Me too. So much that I am very tempted to try and build a clone of it !! I saw a demo by Johan Segborn of a 6G5a which was equally amazing sounding. Was that the Italian Jensen that we hear in your sound clip at the end or the original ?
It sure did. I hope it comes across in the video but the sound in my workshop was amazing. It had a 3-D swirl to the sound. Its a shame Fender discontinued it 2 years later with eh Black Panel amps.
It was just so lush, Brad, I had to rush out and buy the JHS Harmonic Tremolo pedal. Noty as 3-D sounding as the original, but better than the on/off later Fender tremolo. Hope you're doing well, my friend.
Fab videoo Chris..What a master tech you are..🙂 Just learn so much and your attention to detail is great..Thanks for sharing😊, and it sounds perfect..Great playing by the way..Ed..uk..Stay safe man..👍( Both mics sound fine, I'm leaning towards the Shure..🙂)
What an impressive result for this beautiful amp. I enjoy your soulful playing in the sound sample at the end, too. I always enjoy your playing. I can hear that you make some effort to give us a good quality sample of the amps you repair.
I have learned a lot from this video, peoples hearing preferences are unique but the SM57 sounds better to me. I'd to know more about biasing and percentages. Just for clarification ' Great video mate
Yes, I quite like the 57. It was my go-to mic for many years of gigging. The Sennheiser is also good. Convenient to setup at a gig, but a bit more of a fiddle to get in my preferred location of half way between the cap and edge at 90 deg. Thank you for listening and sharing your preference.
sounds great! While it's not like the real thing, I have an MXR tremolo pedal that offers six different modes including harmonic. As per your demo, it can sound almost Univibe-y
After hearing this Pro I purchased the JHS Harmonic Tremolo pedal. Yes, it is excellent, but there is something about valves that solid-state has not been able to capture yet. The 3-dimensionality of this PRO in my workshop was a sound to cherish. I hope it came across OK.
@@theguitaramptech I have to recommend JHS' customer service. I bought their Klon clone, which is a self-complete kit. I was working perfectly for a while but just konked out one day. I emailed them last night and this morning they had replied and are sending me a FedEx label to return it for an autopsy/replacement
Phantastic Job , the Amp sounds great. Witch Mike is better ? if I pan to left the Shure is much louder so it sounds better than the Sennheiser, more volume means less resistance, the right channel is to low in output . It seems you hit the sweet spot for the shure on the speaker., not so for the Sennheiser. The sound can improv more if you would search for the sweet spot for the Mike Position , via the noise the Amp makes and some Head phones . Oh and good playing .
You are EXACTLY right! I wish I had taken more time to position the Sennheiser and balance the levels. The Beta 57 uses a neodymium magnet, so it will be naturally louder. I should have checked for level differences but I am always under such time pressures for repairs. I will have to try again on the next video. Can I please depend on your ears and judgement again?
Good vids, however, it amazes me how many techs call out amp parts like caps and resistors incorrectly. Such as a zero as the letter 'o', ie .oh47... Other than that great job...
A colloquialism used on an entertainment platform amazes you? It's no more consequential than your comment referring to a capacitor as a "cap" or an amplifier as an "amp". We all know what you meant so there's no problem. It's not like someone can buy a "point oh four seven cap" where it would be the incorrect part because a "zero decimal zero four seven microfarad capacitor" wasn't used.
@@stevencraig I made that comment as a person that made a living working on software and computers. That industry taught me to properly call out 'number 0 as zero' and 'letter O as oh'. Mix those up in the IT field and things go bad fast... I did not mean any disrespect, matter of fact these amp techs have my complete respect, at least the good ones I follow...
Sounds lovely Chris! You did a great job! I especially like the extra trouble you went to, trying to get the correct bias point at the centre position of the bias pot. This is when ocd can be a good thing! I don't spose you can even get blue Molded caps any more huh? You like the 'sozo's', & I like the look of them too, but how much are they actually? I'm in Straya too mate so AUD is fine! I still can't believe some asshole stole the other blue moldeds! And aren't those orange drops sposed to be pretty good too? - But just visually jarring?
Thank you very much, Neville. I guess the only place you could get the original Blues from is from ethical people who have stripped old amps, or from theives. I bought the Sozos from Evatco (Qld). They carry 3 sizes from AUD12-19 plus shipping. Say HI to Michelle from me.
@@@theguitaramptech Say hi to Michelle WHO Chris? You must be thinking I'm someone else mate! What do you think of the Sprague 'orange drop' capacitors?
@@nevillegoddard4966 Sorry I wasn't clear, mate. Michell runs Evatco. Orange Drops are fine caps. I feel (ie I have convinced myself) that I can hear the difference, and I find them a little spiky. Leave them in Mesa's where there is so much other tone-destroying stuff happening, it wouldn't matter what capacitor was used.
I wonder Chris wouldn't a two part epoxy like JB weld hold the bias pot in more securely? I don't know if they have JB weld in Sidney in a hardware store. It comes in quick cure or one hour cure both types finish curing in 24hours at 21 degs. C or 72 degs. F Room temp. What do you think?
Thank you for that suggestion Dwight. If I wanted that bias pot to never come off again, even if it failed, I'd use something like JB Weld. I use hot glue because the pot is light and offers no forces of inertia from a bump, yet with my big Weller, I could remove it very easily for maintenance.
Thanks Neville. Dwight is in the USA. Yes, JB Weld is definitely a good product, but I need to have the pot removable in case anything goes wrong or we decide to go multiturn in the future. Unlikely, but, you know...
Hi again Chris. I can purchase orange drop caps at Antique Electronic Supply in Tempe Arizona. But I don't think they have the blue sozo caps. Where can I get them? Dwight.
I often buy parts from the Wholesale division of Antique Electronic Supply in Tempe Arizona. They have the blue Sozos so I expect Antique Electronic Supply would have them, too.
Some heavy lifting required on this one! Adding adjustable bias to these is tricky with the layout, I ended up making that 10k go acrobatic on the blonde Bassman I had on the channel to fit a trim pot underneath. The transformer bolt is also partially in the way which makes it more difficult. Fun stuff! Haven't seen that hot glue trick before, I'd be curious how that hangs on after some years of loud use and the vibrations that go with it. I bet it'll be fine but those 15" pros put out a lot of bass! ruclips.net/video/MxgdCBX__aE/видео.html
Yes, I saw your video on the Bassman. Very good! I am confident the hot glue will hold. I did it this way on my personal drip-edge Bassman about 8 years ago and its still feels secure. Trick is to clean both surfaces very well and to apply heat to the chassis to melt the glue. 🙂
Playing devil's advocate here... Is it possible that this amp originally had the older Astrons on the eyelet board? If so, changing them out wouldn't have been as big a deal. Have seen other brownies with those in them, but you've been around a lot longer than I. Thoughts?
Hi TK, yes this amp may have had the Astrons, but from my experience, I have only worked on Brownface amps with the Blues. Even if they were the Astrons, I would still take exception to changing them all without testing first. I left 2 Astrons behind in this amp as they tested fine. If they lasted 60 years, I am not expecting them to fail in the next 6 months. And then there's the question of the missing output transformer. Sure they can fail, but how many vintage OTs have you changed? I can't remember replacing any in a vintage Fender. But excellent point, TK. Thank you.
@@theguitaramptech Yep, of course - totally agree with you there. A motto from one of my favourite books goes, "Always Test Everything!" I've only had one failed vintage OT so far - a Moody 1712 Vibrolux - 1/2 of primary went open under test. It was like watching my favourite pub burn down. Thanks for sharing your work and ethos. Cheers mate
I don't understand the need for 5% grid leak resistors in the power stage. Don't get me wrong, if Leo did that, there must be a good reason, it's just that I can't figure out what that is. I mean, in theory, the grid current is so low that the voltage drop across those resistors should be negligible regardless of their value (within reason, obviously). Am I missing something here?
Wow, now that is what I call a amazing sounding amp !!!
Brilliant work Chris 👏👏👏👏
Thank you, Pau; I love this amp!
Me too. So much that I am very tempted to try and build a clone of it !!
I saw a demo by Johan Segborn of a 6G5a which was equally amazing sounding.
Was that the Italian Jensen that we hear in your sound clip at the end or the original ?
That sounded marvellous.
It sure did. I hope it comes across in the video but the sound in my workshop was amazing. It had a 3-D swirl to the sound. Its a shame Fender discontinued it 2 years later with eh Black Panel amps.
That trem sounds bloody beauty bonza, mate!
It was just so lush, Brad, I had to rush out and buy the JHS Harmonic Tremolo pedal. Noty as 3-D sounding as the original, but better than the on/off later Fender tremolo. Hope you're doing well, my friend.
I applaud your work on this amp, Chris. It's so disheartening to see classic vintage pieces like this defiled.
Thank you. It would have been uneconomic to continue with everything needed to bring it back, but I am very happy with where we ended up.
Fab videoo Chris..What a master tech you are..🙂 Just learn so much and your attention to detail is great..Thanks for sharing😊, and it sounds perfect..Great playing by the way..Ed..uk..Stay safe man..👍( Both mics sound fine, I'm leaning towards the Shure..🙂)
Thanks Ed. Comments like yours keep me going, my friend.
What an impressive result for this beautiful amp. I enjoy your soulful playing in the sound sample at the end, too. I always enjoy your playing. I can hear that you make some effort to give us a good quality sample of the amps you repair.
Thanks Les. I appreciate that you're a regular visitor to my videos. It means a lot to me.
I have learned a lot from this video, peoples hearing preferences are unique but the SM57 sounds better to me. I'd to know more about biasing and percentages. Just for clarification ' Great video mate
Yes, I quite like the 57. It was my go-to mic for many years of gigging. The Sennheiser is also good. Convenient to setup at a gig, but a bit more of a fiddle to get in my preferred location of half way between the cap and edge at 90 deg. Thank you for listening and sharing your preference.
that tremolo sounds almost like an univibe it is amazing, great job also !
Thank you. I agree about the Univibe effect...and this amp was built years BEFORE the Shin-Ei Univibe. Leo was, and still is, the best amp designer.
sounds great! While it's not like the real thing, I have an MXR tremolo pedal that offers six different modes including harmonic. As per your demo, it can sound almost Univibe-y
After hearing this Pro I purchased the JHS Harmonic Tremolo pedal. Yes, it is excellent, but there is something about valves that solid-state has not been able to capture yet. The 3-dimensionality of this PRO in my workshop was a sound to cherish. I hope it came across OK.
@@theguitaramptech I have to recommend JHS' customer service. I bought their Klon clone, which is a self-complete kit. I was working perfectly for a while but just konked out one day. I emailed them last night and this morning they had replied and are sending me a FedEx label to return it for an autopsy/replacement
Thanks Chris!
Thank you, for checking out another video, Peter.
Phantastic Job , the Amp sounds great. Witch Mike is better ? if I pan to left the Shure is much louder so it sounds better than the Sennheiser, more volume means less resistance, the right channel is to low in output . It seems you hit the sweet spot for the shure on the speaker., not so for the Sennheiser. The sound can improv more if you would search for the sweet spot for the Mike Position , via the noise the Amp makes and some Head phones .
Oh and good playing .
You are EXACTLY right! I wish I had taken more time to position the Sennheiser and balance the levels. The Beta 57 uses a neodymium magnet, so it will be naturally louder. I should have checked for level differences but I am always under such time pressures for repairs. I will have to try again on the next video. Can I please depend on your ears and judgement again?
@@theguitaramptech Everything is fine, i can understand that you are under pressure , so no harm done . Of course I will lend you my ears again.
Thanks Chris. Who rewound the transformer? I've got a Traynor YGL Mk.3 that needs the same treatment. The extra stepdown transformer is a hassle.
Hmmm...Traynor? Not common in Australia. Are you in Aus? The guy I use is in Sydney. Email me and I send his details to you.
Good vids, however, it amazes me how many techs call out amp parts like caps and resistors incorrectly. Such as a zero as the letter 'o', ie .oh47... Other than that great job...
A colloquialism used on an entertainment platform amazes you? It's no more consequential than your comment referring to a capacitor as a "cap" or an amplifier as an "amp". We all know what you meant so there's no problem. It's not like someone can buy a "point oh four seven cap" where it would be the incorrect part because a "zero decimal zero four seven microfarad capacitor" wasn't used.
@@stevencraig I made that comment as a person that made a living working on software and computers. That industry taught me to properly call out 'number 0 as zero' and 'letter O as oh'. Mix those up in the IT field and things go bad fast... I did not mean any disrespect, matter of fact these amp techs have my complete respect, at least the good ones I follow...
Great point
Sounds lovely Chris! You did a great job! I especially like the extra trouble you went to, trying to get the correct bias point at the centre position of the bias pot. This is when ocd can be a good thing!
I don't spose you can even get blue Molded caps any more huh? You like the 'sozo's', & I like the look of them too, but how much are they actually? I'm in Straya too mate so AUD is fine!
I still can't believe some asshole stole the other blue moldeds! And aren't those orange drops sposed to be pretty good too? - But just visually jarring?
Thank you very much, Neville. I guess the only place you could get the original Blues from is from ethical people who have stripped old amps, or from theives. I bought the Sozos from Evatco (Qld). They carry 3 sizes from AUD12-19 plus shipping. Say HI to Michelle from me.
@@@theguitaramptech Say hi to Michelle WHO Chris? You must be thinking I'm someone else mate! What do you think of the Sprague 'orange drop' capacitors?
@@nevillegoddard4966 Sorry I wasn't clear, mate. Michell runs Evatco.
Orange Drops are fine caps. I feel (ie I have convinced myself) that I can hear the difference, and I find them a little spiky. Leave them in Mesa's where there is so much other tone-destroying stuff happening, it wouldn't matter what capacitor was used.
I wonder Chris wouldn't a two part epoxy like JB weld hold the bias pot in more securely? I don't know if they have JB weld in Sidney in a hardware store. It comes in quick cure or one hour cure both types finish curing in 24hours at 21 degs. C or 72 degs. F Room temp. What do you think?
Thank you for that suggestion Dwight. If I wanted that bias pot to never come off again, even if it failed, I'd use something like JB Weld. I use hot glue because the pot is light and offers no forces of inertia from a bump, yet with my big Weller, I could remove it very easily for maintenance.
@@dwightbehm2886 I think Jaycar Electronics have jbweld.
Thanks Neville. Dwight is in the USA. Yes, JB Weld is definitely a good product, but I need to have the pot removable in case anything goes wrong or we decide to go multiturn in the future. Unlikely, but, you know...
Hi again Chris. I can purchase orange drop caps at Antique Electronic Supply in Tempe Arizona. But I don't think they have the blue sozo caps. Where can I get them?
Dwight.
I often buy parts from the Wholesale division of Antique Electronic Supply in Tempe Arizona. They have the blue Sozos so I expect Antique Electronic Supply would have them, too.
I like the way those blue sozos look in the amp you repaired on the utube video I'll give them a call thanks Chris. Dwight.
@@dwightbehm2886 I like the Soszos too. Good luck with those, Dwight.
Some heavy lifting required on this one! Adding adjustable bias to these is tricky with the layout, I ended up making that 10k go acrobatic on the blonde Bassman I had on the channel to fit a trim pot underneath. The transformer bolt is also partially in the way which makes it more difficult. Fun stuff! Haven't seen that hot glue trick before, I'd be curious how that hangs on after some years of loud use and the vibrations that go with it. I bet it'll be fine but those 15" pros put out a lot of bass!
ruclips.net/video/MxgdCBX__aE/видео.html
Yes, I saw your video on the Bassman. Very good! I am confident the hot glue will hold. I did it this way on my personal drip-edge Bassman about 8 years ago and its still feels secure. Trick is to clean both surfaces very well and to apply heat to the chassis to melt the glue. 🙂
@@theguitaramptech yeah smart trick with the big iron!
Playing devil's advocate here... Is it possible that this amp originally had the older Astrons on the eyelet board? If so, changing them out wouldn't have been as big a deal. Have seen other brownies with those in them, but you've been around a lot longer than I. Thoughts?
Hi TK, yes this amp may have had the Astrons, but from my experience, I have only worked on Brownface amps with the Blues. Even if they were the Astrons, I would still take exception to changing them all without testing first. I left 2 Astrons behind in this amp as they tested fine. If they lasted 60 years, I am not expecting them to fail in the next 6 months. And then there's the question of the missing output transformer. Sure they can fail, but how many vintage OTs have you changed? I can't remember replacing any in a vintage Fender. But excellent point, TK. Thank you.
@@theguitaramptech Yep, of course - totally agree with you there. A motto from one of my favourite books goes, "Always Test Everything!" I've only had one failed vintage OT so far - a Moody 1712 Vibrolux - 1/2 of primary went open under test. It was like watching my favourite pub burn down. Thanks for sharing your work and ethos. Cheers mate
So was I right about the power transformer being original..?
Of course you were right!! I should never doubt you.
I don't understand the need for 5% grid leak resistors in the power stage. Don't get me wrong, if Leo did that, there must be a good reason, it's just that I can't figure out what that is. I mean, in theory, the grid current is so low that the voltage drop across those resistors should be negligible regardless of their value (within reason, obviously). Am I missing something here?
I assume you meant 5w. Hey, anything that Leo did is as good as gospel for me, dazz.
@@theguitaramptech Can't argue with that logic, I would do the same.