Overdrive #124 in 16x8x3in Chassis

[Guy77]

Started a Overdrive Special # 124 build. She will run 2 x 6L6. I am using a Hammond powder coated chassis for this. I looked around and saw how nice these look with the black chassis and I was so tempted to do one.
I used pine to build the Head cab.

Just wondering what type of wood a lot of other people are using to build there head cabs?

I attached some pics below for all to enjoy!
The wires are loose around V1 and V2 since I have not trimmed and connected them yet.
I will post more when she is closer to being done.

Keep the iron hot!
AmpGuy

[Guy77]

Well she is finally done. It took a little longer because I added a fender style 2 tube reverb with a short tank. I was using a 2M mixer resister for the reverb circuit and reverb was turned up almost to max.
I also added dwell and reverb controls in the back. Pics are below and 2 sound samples showing with and without reverb.

Please excuse my playing I spend too much time with the iron and not enough with the guitar but it should give you an idea of the difference with and without reverb. I had to turn the Preamp Boost off with the reverb recording because doesn't sound very nice with the reverb , I did leave the overdrive stage turned on for both recordings. The pic of the front of the amp also shows the settings on the amp for the recordings (Galaxy 3 cell). guitar was a Fender Strat with volume at 3. I used a shitty 8in 15 watt speaker from my Fender GDEC for the recording .
I need to get a nicer speaker for this amp soon!!!


Guy
Keep the iron hot!

[passfan]

Congrats, I have a hard enough time building them in a 19" chassis with no reverb. Sounds great although way too much reverb for the song you picked. Now you have an amp that makes you want to play. Welcome to the board

[Guy77]

Yes your right about the reverb being too powerfull.

Now that I have been playing the amp a while I have lowered the 2M reverb mix resistor to 820K. I find that I have all the reverb I need with a 820K mix resistor. I also noticed that the tone is a lot richer now with the 820K resistor as compared to the 2M !

I also removed the dwell control and placed an OD trim pot in its place.

I will be placing an order next week with http://www.labelengraving.com/ to get my back plate and front plate made with gravoply. I will post pics when I get them back.

Cheers!
Guy77

Keep the iron hot!

[norburybrook]

Congrats, I have a hard enough time building them in a 19" chassis with no reverb.

me too


a lovely looking amp, nice to see turret board in a ODS , I much prefer working with turret boards , to me it seems like a much better way of anchoring and connecting things together.


congrats a great build


Marcus

[Structo]

Please tune your guitar!

[vibratoking]

The reverb thing is a matter of taste. Not saying I like that much reverb, but where you set it is up to you.

Reminds me of the old joke, "it was in tune when I bought it". A little, or a lot of, tuning wouldn't hurt. To tell you the truth, I couldn't listen for the tone because I couldn't switch it off fast enough due to the tuning, or lack thereof. Ziggy, Weird and Gilly have a headache.

[roknroll]

[Guy77]

Yes she needed tuning . I was so excited everything was working I forgot about tuning the guitar. Lol

[stretch2011]

For my head cabs I'm using either 1/2" or 3/4" birch back depending on what's going to be in it. I have a local laser company that cuts the pieces for me out of a 4x8 sheet. I love wood working but Damn you just can't beat the accuracy and speed of a 4000watt laser.

[tubelectron]

Interesting tentative, Guy77, since I am planning to built a Dumble with reverb

A+!

[Guy77]

Finally got proper face plates for my Overdrive Reverb 124 (high plate) build.
I was using a soft styrene type of faceplate from a local photocopy shop that ended up scratched when i accidentally ran my nail across it.

I had LabelEngraving (Panel Craft) make me these plates on 1/16th Satin gravolpy. These guys are great they even helped with a few issues I had with the Adobe Illustrator file I sent them!
I need to give them a quick wet cloth and they will be good to mount! There is even 3M peel off sticky on the back!

Since I am playing mainly with a strat I modified my V1a plate resistor from 220K to 160K and my v1b from 150K to 100K wow the sound is so much better to my ears , it was sterile with 220K and my strat but now it has come to life. But when I played it with a les paul it was better with the 220K and 150K.

I have also added a VVR to the amp. I installed an on/on/on switch on the bottom of the chassis so that I can drop the B+ by 20v ,35 volts or leave it with no dropping. I used a bunch of large diodes ( each diode drops about 5 volts) I love the way the tone changes when I use the VVR switch.

Guy77
Keep the iron hot!