halfbackstrat wrote:Ok, from the looks of things, I would start from either of the HRM or Bluesmaster. Listen to some on youtube and decide which you prefer.
Grab yourself a Mercury Magnetics PT transformer appropriate for this build. They have ones specifically for Ceriatone.
Drill holes for this rectifier PT somewhere appropriate on the chassis.
Next, get yourself one of the Mercury Magnetics rectifier power transformers and wire it's primaries in parallel with the main PT and make sure it has a tap that is 5V and at least over 4A.
Wire up the amp, but move the two EL34s to the V4 and V5 sockets. Now instead of wiring the main PT to the rectifier board, wire the 345-345V tap to both 5AR4s in parallel. You will need two limiting resistors for this, the value of these and how to calculate them is shown really clearly on that link i gave you earlier to Valve Wizard, awesome website.
The output of those two goes to where the output of your diodes would have gone (the standby switch looking at the ceriatone layout).
Next, wire the heaters of the rectifier tubes from the rectifier transformer.
I'm aware the Ceriatone has 6L6 tubes not EL34. Someone else will have to help you with the swap to that, I've never looked into EL34 Dumbles.
Matt you are just the type of person I needed to help me with this thread and so far you have been fantastic!, just as Colossal and everyone else that has chimed in too so thank you all.
By the sound clips and videos I prefer the HRM Skyliner cleans (the standard HRM) and the HRM Bluesmaster power section so I'm in two minds at the minute! then there is the HRM MK2 that comes with El34's and surely that will make the process a little easier I just don't know which circuit its built upon..will shoot Nik another email.
That was another wonderful explanation, understood everything thank you! Will soon have this amp going! Going to be ordering the Kit on Monday once i decide which kit is the one I want as each one hold qualities that I like
Fender0740 wrote:By the sound clips and videos I prefer the HRM Skyliner cleans (the standard HRM) and the HRM Bluesmaster power section so I'm in two minds at the minute.
As a FYI, the clean channel bypasses the HRM, which is an extra TMB EQ located at the output of the overdrive section. It is only in the circuit in overdrive mode, so it is not part of the power section either.
Just had a look at the HRM MkII that looks like a better choice actually, I didn't notice that before. That plus dual tube rectifier will get you nearly there. Get that working, and then once you've got that far you can tweak the OD section until you get that higher gain sound that the TR-EG has.
halfbackstrat wrote:Tim is this your first amp build?
Just had a look at the HRM MkII that looks like a better choice actually, I didn't notice that before. That plus dual tube rectifier will get you nearly there. Get that working, and then once you've got that far you can tweak the OD section until you get that higher gain sound that the TR-EG has.
Hey Matt, yes this is my first build and I'm hoping to learn a lot from it.
I wont be building it alone its a project I'm doing with the old man hes built 4 or 5 amps himself, is an electrician with over 30 years experience so knows exactly what hes doing when it comes to voltages etc, I'm good with a soldering iron tho so its not like he is going to be doing all the work.
I did think the MKII would work best for this project/build, it sounds good in the very few clips that's around online. I was reading more on the EG TR last night and a lot of people have said its like an open high gain Plexi with the dumble'sque dynamics, and feel, I dont know if thats going to be easy to achieve but lets have a go!
Fender0740 wrote:By the sound clips and videos I prefer the HRM Skyliner cleans (the standard HRM) and the HRM Bluesmaster power section so I'm in two minds at the minute.
As a FYI, the clean channel bypasses the HRM, which is an extra TMB EQ located at the output of the overdrive section. It is only in the circuit in overdrive mode, so it is not part of the power section either.
I'll throw this out there just from my experience with straight HRM and BM HRM builds. There is a reason that most production builders when they incorporate the HRM tonestack controls, they put them on the front panel. If you like to turn knobs ocassionally you might be highly disappointed that you will have to open up the amp to tweak the OD tone controls.
Also, considering that the HRM circuitry is the lowest gain of any of the preamp circuits, you are going to tweak it in other areas to makeup for the additional losses.
I read the reviews about the EG model and folks saying it has extra stuff, its really stripped down to be very minimalistic when compared to traditional D style builds.
ToneMerc wrote:I'll throw this out there just from my experience with straight HRM and BM HRM builds. There is a reason that most production builders when they incorporate the HRM tonestack controls, they put them on the front panel. If you like to turn knobs ocassionally you might be highly disappointed that you will have to open up the amp to tweak the OD tone controls.
Also, considering that the HRM circuitry is the lowest gain of any of the preamp circuits, you are going to tweak it in other areas to makeup for the additional losses.
I read the reviews about the EG model and folks saying it has extra stuff, its really stripped down to be very minimalistic when compared to traditional D style builds.
TM
ToneMerc - Thanks for the input! I know that the HRM tone stack controls are going to be inside the amp, I'm only going to set this tweak this when I first get the amp, after that I'm a set and forget guy. I find that way I can concentrate more on my playing and the music
The prototype of this amp had all the bells and whistles, rock/jazz bright, deep, mid boost, once they figured out what EG liked all those settings where most likely hard wired, my self I would add the switches for flexibility and secondly because we don't know for sure what setting were used. It's an HRM with tone controls on the front and dual masters.
I set-up my 100 watt build with this layout and EL-34s (actually JJ 6ca7s) using the switching and clean master similar to the blues master shown here in the dumble files with early first and second generation values on the pre and OD.
What I learned is that the EG amp is likely closest to what's called a "mega-plex" which is bluesmasterish with EL-34 and the HRM as a cathode follower ala plexi instead of off the plate ala bluesmaster. I would get a 100 watt bluesmaster chassis run dual rectifiers with a precision power supply and 50watt power section using marshall OPT iron, run the HRM tone controls from the cathode. You'll need the "mega boost" clean tone stack bypass to get the drive needed in the OD section.
I'm not too familiar with cieratones offerings, but short of a scratch build something like the above should get you in the ball park. Ask if you can get a bluesmaster front end with a 183 output section and power supply and source your own iron.
-Erik
Last edited by ER on Mon Apr 15, 2013 11:08 pm, edited 4 times in total.
ER wrote:The prototype of this amp had all the bells and whistles, rock/jazz bright, deep, mid boost, once they figured out what EG liked all those settings where most likely hard wired, my self I would add the switches for flexibility and secondly because we don't know for sure what setting were used. It's an HRM with tone controls on the front and dual masters.
I set-up my 100 watt build with this layout and EL-34s (actually JJ 6ca7s) using the switching and clean master similar to the blues master shown here in the dumble files with early first and second generation values on the pre and OD.
What I learned is that the EG amp is likely closest to what's called a "mega-plex" which is bluesmasterish with EL-34 and the HRM as a cathode follower ala plexi instead of off the plate ala bluesmaster. I would get a 100 watt bluesmaster chassis run dual rectifiers with a precision power supply and 50watt power section using marshall OPT iron, run the HRM tone controls from the cathode. You'll need the "mega boost" clean tone stack bypass to get the drive needed in the OD section.
I'm not too familiar with cieratones offerings, but short of a scratch build something like the above should get you in the ball park. Ask if you can get a bluesmaster front end with a 183 output section and power supply and source your own iron.
-Erik
Hey Erik thank you for that really helpful information, I knew the EG was some what in the plexi scene never heard of a mega-plex before..something I'm definitely going to look into. Bluesmaster El34 HRM seemed to be the way I was certainly heading, I will email Nik now and see what he can offer in regards to the bluesmaster front end and 183 output section.
then there is the HRM MK2 that comes with El34's and surely that will make the process a little easier I just don't know which circuit its built upon..will shoot Nik another email. 
