some ideas for amp modifications

exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
edited March 2004 in Musicians and Gearheads
these would be fun but pretty much impractical considering...

what i'd like to do to my deluxe reverb:

1. build a new footswitch incorporating the current tremolo and reverb switches and add a switch for switching between the normal channel and the vibrato channel. make the switch spacing such that the pedal is actually useful, unlike the stock pedal.

2. wire my class A boost into the normal channel of the amp. activate it using a push/pull switch on the volume control. the gain pot for the boost would have to be installed in the amp somewhere too, likely on the back panel. the boost hammers the hell out of the preamp and gives me the dirt i've been looking for. it would be nice to mount an LED on the front panel for the effect.

ok, reasons this is impractical. well, the footswitch thing should be fairly simple. the normal channel boost is more complicated b/c of course, it's an active circuit running on 9V but it should just be a matter of mounting a battery somewhere in the amp case with a switch to cut power when you don't need it. but it's probably more complicated than that.

and yes, it's a simple matter of using an A/B switch for the channel switching and just mounting the pedal on the amp (which i've done) but it sure would be slick to have it all integral.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    check the instructions page for David Barbers Launch Pad.

    I think you can use it to swap channels on older fenders I can't remember.

    http://www.barberelectronics.com


    never mind it's just for phase correction.



    Those would be cool mods though. Matt Farrow had a class A boost designed to be wired like you said on his custom shop page he built for a customer. I'd be neat to have the gain knob on the back panel, like a Vox Top boost.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    yep, a lauch pad would work well logistically. it would save me a couple pedals, assuming the boost is as good and transparent as the class A is.

    and would save me cutting my amp up. it just doesn't have the same kind of weird science appeal though.

    i read the manual and i think it would do the trick.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    Originally posted by Pacomc79
    never mind it's just for phase correction.

    no, i think it would work for A/B too.

    "A/B switcher - Set the Launch Pad to switch between channels or amps by turning the (+) volume to minimum
    and the (–) volume to full maximum. Send the (–) output to one channel/amp and the (+) output to the other
    channel/amp. Set the sensitivity to minimum if you want the (–) output to act at the same level as your input. If
    you want to attenuate the (–) output you can turn the (–) volume down; if you would like to add volume to the
    (–) output you can turn the sensitivity up. The (+) output will pass signal when the light on the Launch Pad is
    off, the (–) output will pass signal when the Launch Pad light is on."
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    well if you look it's 24V internally. It is loud and clean just based on the voltage. I can vouch for the quality in the direct drive. At 109 it's not a big risk either. He was very cordial to me when I was purchasing stuff. You can't beat the prices.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    Originally posted by Pacomc79
    well if you look it's 24V internally. It is loud and clean just based on the voltage. I can vouch for the quality in the direct drive. At 109 it's not a big risk either. He was very cordial to me when I was purchasing stuff. You can't beat the prices.

    you bought direct from him?
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    no I emailed and talked to him about it. Music toyz had them in stock so I bought from them. I got it just before they exploded for a while.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    wow. i found a dealer here in calgary but he wants $285CAN for it. umm no.

    i'll get it from the states if i can.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    I'd buy it from David. He won't screw you on it anyway.

    Just for fun. checkout toadworks boost MEAT.

    Damn I like this company. I've been this close to buying Mr. Squishy just for the name.

    http://www.virtualtoad.com/mt/index.html


    $285 is highway robbery. The price plus 15% is only $125.35 + nominal shipping is not much more than that.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    it would cost me about $160CAN i figure. i'm going to sleep on it and see.

    i could make one myself too. for my needs, i just need an A/B with a micro-amp type circuit on one output.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by exhausted
    it would cost me about $160CAN i figure. i'm going to sleep on it and see.

    i could make one myself too. for my needs, i just need an A/B with a micro-amp type circuit on one output.


    yeah, but how do you get the voltage at 24V, voltage doublers?


    I wonder how much it would cost me to ship it to you.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    Originally posted by Pacomc79
    yeah, but how do you get the voltage at 24V, voltage doublers?


    I wonder how much it would cost me to ship it to you.

    voltage doublers. there are circuits around for that. i'll buy it direct from barber if i do it at all. i don't want to buy from musictoyz and the store i deal with here can't get it at all even though i've seen direct drives under the counter.

    the fact that, by all accounts, it's a dead quiet boost is the most appealing part. i couldn't make a circuit that would be as quiet.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    yeah I like the idea of 24V of clean power too. That's a ton of headroom to go into an amp or an overdrive. Brings out single coils nicely. I've been using the direct drive for that. Pharaoh starts back up in May.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    yeah. what's with pharaoh? i was just at his site b/c i wanted to look at the custom jobs.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by exhausted
    yeah. what's with pharaoh? i was just at his site b/c i wanted to look at the custom jobs.



    my guess is light business or maybe too many orders. It's one guy after all he was way behind on the website and getting projects out. My guess is he took a couple months off to redo things.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    if i get some more OT hours this weekend i'll order one on monday. it won't take too much OT to pay for it.

    i think i'm still going to make a better footswitch for the amp though. but that's just a matter of rehousing the two switches in a more useful box. maybe with LEDs. that's doable.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Yeah, I got a free switch with my new windshield washers (don't laugh, mine broke I had to buy new ones) I wired them to my parking lights so I can use the switch in your box. I'm thinking of drilling a hole in the case and wiring the 9v in to the switch so I won't have to plug and unplug it.


    a lot of people desire new footswitches for those amps. I don't get why everything has to be vintage. Fender could expand the damn footswitch.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
Sign In or Register to comment.