'80's style high plate classic....

[tubedogsmith]

The latest amp in my quest to build one of each was the high plate classic amp. I guess the biggest difference I noticed is that this amp doesn't have the prominent bass tones all the others have in spades. The others being the bluesmaster, non-hrm skyline, a couple versions of the hrm skyline, low plate non-hrm skyline. I used a 150k slope resistor which probably accounts for some of it but the bass is no where near as strong as the other styles. It sounds great and full still but. different. Loves the strat. I put in the deep switch as well which is very cool. Anyone else built one of these?

[ayan]

The latest amp in my quest to build one of each was the high plate classic amp. I guess the biggest difference I noticed is that this amp doesn't have the prominent bass tones all the others have in spades. The others being the bluesmaster, non-hrm skyline, a couple versions of the hrm skyline, low plate non-hrm skyline. I used a 150k slope resistor which probably accounts for some of it but the bass is no where near as strong as the other styles. It sounds great and full still but. different. Loves the strat. I put in the deep switch as well which is very cool. Anyone else built one of these?

What you describe is what my experience with that design was. It was my favorite circuit for about 9 years, and I built quite a few of them. Best match for the Strat, in many respects. I later found the Skyliner 100K plate load amp to be my favorite. The problem with it is that all that extra bass and low mids goes out the window when you step on the PAB, whereas in the Classic, the PAB seems to be an extension of the inherent voice of the amp. The thing about the 100K Skyliner is that it offfers a good sound that is not available in the Classic, and that lends itself to playing a Strat on the bridge pickup and making it sound like old Claptio (with Marshall and Gibson), or EJ with a Strat. I am still digging that sound a lot, and the 100K amp seems to be more complex in the high end.

Enjoy your build,

Gil

[tubedogsmith]

Gil, thanks for the comments. Having read your comments before on this amp was a lot of the reason I wanted to try one. It seems that most of the suggestions you've made here on the board in regards to tweaks and twists that I've tried have worked out pretty well for me. The low plate skyline amp I built is a 50 watter and sounds incredible. It overdrive very easy in the clean channel and the OD channel is truly just an extension of the clean. I used a three position switch for the R/J and you get a cool usable tone in the middle position as well. Next amp will be a 100 watter low plate skyline. I've grown to really love these things after getting off to a rocky start.
I had access to three real Dumble back in '99/00, all HRM skyline amps and they really left me underwhelmed. I couldn't understand all the hype. I built a few of them based on those originals and they didn't really get me anymore excited either. I wish I would have stumbled onto a non-hrm back then. Anyway, 8 or 9 years later I'm back bainging on them and I've even gotten those HRM's to sound pretty cool But, like you say, the non-hrm's are so much easier to sound good on!

[wjdunham]

Gil's reply is a lot more eloquent and based on a far deeper experience with these amps than mine, but I'll chime in based on my limited experience with a high-plate 50W and a #124 (almost) 100W 100k plate Skyliner. To me, it's apples and oranges, and I've found most of what I read here to apply... Most of my comments apply to the OD channel, I personally haven't noticed a huge difference in the cleans. My 100W amp is a lot more agressive, fills the mix and has a great fat yet tight bottom end with a 2x12 EVM12L open back cabinet. I use it for outdoor gigs, large rooms or when playing with a smaller group where I'm the only guitar player. The 50W high-plate version is nice and smooth sounds great at any volume and I use it with a larger group where I want to blend into the mix more and not clobber everything (somewhat the opposite of some might think, that you would want an amp that cuts through a dense mix, I find that the 100W tends to stick out too much and takes up too much of the spectrum). I use the 50W with a Thiele 806 cab with a Celestion vintage 30. I love both amps, great tools depending on the situation. The 100W sounded great with the strat from the start, I had to tweak the 50W a lot but finally got it sounding nice and full.
Bill

[tubedogsmith]

Thanks for the comments. Another thing I've noticed with the classic amp is an overall softer sound and it doesn't seem as loud as the skyline amp. Cleans are really pretty Fendery too.

[dogears]

Try the 100K slope..... Much better mids IMO.

I used a 150k slope resistor which probably accounts for some of it but the bass is no where near as strong as the other styles. It sounds great and full still but. different. Loves the strat. I put in the deep switch as well which is very cool. Anyone else built one of these?

[ayan]

Try the 100K slope..... Much better mids IMO.

I used a 150k slope resistor which probably accounts for some of it but the bass is no where near as strong as the other styles. It sounds great and full still but. different. Loves the strat. I put in the deep switch as well which is very cool. Anyone else built one of these?

You just can't get that same amount of bass from the Classic, TDS. "100K vs 150K" slope will be a very marginal difference in comparison to "Classic vs. Skyliner."

Gil

[tubedogsmith]

I just spent another hour with this amp and I'm not going to change anything right now I don't think. I'd really digging it. It's different enough that's it's definitely worth adding to the stable. I haven't put a treble bleed in this one yet either. You can really tune this amp with the cords you use to run the loop box and for some reason the highs on this amp are real pleasing blazing away in full glory. The transition from clean to boost and OD to boost is real natural as well, no big changes. The clean channel seems to break up quicker than a skyline too. When I open her up again I may try some changes but I think that'll be awhile.

[dogears]

True... Note I mentioned mids. I felt the low mids had a more natural dense quality when comparing slopes in the classic stack.

I think it is a very worthwhile change to try. Especially considering 100K is the value in that stack. AFAIK.

Try the 100K slope..... Much better mids IMO.

I used a 150k slope resistor which probably accounts for some of it but the bass is no where near as strong as the other styles. It sounds great and full still but. different. Loves the strat. I put in the deep switch as well which is very cool. Anyone else built one of these?

You just can't get that same amount of bass from the Classic, TDS. "100K vs 150K" slope will be a very marginal difference in comparison to "Classic vs. Skyliner."

Gil

[heisthl]

The problem with it is that all that extra bass and low mids goes out the window when you step on the PAB, whereas in the Classic, the PAB seems to be an extension of the inherent voice of the amp.
Enjoy your build,

Gil

Gil just change your PAB over to the stack lift type and lift it by around 270K (or use a trim pot). Very usable volume and fatness bump.

[bluesfendermanblues]

Or ad a little 220p capacitor, turns a brittle PAB into a nice full boost.

[heisthl]

edit - didn't read the schematic title. Hey be a man and get that wimpy bright cap up to 180K or larger

[bluesfendermanblues]

You typed 220pf but the schematic shows 500pf - which do you like?

Its a 500pF in the attached schemo, but I tried various sizes and settled on 220p.....but, off course it depends on the amp and your preference in general.

[bluesfendermanblues]

edit - didn't read the schematic title. Hey be a man and get that wimpy bright cap up to 180K or larger

I actually use a 'double' bright switch with choice of either a 120p or a 270p.
If you are used to Fender amps without mastervolume (hence, my site name ), even 120p is a lot of birghtness, because you tend use the volume control on 2-3. On a D-style amp on the other hand, you run volume much higher (like 6½-7 with singlecoils) and 120p is barely audible and 270p can be ok with humbuckers, when Volume is set high.

[tubedogsmith]

True... Note I mentioned mids. I felt the low mids had a more natural dense quality when comparing slopes in the classic stack.

I think it is a very worthwhile change to try. Especially considering 100K is the value in that stack. AFAIK.

Try the 100K slope..... Much better mids IMO.

You just can't get that same amount of bass from the Classic, TDS. "100K vs 150K" slope will be a very marginal difference in comparison to "Classic vs. Skyliner."

Gil

I'll definitely try the 100k slope resistor when I open it back up.