Superdrive 22 build
Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal
Re: Superdrive 22 build
Looks like a great build especially all those nice components I spy.
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Smokebreak
- Posts: 1391
- Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 5:53 pm
- Location: Texas
Re: Superdrive 22 build
Yup, Mark I had some random nice bits around so I threw them in the mix 
I've been modding this amp here and there when I've had a chance, and arrived at something I love. The amp sounded great and I think would work well for some , but it wasn't "classic" sounding to me, whatever that means. Wasn't the high gain (or lo-ish gain) sound that I really gravitate towards, these days. I knew if I didn't change it, I wouldn't play it, or it'd become another test bed. I really wanted something small for around the house that does plexi/800 ish stuff, so out came the soldering iron again.
I generally don't like high plates, but I left them, and kinda realized something...I had a customer bring in one of my amps for new tubes a while ago. It's similar to this amp...let's say a 6V6 plexi. I may be the only one out there but I've never really dug a loud 6V6 plexi, it's just a painful mess to my ears. But this one sounded great and upon inspection, apparently I had the first stage with an unbypassed 4K7 on the cathode. Best sounding 6V6 plexi I ever built
So anyways, I left the stock 4K7s in this amp, as tempting as it was to change everything to 2K7/1u and 100K plates. I upped the 2nd stage/1st plexi stage cap to .33 instead of .1, and got rid of all that peaking business before the first stage. Kept the dual gangs and strapped a .001 across the first stage pot. to get some peaking back, and "classic -it-up", I added the usual 470K//470p and 470K divider after the 2nd pot. Took off the bright cap on the 2nd gain pot, and now the treble and pres is much more usable . I'll put a 3 way bright switch on this amp. Kept the Naylor presence.
Now it's a more familiar amp to my ears, kinda a Naylor/Marshall mutt... beautiful cleans, incredibly mean and upper mid focused. Very vocal. Gets insane when cranked but holds together ok for 6V6. I'm thinking a fat switch may be in order for one of the cathodes. Almost done!
I've been modding this amp here and there when I've had a chance, and arrived at something I love. The amp sounded great and I think would work well for some , but it wasn't "classic" sounding to me, whatever that means. Wasn't the high gain (or lo-ish gain) sound that I really gravitate towards, these days. I knew if I didn't change it, I wouldn't play it, or it'd become another test bed. I really wanted something small for around the house that does plexi/800 ish stuff, so out came the soldering iron again.
I generally don't like high plates, but I left them, and kinda realized something...I had a customer bring in one of my amps for new tubes a while ago. It's similar to this amp...let's say a 6V6 plexi. I may be the only one out there but I've never really dug a loud 6V6 plexi, it's just a painful mess to my ears. But this one sounded great and upon inspection, apparently I had the first stage with an unbypassed 4K7 on the cathode. Best sounding 6V6 plexi I ever built
So anyways, I left the stock 4K7s in this amp, as tempting as it was to change everything to 2K7/1u and 100K plates. I upped the 2nd stage/1st plexi stage cap to .33 instead of .1, and got rid of all that peaking business before the first stage. Kept the dual gangs and strapped a .001 across the first stage pot. to get some peaking back, and "classic -it-up", I added the usual 470K//470p and 470K divider after the 2nd pot. Took off the bright cap on the 2nd gain pot, and now the treble and pres is much more usable . I'll put a 3 way bright switch on this amp. Kept the Naylor presence.
Now it's a more familiar amp to my ears, kinda a Naylor/Marshall mutt... beautiful cleans, incredibly mean and upper mid focused. Very vocal. Gets insane when cranked but holds together ok for 6V6. I'm thinking a fat switch may be in order for one of the cathodes. Almost done!