2w Sub Miniature Express

[dayn]

Anyone else want to make some clips of theirs? Would love to hear how they sound for anyone else!

[Ron Worley]

I just finished my cab last week after no progress all summer (just to hot in the garage in TX). Here are the results- this cab is constructed exactly like a real TW cab- the front has dadoes on the sides and top that fit into slots in the cabinet sides and top. It also has a "picture frame" front, exactly like Ken had his cabs built.

I have a set of drawings that I need to finish up with the exact cab dimensions from a real TW in the near future.... it's on the to-do list...

[M Fowler]

Nice job on that cabinet Ron and I didn't realize how small that amp is.

Mark

[kec]

Sweet Ron! Nice work!

[UR12]

Anyone else want to make some clips of theirs? Would love to hear how they sound for anyone else!

I have a guy who will be doing some studio clips for me in the first couple of weeks in Dec. I hope to have them posted on the website. I doubt there will be video but who knows. The guy is a local guitar player but is very good.

Guys, Those cabs are just beautiful!! I just shipped an amp to a guy who requested sea foam green. I'll see if I can post a pic when I get home this evening

[UR12]

Here are a few pics of some of the Lil Devils I have done for people in some different color schemes.

[RJ Guitars]

I am enjoying the look of the various cabinets that these are showing up with. I still wish I would have had time for one of these... very cool little amps it would seem.

In real life, I serve as an Electrical safety Officer for inspecting new and locally built experimental equipment. That experience has me looking in places for things that maybe don't matter in these circumstances. Anyway, I have one curiosity about these units. With the exposed circuit board, is there any high voltage that you can touch with your hands or a tool from the back side of the amp?

I've seen at least one of these with a rear screen on it and was curious if that is a good idea for shock prevention?

rj

[UR12]

I am enjoying the look of the various cabinets that these are showing up with. I still wish I would have had time for one of these... very cool little amps it would seem.

In real life, I serve as an Electrical safety Officer for inspecting new and locally built experimental equipment. That experience has me looking in places for things that maybe don't matter in these circumstances. Anyway, I have one curiosity about these units. With the exposed circuit board, is there any high voltage that you can touch with your hands or a tool from the back side of the amp?

I've seen at least one of these with a rear screen on it and was curious if that is a good idea for shock prevention?

rj

This is what the back of every amp I ship looks like. There is no way anyone can get a finger near anything with voltage on it without removing the amp back panel and/or chassis. The backpanel is at chassis ground which is also electrical earth ground. I guess if a person found something like a coat hanger wire and stuck through one of the small holes in the back, turned the amp on and probed around they might be able to get a shock. I would think it would require a bit of skill to get the wire/coathanger through the hole without grounding out on the panel. Of course that same person could also just stick the coat hanger in an electrical outlet much easier. Even the mosfet I use is electrically isolated from it's heatsink so you can touch it without getting shocked. The pilot light (LED) is part of the Bleeder circuit for the HV supply. It slowly goes dim when you turn the amp off until it goes out. If the light is out, there is no risk of any kind of shock.


As an Electrical safey officer in real life, what else would you suggest?

[RJ Guitars]

... as an Electrical safey officer in real life, what else would you suggest?

"Never underestimate the potential of a human being to do something really stupid"

Jokes aside, seems you have answered things to the first line more than adequately. The back shield will work great and shows your intent to prevent any problems. After actually addressing the issues then "intent" is a great CYA bonus if the legal dogs come after you. You will never be able to keep people from doing stupid things, just do things well and let survival of the fittest claim those determined to self harm.

I have been playing around with these little tubes on a project of my own and I find that it is a bit of a challenge to keep the bare HV leads from showing through here and there. I wanted to keep an open back like a Wreck but found a similar scenario.

By the way, you must own most of the worlds stock in the 5902's? I've found them to be somewhat non-existent at most of the tube vendors.

rj

[UR12]

... as an Electrical safey officer in real life, what else would you suggest?

"Never underestimate the potential of a human being to do something really stupid"

Jokes aside, seems you have answered things to the first line more than adequately. The back shield will work great and shows your intent to prevent any problems. After actually addressing the issues then "intent" is a great CYA bonus if the legal dogs come after you. You will never be able to keep people from doing stupid things, just do things well and let survival of the fittest claim those determined to self harm.

I have been playing around with these little tubes on a project of my own and I find that it is a bit of a challenge to keep the bare HV leads from showing through here and there. I wanted to keep an open back like a Wreck but found a similar scenario.

By the way, you must own most of the worlds stock in the 5902's? I've found them to be somewhat non-existent at most of the tube vendors.

rj

I can remember back in the early eightys , Mercury had a car called the Zepher that had a few failures (out of who knows how many 100s of thousands of cars built) one of which included the car jumping into gear while setting still ideling. True story, Mercury started putting caution stickers on the dash telling you not to stand in front of the car with the engine ideling.

If you truly wanted to go with an open back then you could bend up a cover to cover the board with holes for the tubes to come through. Of course with any amp you are leaving yourself open to someone burning their hand on a hot tube. Every amp built has a potiental shock hazzard on the outside of the chassis. Just remove a tube and turn the amp on and touch one of the power tube socket plate pins and you will find high voltage very easily.

I had considered putting a safety switch on the back panel so that if it was removed the switch would kill the power to the board but I figured most people who wanted to operate the amp without a back panel would just defeat it and go on.

I have a sign over my desk that states "You just can't fix stupid"

I do have quite the stash of both 5902s and also 6112s. They number in the hundreds.

[Zippy]

I can remember back in the early eightys , Mercury had a car called the Zepher that had a few failures (out of who knows how many 100s of thousands of cars built) one of which included the car jumping into gear while setting still ideling. True story, Mercury started putting caution stickers on the dash telling you not to stand in front of the car with the engine ideling. :

I'm recalling a similar issue with an Audi - was it the A7? - in the last decade or so. Same thing, people were getting pinned to the garage wall when they jumped into gear. Scary stuff.

Amen to the stuff about trying to create an "idiot proof" system. There's always a better idiot that'll defeat your best efforts. I was a navy electrician in a previous incarnation and have often been amazed at what some people would do.

I would like to thank everyone here who has bought a kit or Lil Devil head. When I started this thread I had no idea how popular this amp was going to turn out to be. You guys have been great to work with on this project. I just wanted to post here that Friday 10/16/09 will be the last day I will be offering kits for the Lil Devil.

I do have quite the stash of both 5902s and also 6112s. They number in the hundreds.

Any further thoughts as to whether you'll offer any more Lil' Devil kits then or have you plans to put a few hundred fully built amps out on the market?

[UR12]

I would like to thank everyone here who has bought a kit or Lil Devil head. When I started this thread I had no idea how popular this amp was going to turn out to be. You guys have been great to work with on this project. I just wanted to post here that Friday 10/16/09 will be the last day I will be offering kits for the Lil Devil.

I do have quite the stash of both 5902s and also 6112s. They number in the hundreds.

Any further thoughts as to whether you'll offer any more Lil' Devil kits then or have you plans to put a few hundred fully built amps out on the market?

It's a little up in the air at the moment and kind of a long story. Presently there are about 30 Lil Devils being played around the world. I am looking at doing some other subminiature amps. I have had a lot of requests for everything from micro Dumbles to micro Fenders and Marshalls. The next one you will see will be either a Microplexi or a Microvox with Pentode front end (both are ready to start prototype testing with the PCB already designed. Unfortunatly there just isn't enough time in the day for me to support everyone who is wanting help with their VVR installs and the Kit builds. Something had to give as I was spending all of my time answering emails so I decided to stop selling the kits. I may bring them back after I get reorganized, I don't know. I am woriking on getting a forum setup for the VVR (Actually Particle just created a forum on Watkins.com/VVR )where we can document the installation of the VVR in various amps and put all the info in one place which should also ease my support role a little and free up some more of my time for things I want to be doing , like designing little and BIG amps. I have a 100 watter with a newly designed variable power supply that i would love to be playing with but I am too busy answering emails to to get to it. I am also looking into enlisting the help of distributors for the VVR boards and I am in the process of adding a stocking distrubitor in Austrailia ( Which should make you guys in Aussie land happy in regards to shipping costs and duties. So I have a lot going on behind the scenes. I never really wanted this to turn into a business. I am a hobbyist at heart and love to tinker. I hope that answers your questions.

[Zippy]

Thanks, Dana. Sounds like more that a coupla plates full!

Have you considered Hoffman's business model of having distributors that handle selling the kits and fielding the help calls?

Regardless, good luck with ALL your endeavors.

[UR12]

Thanks, Dana. Sounds like more that a coupla plates full!

Have you considered Hoffman's business model of having distributors that handle selling the kits and fielding the help calls?

Regardless, good luck with ALL your endeavors.

Yes, very similar to Hoffmans model. I am even looking at putting together a list of install techs for the VVR.

[bradinnm]

Howdy folks, first post here! (Long time TGP'er).

I just picked up a Seafoam Green L'il Devil over at TGP and am really excited! As a long time small single ended amp fan, I can't wait to work with this.

Quick speaker question for the folks here. I am going to mate this with a small closed back 1x12 cab that I have, using either a Celestion Anniversary or an Eminence L'il Texas (125 watt neo-mag) that I have laying around. Any thoughts? Any favorite 12"s out there for the L'il Devil?

Thanks a bunch folks this seems like a real great group of posters.

Brad in NM