Used Fender "The Twin" for $200

[Reeltarded]

Never go looking for projects like this though. Let them find you, unless you have a single dream hotrod out there somewhere.

I never imagined that I liked tampering with circuits. My projects are all vintage Marshall hotrods because 20-25 years ago I bought many broken amps for spares, for the most part. I have a couple I bought in the last ten, those were still really cheap.. but they found me.

Pass the word around flea markets that you are the amp guy, and even buy stuff you don't want if it's cheap enough to give people a reason to keep calling. It works, I swear! Old peeps hate ebay.

[The New Steve H]

That doesn't look scary at all. He was able to use the stock chassis. He chose to go with expensive transformers. Not something I would bother with, so I would have had an easier job.

I can't believe he took the time to sand the turret board. I take it right off the table saw and go to work. And I'm not sure why he uses a belt sander, since you can do it faster and easier with a sheet of sandpaper.

All that stuff with the template is surprising, too. I just draw the layout on the board with a pencil and throw it on the drill press. I don't know how long it takes most people to make a board, but it's like half an hour for me.

If I were going to go to the trouble of using a template, I'd draw the holes on the computer, print out the picture, glue it to the board, and drill through the paper. I learned that technique from a machining video. But it's a complete waste of time when your tolerance is a quarter of an inch. I'm sure some of my eyelets are a sixteenth of an inch off.

Is he using a template because he's determined to have exactly the same measurements as Fender? This is not something that would matter to me.

[SoundPerf]

Is he using a template because he's determined to have exactly the same measurements as Fender? This is not something that would matter to me.

Just think how easy the template will make doing another board down the road. Won't even have to print a piece of paper and stick it on. Plus, when doing work for someone else and charging a profit, things like 100% accuracy and like considerations should be a concern.

If I had a nice table top belt sander I would use it for anything I can. I'm not sure how old you are, but due to various jobs I did in the past and bad technique of repetitive motions I have ruined my wrists with carpal tunnel issues. I have had surgery in the right arm for it, which has helped tremendously, but the left is still screwed. So anywhere I can let a machine do the work (and yes, even repetive back and forth sanding will make it flare up) I use it. These are things that us "old guys" have to worry about.

[SoundPerf]

Never go looking for projects like this though. Let them find you, unless you have a single dream hotrod out there somewhere.

This is smart advice and the kind of advice I suspect come from experience with these sorts of things.

I don't have a lot of experience with rebuilding/restoring amps, but the little I do makes this statement ring out very loud with truth.

[The New Steve H]

Here is what I would say about the template.

To me, sticking a piece of paper on a board is easier than lining up a template and clamping it in place and holding it together while drilling. I have a 3M spray product commonly used for this purpose. Spray it on, slap the paper on, remove with alcohol. It's pretty quick.

As for accuracy, you can get within a few thousandths using an ordinary printer. It's good enough for machinists to use for layout, which means it's about twenty times as good as you need for amps.

You can also email computer templates, and they never wear out. They're also hard to lose, and you can carry a thousand on a flash drive. You can make them for chassis holes, too. And you can print all sorts of info on the templates, to help you while you're using them.

But everyone likes different tools. I wouldn't even use the computer templates. I just cut and drill.

[Phil_S]

Is he using a template because he's determined to have exactly the same measurements as Fender? This is not something that would matter to me.

Mikey does that DRRI rebuild as a side business. He's done many of them. He uses the template so he can have a standard build. What you describe is fine for a one-off, but not for multiple builds. He's got it down to a science. He's delivering a product. Last time I talked to him (admittedly a couple of years ago), he had a backlog of work. He can probably do 4 of those and you'd still be working on the one. For that purpose, it does matter.

[SoundPerf]

You can also email computer templates, and they never wear out. They're also hard to lose, and you can carry a thousand on a flash drive. You can make them for chassis holes, too. And you can print all sorts of info on the templates, to help you while you're using them.

Look at what you wrote there. Look at all the extra TOOLS, (computer, printer, flashdrives, adhesive, etc.) It may seem that these are just things everyone uses and has, but are extras that aren't really needed at all. In fact, I'm starting to hate all this crap. (and digital technology is what I went to school for) They have really gotten into the hands of the wrong people and served to make mediocrity the standard. I'm not trying to accuse you of being mediocre, but step back and take a look around.

Ok, rant off......

oh, and .001" isn't the tolerance for all engineering. In this case you're correct at it being beyond what is needed for the most part.

[The New Steve H]

Look at what you wrote there. Look at all the extra TOOLS, (computer, printer, flashdrives, adhesive, etc.) It may seem that these are just things everyone uses and has, but are extras that aren't really needed at all. In fact, I'm starting to hate all this crap. (and digital technology is what I went to school for) They have really gotten into the hands of the wrong people and served to make mediocrity the standard. I'm not trying to accuse you of being mediocre, but step back and take a look around.

It's okay if you say I'm mediocre. My first from-scratch amp failed to function because I didn't connect the B+ to anything. Real head-scratcher.

Now that I know this guy is making lots of boards, I think a solid template is better than paper. I wouldn't want to mess with spray and glue remover and wadded up paper several times a day.

It's funny to me that you consider printers and computers "tools" many people don't have. It shows how different the generations are. My dad is 80, and I go through sheer misery every time I try to get him to upgrade to something not made in the Stone Age. And today I had to shop for a new DVD player, and I realized I'm not that different. I was infuriated to see that I couldn't get a carousel player that doesn't have a ridiculous Internet connection on it. I can't believe people lie on their behinds browsing Netflix via their DVD players. I don't even want Blu Ray. And are people REALLY paying to have 3D in their houses? I thought we gave up on that in 1960.

[SoundPerf]

No, I really wasn't trying to imply that you're mediocre. Please don't take it that way. I just wanted to give a different way of looking at it. Also, I didn't say that most people don't have computers. I was stating that they are commonplace machines these days, but have not served to better many of the things that they are claimed to help.

Like, (and this will get plenty of flames) I hate the iPhone. It has made poor quality video and audio the state of the art for many people.

I don't want to make this out to be bigger than it is. I'm just ranting a bit. Sorry.

[The New Steve H]

The thing I hate about smartphones is that you spend half the day talking to the tops of people's heads.

[Reeltarded]

Like, (and this will get plenty of flames) I hate the iPhone. It has made poor quality video and audio the state of the art for many people.

Being an apple user, with a very new 12 core, and this ipad, and the phone, I couldn't agree with you even a little bit more. It's hyped crap.

Music was better when I was the arbiter, and technology didn't allow for someone to think a drum loop was melody.

Everything wants me to like it on Facebook. Eff everything, and eff Facebook. Yesterday I bought a hamburger wrapped in an advertisement for itself.

People are crazy.

[SoundPerf]

Like, (and this will get plenty of flames) I hate the iPhone. It has made poor quality video and audio the state of the art for many people.

Being an apple user, with a very new 12 core, and this ipad, and the phone, I couldn't agree with you even a little bit more. It's hyped crap.

Music was better when I was the arbiter, and technology didn't allow for someone to think a drum loop was melody.

Everything wants me to like it on Facebook. Eff everything, and eff Facebook. Yesterday I bought a hamburger wrapped in an advertisement for itself.

People are crazy.

Wow, I'm not alone. I was beginning to wonder.....

.....The burger wrapped in its own advertising is a good one...and a big affirmative for eff'ing Facebook.

[Reeltarded]

...and a big affirmative for eff'ing Facebook.

miles and 12,343,672 others like this

They lied to us. They made us all products, and complete tools. It's not your job to affirm my humanity, and who cares if "#Just took a dump @Bob Knobberly follow Bob Knobberly

The internet is where we all kiss each other's ass. That is why self-esteem is all about friend count. That ain't self-esteem. It's steamin' alright, a pile of steamin'.

[LeftyStrat]

Actually the stuff I post on Facebook is really interesting, it's all the other peoples pages that are boring.



I've got to go post an update. I think I'm going to post Reeltarded's hamburger statement, that's damn funny as hell.

[Reeltarded]

Oh, you can't be trusted.

[IMG:587:355]http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj20 ... google.jpg[/img]