Top Hat Club -is it any more than a lightning with 6V6's ?

[chopstuck]

I was looking to build something different this time. I remember how good a little Top Hat 20W sounded about 15 years ago when I was building and selling amps. I cznt remember if it was 6V6's or EL84's. It killed my 20 watt tweed Super and looked so puny, Hmmm.

Now I have built a couple of Lightnings, a Rocket and now I'm thinking of the little club. Or maybe a Bedrock Royal Reverb.

If the Top Hat schematic on SH is accurate it looks like pretty much a 6V6 Lightning with a mid control and less filtering / no choke. Is there more to it than that ? I'm looking for something different than what I already have. Any input would be appreciated.

[dehughes]

Part of the greatness of the Club Series amps is the EQ network. If you plug in the values to the Duncan tone stack calculator you see how it can pretty closely emulate that Fender/Marshall/Vox tone stacks. If memory serves, the Lightening is higher filtered than the CR, and the Lightening has a different EQ network as well. They both share an EL84 power section and a paralleled set of 12AX7 triodes in V1, though.

I've owned a 1998 Club Royale since...well...1998, and will never sell it. It is in part the genesis of my amp-tinkering desires.

[chopstuck]

So it's an EL84 based amp too. So is it a different tone stack, less filtering and... anything else. I'm wondering if it really is enough of a difference. Should I mod my lightning to club specs to see if I like it ?

[dehughes]

So it's an EL84 based amp too. So is it a different tone stack, less filtering and... anything else. I'm wondering if it really is enough of a difference. Should I mod my lightning to club specs to see if I like it ?

I've never played the Lightening, but I'm sure it's a fine amp. That said, my Club Royale is "magic"...

Personally I'd re-create a Club Royale, but the question is what iteration. It has changed MANY times over the past decade....

[chopstuck]

Do you have a schematic other than the one published on SH ?

I would like to know what the different revisions were.
I might just have to have a shootout. That tends to resolve any differences out here in the West..

[benoit]

Personally I'd re-create a Club Royale, but the question is what iteration. It has changed MANY times over the past decade....

I'll second that. I heard one a while ago at a buddy's house and it sounded amazing, but another time I played one for about a half hour at a GC (I'm surprised they let me have 'er that long) and couldn't dial in a tone that was anything special (tried a strat, LP, tele).

[Darkbluemurder]

I was looking to build something different this time. I remember how good a little Top Hat 20W sounded about 15 years ago when I was building and selling amps. I cznt remember if it was 6V6's or EL84's. It killed my 20 watt tweed Super and looked so puny, Hmmm.

Now I have built a couple of Lightnings, a Rocket and now I'm thinking of the little club. Or maybe a Bedrock Royal Reverb.

If the Top Hat schematic on SH is accurate it looks like pretty much a 6V6 Lightning with a mid control and less filtering / no choke. Is there more to it than that ? I'm looking for something different than what I already have. Any input would be appreciated.

If it was a Club Deluxe it would have had a pair of 6V6 tubes.
The preamp is very close to the Matchless Lightning. The coupling cap off V1 is a bit smaller. The grid resistor before the PI is a bit larger. And the tone stack is Marshall style with a mid pot and Vox values as opposed to the Lightning's pure Vox style TS.
I built an amp based on the Club Deluxe schematic but mine has a pair of EL34 tubes.

[TheElectricMoron]

I'd just like to echo chopstuck and ask if there are other/better schemos out there than the SH (same ones at freeinformationsociety) that may have been drawn up by persons used to doing that?

I have a couple ratty Traynors that are just really needing to be something else

Charlie

[chopstuck]

I have been looking over the TOP HAT website and it occurred to me the designs look familiar.

Please let me know if this is a fair estimate

Club Royal - Lightning with mids plus tweaks

Club Deluxe - Lightning with mids plus 6V6 and tweaks

Super Deluxe - Lightining with mids, 6v6, 6L6 or EL 34 options plus tweaks

Supreme 16 - roughly 18 watt TMB with choke and vox PI with tweaks or a Trinity TC15 with tweaks

King Royal - DC 30

Ambassador- Fender Bassman w/ reverb

Emplexador Plexi with a few mod switches

Is there nothing new under the sun ?

I too am looking to build another amp - different from my past builds but ifthese are merely a variation then I can just mod what I 've got and see if I like it . Any thoughts ?

[dehughes]

Club Royal - Lightning with mids plus tweaks
Basically...kinda AC30 Top Boost-ish into 18w Marshall.

Club Deluxe - Lightning with mids plus 6V6 and tweaks
See Club Royale....but you're close.

Super Deluxe - Lightining with mids, 6v6, 6L6 or EL 34 options plus tweaks
Not really, actually. Different tone stack, 12AY7 in V1...noticeably different than the Club Royale or Deluxe.

Supreme 16 - roughly 18 watt TMB with choke and vox PI with tweaks or a Trinity TC15 with tweaks
Can't speak to that one....it is a choke input, so that should make it different enough from most "similar" amps, but I can't speak to the overall topology.

King Royal - DC 30
Heck no...All 12AX7s, no multi-cap switch, less filtering...but yes in that both are patterned after the AC30, generally.

Ambassador- Fender Bassman w/ reverb
Nope. Think Dumble-y tonestack with less switches into a cathode biased Pro Reverb.

Emplexador Plexi with a few mod switches
Yes and no. But more yes than no.

Is there nothing new under the sun ?
No.

[spiralstairs]

if you build off that schematic, I (and I'm sure others) would be interested in hearing your experience and any tweaks

[Gee]

Hey Chopstuck, how are you getting on with this? Just curious about what you have decided to build as I am thinking along the same lines myself.

When you mentioned the schematic on SH, what is SH?

Also what is the Fat/Off/bright switch?

[Sonny ReVerb]

SH: http://www.schematicheaven.com/

[Gee]

SH: http://www.schematicheaven.com/

Stupid me. I just couldn't think what the hell it was. I have those schematics.

They show what could be called a Fat switch but there is no Bright switch.

[Gee]

Slightly off topic but this photo inside the chassis of a Top Hat
Emplexador MKII is mighty impressive. They sure know how to build a fine looking amp.