I recently picked up a Brown Note D'Lite 22 for a good price. Im planning on adding a passive loop to it, but also want to add the Rock/Jazz and Mid Boost switches on the back.
The questions I have:
Based on the D'lite layout and the BluesMaster layout below - would it make sense to change any components on the board, or would adding the rock/jazz and mid switches like they are shown in the BluesMaster work fine? I dont want these foot switchable on a relay
Do I NEED to ground these to the bus bar or can I create a new chassis ground with no issue?
D-Lite Tweaked Layout (1).jpg
IMG_1526.jpeg
Bluesmaster Rev6.jpg
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When I take a look at the layout that is NOT using relays. I tried to remove the wire that connects the capacitor on the board to the lug on the treble pot so I could attach it to the mid switch and then have the mid switch go back to the treble pot (and then ground the resistor on the mid switch) it causes the existing PAB relay not to work. Is there a way I can add the rock/jazz and mid switches without interfering with the existing layout and functionality?
peckjed wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 5:32 pm
When I take a look at the layout that is NOT using relays. I tried to remove the wire that connects the capacitor on the board to the lug on the treble pot so I could attach it to the mid switch and then have the mid switch go back to the treble pot (and then ground the resistor on the mid switch) it causes the existing PAB relay not to work. Is there a way I can add the rock/jazz and mid switches without interfering with the existing layout and functionality?
Hi. Not sure if this is what your looking for but if you're using a PAB on your amp then in order to get the rock/jazz switch to work with the PAB you will need to wire everything like the 124 layout that you posted. So the 2 middle wires from the Rock/Jazz switch will need to be connected to the same relay as the PAB.
I know it’s been a while - I’m finally getting around to finishing this. recently bought a house and finally have an office/guitar room again! In the 22w layout I originally posted - is it omitting the rock/jazz and mid boost entirely? Like, not even having the circuit ‘set to rock’? To me it looks that way, but I could use some expert eyes
peckjed wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 2:26 pmIn the 22w layout I originally posted - is it omitting the rock/jazz and mid boost entirely? Like, not even having the circuit ‘set to rock’? To me it looks that way, but I could use some expert eyes :)
In the first layout in this thread (if that is the one you mean) I see Bright, OD, and PAB switches. The original Skyliner (Classic) had Bright, Mid Boost (Deep), and Rock/Jazz on the front, with OD and PAB on the back. The layout above does not have mid boost, and it is hardwired to Rock. The PAB relay does not open the bass pot's top-to-middle short when PAB is off, so it is not like the originals. It looks like there is a jumper on the bass pot in the photo, but it is not shown on the layout. If you want to add mid boost, you need to add another cap on a switch to the treble cap.
peckjed wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 2:26 pmIn the 22w layout I originally posted - is it omitting the rock/jazz and mid boost entirely? Like, not even having the circuit ‘set to rock’? To me it looks that way, but I could use some expert eyes
In the first layout in this thread (if that is the one you mean) I see Bright, OD, and PAB switches. The original Skyliner (Classic) had Bright, Mid Boost (Deep), and Rock/Jazz on the front, with OD and PAB on the back. The layout above does not have mid boost, and it is hardwired to Rock. The PAB relay does not open the bass pot's top-to-middle short when PAB is off, so it is not like the originals. It looks like there is a jumper on the bass pot in the photo, but it is not shown on the layout. If you want to add mid boost, you need to add another cap on a switch to the treble cap.
Thank you! The first layout is what I was referring to. I may be missing something - how did you identify it was set to rock?
In the brown note layout I posted… is the build missing the .002uf cap that’s going to the treble pot? All I see is the 390pf.
Would that change the value that would need to add to a mid switch… or would it make more sense to add the .002uf onto the board. Would missing that .002uf have a big impact on tone?
Unrelated to mid boost. Any recommendations on a choke?
peckjed wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 1:53 pm
In the brown note layout I posted… is the build missing the .002uf cap that’s going to the treble pot? All I see is the 390pf.
Correct. For mid boost the treble cap is made up of two caps in series, where the resulting value is nearer the small one when the boost is off. The mid boost switch shorts the smaller one, leaving you with the value of larger one.
peckjed wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 1:53 pmWould that change the value that would need to add to a mid switch… or would it make more sense to add the .002uf onto the board. Would missing that .002uf have a big impact on tone?
You have a 330p treble cap now, so adding a 2n in series would change the non-mid boost value to 283p. To get back where you were, you'd need to change the 330p to 370p. The larger cap is mounted on the board because of its larger physical size.
peckjed wrote: ↑Fri Jul 30, 2021 1:53 pmUnrelated to mid boost. Any recommendations on a choke?
For a 2x 6V6 power stage you could use a Deluxe Reverb choke, like Hammond 194A to replace the 300Ω resistor. You will probably want to adjust the resistor between the screen and PI nodes to bring the preamp voltages back into line.
You have a 330p treble cap now, so adding a 2n in series would change the non-mid boost value to 283p. To get back where you were, you'd need to change the 330p to 370p. The larger cap is mounted on the board because of its larger physical size.
My thought is to replace the cap on the board with the correct .002 and add the 390uf to the switch to match a typical layout. I like the idea of one of the Normster D'lites that has an On Off On switch with a 390pf and 330pf. Could be fun.
For a 2x 6V6 power stage you could use a Deluxe Reverb choke, like Hammond 194A to replace the 300Ω resistor. You will probably want to adjust the resistor between the screen and PI nodes to bring the preamp voltages back into line.
Thank you - I had that in a cart with my other parts this morning. So that confirms its a logical choice.
I moved the PAB and OD switches to the back of the chassis this morning so I can have shorter wire runs for the rock/jazz and mid boost. One step closer!
Sorry if this thread is turning into sort of a catch all for my Brown Note questions. I don’t want to start a new thread every time I have a minor question lol.
Is the PI a BIG part of the Dumble tone? Would it be a worthwhile add on to the D’lite?
There isn’t the spacing on the board to drop in a trimmer, but I assume I can make something work if it’s important.
peckjed wrote: ↑Sun Aug 01, 2021 1:00 pmSorry if this thread is turning into sort of a catch all for my Brown Note questions. I don’t want to start a new thread every time I have a minor question lol.
Better NOT to start multiple threads on the same project.
peckjed wrote: ↑Sun Aug 01, 2021 1:00 pmIs the PI a BIG part of the Dumble tone? Would it be a worthwhile add on to the D’lite? There isn’t the spacing on the board to drop in a trimmer, but I assume I can make something work if it’s important.
The PI trimmer is there to balance the power stage, and you can read all about that in the Setting the PI Trimmer sticky in the D Discussion section. If I were you I would add it. If you have a scope you can replace the black ground wire on the bias test jacks with a 1Ω and look at the balance there with a clean sine wave injected at the PI input.
