:00 am

My new, nearly blank chassis showed up while I was away with my family! The PT seems to fit this one without any trouble. I've marked it for the tubes, jacks, knobs, and switches. I'll probably be drilling it tomorrow during lunch. Wish me luck!

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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by jimboyogi » Tue Jul 25, 2017 2:08 pm

Good luck!

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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Wed Jul 26, 2017 12:07 am

Woo! Nice looking chassis! Excited to see more :w00t:
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http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by MuscleDad420 » Wed Jul 26, 2017 6:13 pm

sookwinder wrote:I am sorry ... but this statement is blatantly wrong.

Evidence?
Expert advice?
chicken entrails?

Do some searches for previous threads here at OSG where NOS and vintage valves have been discussed in rfelation to modern valves.

If we just want to use my own empirical evidence. I have many hundreds of NOS valves ... over the past 10 years I have purchased them from the USA, Russia, Turkey, the UK, Germany, Thailand, India, Canada, Taiwan, Bulgaria, The Netherlands, Czech Republic. Every one has had to be shipped airmail to Australia, everyone had to be exposed to the idiots that are postal workers. All but one of these valves (rectifiers, power and preamp valves) I have was perfect. The single valve that was faulty was a RCA 12AX7 that had one of the triodes DOA.

Let me now think of the modern valves I have purchased. Firstly they sound shit compared to vintage, many times the design criteria is way off the original specs from the 50s, they last a fraction of the time period that vintage last. I would hazard a guess that 30% of the modern valves I have had to return because they were either DOA or did not function correctly. Hence why I started looking at and using vintage.

A brand new electronic item sits in its box , on a shelf, for 50 years. Tell me ... why would it have any more reason to be "faulty" than a new electronic item manufactured last month and sitting on a shelf for 2 weeks?
Respectfully disagree. My experience with NOS is anecdotal and my own. Yes, the "scope doesn't lie" but my ears and wallet can't justify the price and 9/10ths of my clients agree. I have some in stock, of course and I loooooove the 70's green and yellow script Sylvania 12ax7's, but for the purpose of service and my own amps I tend to go with new and avoid brands that have high failure rates. The rare occasions in which I may prefer NOS as an option is for studios bringing me their backlines. If somebody brings me NOS with their amp, I give them "the talk" and assure them any weak (i.e. "pre-used" sold as NOS) or noisy tubes will be returned.

There's lots of shysters on eBay and elsewhere that will talk up their used or defective product as NOS. It takes a leap of faith to assume every purported example of "NOS TUBES L@@k" has been sitting on a shelf for 50 years. Of course a good return policy is important but a lot of re-sellers don't offer that much. Neither is it isn't insanely difficult to have repro tube boxes made up to package used tubes with good inking, or even to put fake logos on new tubes that are fundamentally different from what they're represented as. The case of Ei ECC83's being re-inked and passed off as old Mullards in the late 90's and early aughts comes to mind...I bet a lot of those are still in circulation!

I'm sure none of this is news to you, but for those uninitiated that may lack photographic reference of NOS tubes, datasheets, a calibrated tube tester, etc etc it's a lot to take in considering the cost of some NOS tubes. No disrespect meant to you, sookwinder. If you prefer NOS, that's great. It is a superior product, of course. However, for a first-time amp build, because of the market that NOS tubes occupy, I believe it presents a variable that may derail an otherwise successful build. I'm not gonna twist the OP's arm into abandoning his stock or shame him -- merely presenting a possible scenario.

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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by wproffitt » Thu Jul 27, 2017 5:19 am

MuscleDad,
I definitely went into this eyes wide open. I paid a bit more for some of the tubes, but they were purchased from a trusted vendor rather than some dude on eBay. I know that I can return them if there's an issue. If I had priced this with nicer new production tubes, I would have spent at least 30% less. Was this a *necessary* expenditure? Probably not, but neither is this whole project. ;D I wanted to see if I could appreciate the difference between these tubes and the new production stuff I have in my Marshall and Fender. I'll definitely be swapping them out and giving the ANOS and NOS tubes the Pepsi challenge. As for them not working, I have new production versions of everything except the 5y3, so I'm pretty confident that I can troubleshoot the tubes if I feel like there's a tube related problem when I go to fire it up.

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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by wproffitt » Thu Jul 27, 2017 12:14 pm

I haven't taken the tape off or deburred the holes, but I just drilled out my first amp chassis!
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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by tonehungry » Fri Jul 28, 2017 7:53 pm

this amp will sound great with the valves you've chosen

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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Sat Jul 29, 2017 5:02 am

Great build!

This thread has inspired me to dig out my old 6G15 build thread & un-fuck it as I'm pretty sure I used Photobucket to host the photos.


EDIT - I just checked & the images were posted using ImageShack. Huzzah!!
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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by wproffitt » Tue Aug 01, 2017 3:52 pm

Thanks for the encouragement, folks! Today and yesterday, I refined and deburred the chassis. I also got it drilled for the OT, test fit the chassis into the cab, test fit the turret board into the chassis, and installed the speaker. I'm trying to do all of the tedious stuff first before I populate the board and begin my soldering.
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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by sookwinder » Thu Aug 03, 2017 5:22 am

don't forget:
- if you are using the chassis at the earth return for the pots, use a dremel or similar to grind off the plating of the chassis around where the pots are fitted to get a better earth connection
- do the same grinding around where the input jacks are ... as I suspect they will be using the chassis as earth return (I don't think you will be using isolated jacks, I never do)
relaxing alternative to doing actual work ...

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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by wproffitt » Thu Aug 03, 2017 7:51 am

sookwinder wrote:don't forget:
- if you are using the chassis at the earth return for the pots, use a dremel or similar to grind off the plating of the chassis around where the pots are fitted to get a better earth connection
- do the same grinding around where the input jacks are ... as I suspect they will be using the chassis as earth return (I don't think you will be using isolated jacks, I never do)
David,
Thanks for the tips! This chassis isn't plated, but I'll be sure to sand the area around where the pots and jacks connect to assure a good connection for grounding. I'm not using isolated jacks, so that makes especially good sense.

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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by wproffitt » Tue Aug 08, 2017 10:03 am

I'm actually beginning he wiring process today. Perhaps it's for the best that the soldering iron I'm using is not working. That way, I can pester you about how I did with the inputs. Anything look glaringly wrong here? :D

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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by wproffitt » Wed Aug 09, 2017 3:32 pm

Alright folks!
I test fitted my transformers today and realized that while the screw holes for mounting my OT did not interfere with the board, the OT itself did! Better to learn this now than later, right? Also, my board is mostly populated! I should be mounting jacks, switches, and knobs tomorrow. Also, any advice on the wiring of the jacks pictured above would be greatly appreciated!

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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by wproffitt » Fri Aug 11, 2017 8:19 am

No turning back now! The board is all soldered up!
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Re: 5E9 Tweed Tremolux Build Thread: I'm Doing This!

Post by wproffitt » Fri Aug 11, 2017 11:11 am

Got my pots, jacks, and switches wired in on one side. I'll have to leave tube sockets and speaker and footswitch jacks for Monday.
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