Hey viewers! These are excellent tips. I have been building tube based hi-fi equipment for over 50 years and learned a thing or two along the way.. The improvements Terry are suggesting are based on real and actual functionality. He is teaching the right way to build these amps. We as a community of enthusiasts are very fortunate to have consummate professionals like Terry and Doug that so freely make the effort to educate and inform. There are other youtubers that also do videos, but these 2 are the ones that understand electronics engineering, circuit theory, and can properly use analytic test equipment. Subscribe, like 👍, and give a comment.. to help them with how YT works... and share the videos around with your friends. Help build a larger viewer base, as that's the best way we can support these guys who are doing SO much to inform and educate.
This is my amp that Terry is building and I can’t wait to get it back. I just wanted to say that these changes that he is doing, he checked with me first before hand to see if I was ok with them first. I’ve seen enough of his videos to know that he knows what he’s doing and he always does a good job from what I’ve seen. Keep up the good work Terry.
Terry, I did all the things you suggested and even threw in orienting the coupling caps with their outer foil to ground as per a Hoffman amp scheme. The result: not just quiet, or whisper quiet, but church mouse quiet! Crystal clear tone, chimey, bright and with a full bass end. And right out of the gate! I did have a variac and current limiter, but they were not needed (still gave me a little confidence when I was bringing it up.) Thank you so much for posting this video!!!
Terry is a Star Trek nerd! I love it! Also, who the hell can build anything that requires vacuum tubes these days. They're all sold out! Western Electric is thinking about opening a tube plant in the US.
Great tips. Thanks for sharing. I’ve experienced first hand the noise that can happen when mixing power amp and preamp grounds as suggested in many layout diagrams. But now I always keep my preamp grounds separated from power section grounds even if a layout diagram shows them as being together. It makes a huge difference and my amps have been dead quiet.
That shirt is massive cool!! Thank you, Terry for these sensible tips! They not only provide safety for the builder/owner, but additional tips that make the finished kit conducive to future servicing. This is an affirmation of your altruistic character, and dedication to fun, but safe instruction to amps, and vintage radios. Enjoy what's left of the weekend!
Terry, I would love to see a tech tips video on use of wires, wire gauge, type and what is good and bad and why. I usually elect to use cloth covered solid core wire on most builds because it’s easy to work with and it bends into place and stays there. But are there downsides to tone, current, signal, etc? That would be an awesome video. Thanks!
Moving the fuse…when I laid out my kit and saw the fuse right over the power tube I did one of those cartoon-like, Wylie Coyote double-takes…What the…? Thanks for all these tips. Ordering the F&T caps today and the plastic cap/plugs. Already installed the brass plate and one of the terminal strips. My amp should be a success right out of the gate thanks to you, Unca Doug, and Lyle Caldwell. I can’t say thanks enough!
No one noticed the Star Trek engineer (gold color) shirt? Awesome Terry. Excellent tips that should be incorporated into the kit build amp. Beam me up Scotty.
Hello there Terry! So grateful for your insight and the sharing of all that wisdom you have amassed over all these years of experience. I was wondering if you perhaps could share with us the brass plate dimensions on this Deluxe Reverb kit in particular-just got me one of these from StewMac and I believe they are AFAIK identical, meaning no brass plate included.
I don't know who caught it, but Terry's last line was borrowed from the Star Trek 4 film. Kirk was trying to talk Gilian (the cetacean biologist) into letting him take the whales, and he said "It's better for you... it's better for them..." Terry said, "It's better for you, it's better for the amplifier." Fairly deep nerd reference.
I love the Star Trek opening monologue. I know absolutely nothing about electronics but I find it so interesting and some day II want to build one of these amps. Thank you for helping to make the bewildering world of electronics less so.
Great tips as usual, Terry. Zoning out the input AC lines was something that took me a few scratch builds to figure out. But man did it ever help cut down on hum and routing headaches down the road when I finally started to get it right.
I’m new at this and for others who are new at amp work, when installing the brass plate use a ratchet to snug up pots. I hand tightened (thought I’d go back later and do it) and the poor ground really threw my signal off. Also, I used thicker brass plate first attempt, not good, too hard to bend by hand and to maintain a flat surface which resulted in poor ground as well.
Why didn't Mojo Tone consult you when they were designing those new amps..? Those tips after you've explained them should have been obvious to that company when working out the layout. No extra cost really would have been incurred either. Great job Terry, and nice to see the videos coming back..ED..uk..😀
@Terry ive got a 68 bassman which the PT keeps failing < spliced wire to bias board> wire broke had to be spliced but it fails takes out diodes .. Its not staying powered up long enough to test wall current and - bias or - bias at pin 5 .. I built two at same time both are not stock I drafted and blueprinted my Dumble Ultra Phoenix and have tried to replicate the amp and am within 10 give or take on -bias at both pin 5s I was close but not dead on to voltages at wall and -bias at bias board but im not getting any sound. I got readings of 1ma at pin 1-8 tied to chassis ground. I do get - bias at pin 5s but 10 shy of original I am not getting any sound. just checked availability on transformers at mojotone they all seem back ordered. Ive got RCA cases full of tubes nos vintage tubes some of which I wont use tv or radio which you might have use for .. Hey Terry can you beam this current yahoo out of office ? send him to circle Uranus in search of klingon's eg the VP.
Great video. I would love to see this exact same video for a Tweed Champ. I have seen some of your tips for the Champ in other videos and I am wondering if you have any other tips not mentioned. Thanks
Great tip video. I am going to make these changes while I am waiting on my cabinet to arrive. One other thing I did that you recommended was the 1 ohm resistors to ground from pin eight of both of the output tubes. However, I only get .02 mV DC when checking. I confirmed I got 1% tolerance and upon checking my resistors they are dead on 1ohm. I just set my negative bias to -35 and it seems fine. Not being able to dial in 21 - 22mv is cause for concern though.
hmm I got 1 at both and im not getting sound at all. two builds at same time both 68 bassmans but modified.. 1 of 2 amps the PT keeps going out.. think its on last legs. trying all thats left of my patience.
Your mods are a definite improvement, but why didn't MojoTone think of them in the first place? I mean placing the fuse holder that close to an output tube. What, are they hoping for high voltage arcing to occur? incredible.
Great Video! Thanks! im working on one of these and have wanted to add the brass shim stock... any source for it ? hardware store? Thanks! also a technical question... what is your opinion on the king caps supplied in the kit.. if its better to upgrade some of the caps, like the F&Ts, what other would be a good upgrade for if its necessary?
I like these tips! Thanks! In addition to moving the fuse holder over, would it be beneficial to also move the power switch to where the old ground switch would be?
Another great video! Thank You! One quick question, though. I have looked high and low and I have not found those nice black blanking caps you use to cover the unused holes in the amp for the relocated fuse holder and the ground switch. What is their official name and where can I get them?
I ordered mine a little over a month ago and received it in less than two weeks but they were running low. I think I just bought the last 12 inch speaker cab they had. Hopefully they get more in stock for you.
the caps you plugged the fuse hole fits and looks good... can anyone tell me where he got that type of plug from... ? and I will be installing the .010 brass behind the pots... im learning ... thanks
Terry, you publish some well thought out modifications do you still have a affiliation with this kit manufacturer? Good luck I'm going full-time with D-lab
Terry, considering the brass plate preamp ground plane technique, do you recommend also soldering some of the plate edges directly to the chassis or not? I've searched the web for vintage fender circuit photos and believe I’ve seen both with and without. I can talk myself into pros and cons for both approaches. What say you? Thanks!
@d-Lab - where do you recommend grounding the FNT filter caps? I’ve looked at different grounding schemes some say separate pre vs b+ caps to differ grounding points. I have them all grounding to the brass plate and have some noise …
Sorry to ask but is this the same kit as the Stewmac amp kit ? As i have one on the way i have never built anything like this in my life hence me seeking advice here on your channel if its the same kit can i do these tips ? I look forward to your reply
Hey viewers! These are excellent tips. I have been building tube based hi-fi equipment for over 50 years and learned a thing or two along the way.. The improvements Terry are suggesting are based on real and actual functionality. He is teaching the right way to build these amps. We as a community of enthusiasts are very fortunate to have consummate professionals like Terry and Doug that so freely make the effort to educate and inform. There are other youtubers that also do videos, but these 2 are the ones that understand electronics engineering, circuit theory, and can properly use analytic test equipment. Subscribe, like 👍, and give a comment.. to help them with how YT works... and share the videos around with your friends. Help build a larger viewer base, as that's the best way we can support these guys who are doing SO much to inform and educate.
Hi Jennifer, Very cool of you. I appreciate your kind support. Too bad were didnt live closer, we could team up on a custom amp build!
This is my amp that Terry is building and I can’t wait to get it back. I just wanted to say that these changes that he is doing, he checked with me first before hand to see if I was ok with them first. I’ve seen enough of his videos to know that he knows what he’s doing and he always does a good job from what I’ve seen. Keep up the good work Terry.
Thank you Gary, Yes Sir, this will be a great amp when complete. Thank you for working with me.
Terry, I did all the things you suggested and even threw in orienting the coupling caps with their outer foil to ground as per a Hoffman amp scheme. The result: not just quiet, or whisper quiet, but church mouse quiet! Crystal clear tone, chimey, bright and with a full bass end. And right out of the gate! I did have a variac and current limiter, but they were not needed (still gave me a little confidence when I was bringing it up.) Thank you so much for posting this video!!!
Thanks, that's encouraging. I bought one already built and it needs HELP. Shoddy work inside, noise outside. Time for the D-Lab treatment.
Terry is a Star Trek nerd! I love it!
Also, who the hell can build anything that requires vacuum tubes these days. They're all sold out!
Western Electric is thinking about opening a tube plant in the US.
Let’s send out gear to Terry. Support the new career.
Thank you Sir
Great tips. Thanks for sharing. I’ve experienced first hand the noise that can happen when mixing power amp and preamp grounds as suggested in many layout diagrams. But now I always keep my preamp grounds separated from power section grounds even if a layout diagram shows them as being together. It makes a huge difference and my amps have been dead quiet.
Thankful you were not wearing the red shirt! Live long and prosper D-Lab!
That shirt is massive cool!! Thank you, Terry for these sensible tips! They not only provide safety for the builder/owner, but additional tips that make the finished kit conducive to future servicing. This is an affirmation of your altruistic character, and dedication to fun, but safe instruction to amps, and vintage radios. Enjoy what's left of the weekend!
Wow, I really do appreciate your faith in me man. Thank you for the kind support
@@d-labelectronics Anytime
Enjoying your retirement correctly. Congrats!
I never understood why a Fender clone kit would not include that brass plate!
Terry, I would love to see a tech tips video on use of wires, wire gauge, type and what is good and bad and why. I usually elect to use cloth covered solid core wire on most builds because it’s easy to work with and it bends into place and stays there. But are there downsides to tone, current, signal, etc? That would be an awesome video. Thanks!
Moving the fuse…when I laid out my kit and saw the fuse right over the power tube I did one of those cartoon-like, Wylie Coyote double-takes…What the…? Thanks for all these tips. Ordering the F&T caps today and the plastic cap/plugs. Already installed the brass plate and one of the terminal strips. My amp should be a success right out of the gate thanks to you, Unca Doug, and Lyle Caldwell. I can’t say thanks enough!
hi I was wondering who you ordered the brass 10k stock and plastic plugs... from thanks
@@fredfalcon1347 Hey Fred...I ordered the brass stock from mcmaster and the plastic plugs from Amazon (I think)
Terry, God Bless and Protect you and your loving family:) Bless you for sharing your words of wisdom with your loving community:)
No one noticed the Star Trek engineer (gold color) shirt? Awesome Terry.
Excellent tips that should be incorporated into the kit build amp. Beam me up Scotty.
Hello there Terry!
So grateful for your insight and the sharing of all that wisdom you have amassed over all these years of experience. I was wondering if you perhaps could share with us the brass plate dimensions on this Deluxe Reverb kit in particular-just got me one of these from StewMac and I believe they are AFAIK identical, meaning no brass plate included.
I don't know who caught it, but Terry's last line was borrowed from the Star Trek 4 film. Kirk was trying to talk Gilian (the cetacean biologist) into letting him take the whales, and he said "It's better for you... it's better for them..."
Terry said, "It's better for you, it's better for the amplifier."
Fairly deep nerd reference.
Excellent! Glad you caught the reference!
@@d-labelectronics I dare you to try and sneak some by me in future videos!
Challenge accepted
@@d-labelectronics watching your Crossroads Hamfest video right now.
Dude you are the absolute man.. I love your way of work, and the work you do. Rock-on brother, thank-you dearly for sharing😁🙌🤘😄💥
Excellent tips that can be applied to any amp.
emailed you this morning about building me one of these. didnt even realize you had this video. Excited about the upgrades!!
I love the Star Trek opening monologue. I know absolutely nothing about electronics but I find it so interesting and some day II want to build one of these amps. Thank you for helping to make the bewildering world of electronics less so.
... and more Merlot friendly🍷
Great tips as usual, Terry. Zoning out the input AC lines was something that took me a few scratch builds to figure out. But man did it ever help cut down on hum and routing headaches down the road when I finally started to get it right.
I’m new at this and for others who are new at amp work, when installing the brass plate use a ratchet to snug up pots. I hand tightened (thought I’d go back later and do it) and the poor ground really threw my signal off. Also, I used thicker brass plate first attempt, not good, too hard to bend by hand and to maintain a flat surface which resulted in poor ground as well.
Great educational vid for home builders. All tips are a must for a good diy build 👍
Awesomeness. Live long and prosper
Thank you 😀
Why didn't Mojo Tone consult you when they were designing those new amps..? Those tips after you've explained them should have been obvious to that company when working out the layout. No extra cost really would have been incurred either. Great job Terry, and nice to see the videos coming back..ED..uk..😀
Very logical, it will live long & prosper! ;)
Man, you got skills, amazing logic!
Haha hell yeah this channel rules
Great tips. Thanks Terry. BTW, nice shirt.
@Terry ive got a 68 bassman which the PT keeps failing < spliced wire to bias board>
wire broke had to be spliced but it fails takes out diodes ..
Its not staying powered up long enough to test wall current and - bias
or - bias at pin 5 ..
I built two at same time both are not stock I drafted and blueprinted my Dumble Ultra Phoenix
and have tried to replicate the amp and am within 10 give or take on -bias at both pin 5s
I was close but not dead on to voltages at wall and -bias at bias board but im not getting any sound.
I got readings of 1ma at pin 1-8 tied to chassis ground.
I do get - bias at pin 5s but 10 shy of original
I am not getting any sound.
just checked availability on transformers at mojotone they all seem back ordered.
Ive got RCA cases full of tubes nos vintage tubes some of which I wont use
tv or radio which you might have use for ..
Hey Terry can you beam this current yahoo out of office ?
send him to circle Uranus in search of klingon's eg the VP.
Listen to what he is saying good advice .
Awesome, I'm wanting the Mojo Tone Studio One (watt) Marshall like 1wt Amp
Great video Terry.
Great video. I would love to see this exact same video for a Tweed Champ. I have seen some of your tips for the Champ in other videos and I am wondering if you have any other tips not mentioned. Thanks
Great work!
Oh dude so love the shirt!!
Great tip video. I am going to make these changes while I am waiting on my cabinet to arrive. One other thing I did that you recommended was the 1 ohm resistors to ground from pin eight of both of the output tubes. However, I only get .02 mV DC when checking. I confirmed I got 1% tolerance and upon checking my resistors they are dead on 1ohm. I just set my negative bias to -35 and it seems fine. Not being able to dial in 21 - 22mv is cause for concern though.
hmm I got 1 at both and im not getting sound at all.
two builds at same time both 68 bassmans but modified..
1 of 2 amps the PT keeps going out.. think its on last legs.
trying all thats left of my patience.
@@ronfrey5327 send it to Terry. He’ll figure it out.
Roger that man
Great video. Love the channel
All good tips!
Your mods are a definite improvement, but why didn't MojoTone think of them in the first place? I mean placing the fuse holder that close to an output tube. What, are they hoping for high voltage arcing to occur? incredible.
EXCELLENT video. God bless.
Very Cool!
Stellar!
Great Video! Thanks! im working on one of these and have wanted to add the brass shim stock... any source for it ? hardware store? Thanks! also a technical question... what is your opinion on the king caps supplied in the kit.. if its better to upgrade some of the caps, like the F&Ts, what other would be a good upgrade for if its necessary?
I like these tips! Thanks! In addition to moving the fuse holder over, would it be beneficial to also move the power switch to where the old ground switch would be?
got to have the brain juice or nothing will get done lol love watching your videos your skill and eye is fantastic
Another great video! Thank You! One quick question, though. I have looked high and low and I have not found those nice black blanking caps you use to cover the unused holes in the amp for the relocated fuse holder and the ground switch. What is their official name and where can I get them?
damn, good tips
If you can find it in stock...
I ordered mine a little over a month ago and received it in less than two weeks but they were running low. I think I just bought the last 12 inch speaker cab they had. Hopefully they get more in stock for you.
the caps you plugged the fuse hole fits and looks good... can anyone tell me where he got that type of plug from... ? and I will be installing the .010 brass behind the pots... im learning ... thanks
Terry, you publish some well thought out modifications do you still have a affiliation with this kit manufacturer?
Good luck I'm going full-time with D-lab
What about the hamfest video D-labs
Working on it, Lots of clips to process
I was that one kid you saw
There
Yep, I remember you, will post tomorrow, just too many things in the way right now
Terry, considering the brass plate preamp ground plane technique, do you recommend also soldering some of the plate edges directly to the chassis or not? I've searched the web for vintage fender circuit photos and believe I’ve seen both with and without. I can talk myself into pros and cons for both approaches. What say you? Thanks!
@d-Lab - where do you recommend grounding the FNT filter caps? I’ve looked at different grounding schemes some say separate pre vs b+ caps to differ grounding points. I have them all grounding to the brass plate and have some noise …
4:00 - Did the kit include sheet metal screws and no spacers?
Nope, No way or advice on mounting the eyelet board
@@d-labelectronics Alas, gone are the days of Heathkit :(
Thanks Terry. Where do you source those plastic caps for the holes in the chassis?
Au-ve-co PN: 18902 1/2" plug
Terry, do you sell kits?
Would copper tape work instead of the brass plate?
I would not recommend copper tape, the adhesive would not bond to the chassis, stick with the brass shim stock
@@d-labelectronics Any tips on where to get brass shim stock? Thank you.
Sorry to ask but is this the same kit as the Stewmac amp kit ? As i have one on the way i have never built anything like this in my life hence me seeking advice here on your channel if its the same kit can i do these tips ? I look forward to your reply