High Plate Skyline 100 Watt ODS

[Structo]

My temporary rack system.

Now I have to find or build a head shell cabinet.


[img:800:658]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_MHnI-B0pJ8k/TNdGW ... G_0685.JPG[/img]

[CHIP]

Great job Tom!
I hope you post some clips someday.

[Bob-I]

Way different than my D'lite. Kind hard to dial in clean tone without distortion unless I have it pretty loud.

Really?? Something's wrong. I have a hard time getting mine to break up at all in the clean channel. Possibly you're mismatched power tubes are causing some crossover distortion.

[Structo]

Yeah I orderd a quad of power tubes and I'll have to see what they do for me.

All I know is right now I'm having a bit of trouble dialing this amp in.

It's weird because I know it has the same front end as my D'lite, just has a more powerful power amp.

I'll keep twiddling, maybe I have something hooked up wrong.

[dcribbs1412]

Congrats on a great looking build Tom
I'm sure you"ll get the small kinks worked out
maybe a d'lite comparison when you get the chance
I'm thinking of a 100/50 watter but would like to hear your comments

Will you be adding a half power switch?

Man, I can't believe how loud this sucker is.

I mean, I play the 50 watt through the Dumbleator so I throttle it with that but man, this 100 watt is like vibrating crap off the shelves at 9:00-10:00 on the volume and master.

[Structo]

Sure thing.
My initial impression is this amp is louder than shit!

I didn't have a full quad of the same brand power tubes so right now I have two JJ 6L6GC and two SED 6L6GC.
I have dual bias pots so I can balance them at idle, but after that it's anybody's guess as to what the bias is doing.

I ordered a quad of Tung Sol 6L6 STR's today.

I really like the winged C tubes but my budget is very limited.
Besides, I wanted to try these Tung Sol tubes.

A half power switch may be in the works, because this amp seems way louder than my D'lite.

Funny how that 3 db increase is a huge difference!

I'll have to check to see what all I need to record some clips. I have a SM57 and I think I have an old copy of Cake Walk Guitar Tracks that may work with my computer.

Steve (67 Plexi) clued me into something about the Rock/ Jazz switch that I never knew about.
Is that how all the ODS amps are? Not sure if I have ever seen anybody mention it.
He said it should be a On-Off-On switch. I didn't know that.
Hopefully the middle off position will be what I'm looking for because I don't care for the Rock or Jazz, although right now I'm leaning towards the Jazz setting.

I went to Fry's today and got some relays and switches. I kind of forgot about that place for parts. It is a 40 mile drive to the North but man, they have a lot of stuff!
Mostly NTE but decent nonetheless.

Another goal I have is to re-house my Dumbleator into a rack mount cab that isn't the size of another amplifier.
The Fender Reverb power transformer I used is just a bit too tall for a single 1U rack unit. So I had to use a 3 inch high box.
I may have to get creative or order a triad from Brandon.

If it wasn't for this forum and the great bunch of guys here, I never would have been able to throw this together.

THANKS AMP GARAGE! [IMG:26:28]http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b392/ ... s/Dude.gif[/img]

[Structo]

Oh one additional question.

On the half power switch, do you have to change the impedance setting when you switch to half power?

Thanks!

[dcribbs1412]

Not sure about "have to" change the impedance
I say what sounds best for your setup

Also what would having a on off on Rock/Jazz switch change?
Rock/Off/Jazz?

[ChrisM]

Oh one additional question.

On the half power switch, do you have to change the impedance setting when you switch to half power?

Thanks!

No

All four tubes are conducting but two are just barely.



Also if you go with a On-Off-On RJ switch the middle position is PAB. The rock setting is usually what most people go for. Still sounds to me like you might have a big in your build.

[Bob-I]

FYI...

I put a 1/2 power switch on an amp I built for a friend. When he picked it up I demonstrated the half power switch. At "normal" volumes we couldn't tell which position the switch was in. When we cranked it, master above about 3:00, we could tell, but it wasn't dramatic. It almost seemed like more of a loss of girth rather than a loss of volume.

[dcribbs1412]

So half power switch not really needed?

Bob-I what do you use for clubs and jams?

Damn straight. I really can't use my 100 watter in any situation right now, it's just too loud. Sounds amazing but damn it's loud.

[johan]

Try to lower the overall volume with the D-lator

Rock/Off/Jazz switch? I thought it was a Rock/Jazz switch

[Structo]

Yep, I installed the On-Off-On and it is PAB in the middle.

I did reduce the cap on the Rock switch to .002uF which helped the boominess.

I changed the presence cap to 2.2uF and the NFB resistor to 10K.

I like it!

Just got done playing it for about a half hour. I gotta say it has way bigger balls than the D'lite, even at bedroom volume.
I turned it up briefly to around noon on the volume and master and holy cow!
I say again, I think there is more than a 3 db increase in play here.
It'll take your head off!
I'm glad I have the pair of EVM 12L's because this is some serious horse power.

I had to play around with the controls on the amp and the Dumbleator.
Right now the pre Volume is around 3:00 and the Master is also at 3:00.
These settings may not translate well because some of my pots are NOS so the taper may be different.

On my D'lite I set the Volume at noon and the Master at 1:00.

My Dumbleator has an Output pot so I can use it as an overall Master volume.

[ChrisM]

Might want to give it a bit more burn in time before any more changes. I always find that helps, amp settles a bit.

[Bob-I]

So half power switch not really needed?

Bob-I what do you use for clubs and jams?

I have a few different setups I use for bars.

My main setup is a Peavey VT-60 that I converted to an HRM with a ECL-86 reverb a few years ago. It's in a 2x12 combo with an Emi Tonker and a Swamp Thang. I also have a Bassman head that I converted to a Trainwreck rocket with EL-34's. I use a head switcher so the Rocket is bright and clean, the Dumble of course big and fat.

Typically I run the master at about 8:30-9:00 on the Dumble, volume about #2 on the Rocket.

My small rig is a Princeton Reverb with a 12" WGS speaker.

Ever hear a sound man tell the guitar player to turn UP ?? . Every gig, every soundman. In-ear monitors are amazing.