A while ago I built a slightly modified 50W Non-HRM Reverb amp. During the last months a couple of my guitar buddies played through it. Not really astonishing, the OD sound I heard strongly varied depending on who played the amp and (also not really astonishing) on the picking strength.
Recently, one of my buddies asked me to build him a D-style amp. Since it is already more than half a year since I built my last amp I'm starting to get familiar with the idea of building another one
Now it happens that compared to the others who tested my first D-style amp he clearly has a "heavier" picking style.
So my question would be: is there any amp configuration (Non-HRM, HRM, BM) that is better suited for a heavier picking style?
I can't give you any advise on the type of amp; I only played my non-HRM.
On my non-HRM the swapping from a 3H choke to a bigger 10H choke has great effect on the dynamics and feel of the amp. I'm sure a heavy picker will benefit from it.
Thanks for sharing your observation!
The Non-HRM amp I build has 100k plates a V1, 150k/47n (if slope and mid is what you mentioned) and high plate values on V2. What plate resistors do you have on V2?
BTW, my buddy mainly plays funk, funk/rock, but sometimes also bluesy and jazzy.....
At the moment he favours his Strat but he frequently changes to Tele or 335 copy.
bluesfendermanblues wrote:
What capacitor values are you using on:
V1b (which connects to OD)
V2a
and V2b
I use: 47n, 10n and 5n
Plate resistor values on V2 and the three coupling caps are the same values as you have.
However, due to the to the 100k/10µ V1 values I added Gil's OD entrance mod to compensate for the increased bass content hitting the OD section. Have to the check the exact value of the cap I added (IIRC it was something in the range of 10n).
bluesfendermanblues wrote:
What capacitor values are you using on:
V1b (which connects to OD)
V2a
and V2b
I use: 47n, 10n and 5n
Plate resistor values on V2 and the three coupling caps are the same values as you have.
However, due to the to the 100k/10µ V1 values I added Gil's OD entrance mod to compensate for the increased bass content hitting the OD section. Have to the check the exact value of the cap I added (IIRC it was something in the range of 10n).
The Gil mod is usually a 47n with a 10m to ground.
What do you use for PI input, I use 20n, but it seems like too much
bluesfendermanblues wrote:
The Gil mod is usually a 47n with a 10m to ground.
What do you use for PI input, I use 20n, but it seems like too much
Have to check what exactly I used at the OD entrance. Think it was two small caps in parallel again paralleled with a 4M7 resistor. Ah, found an old pm: the two caps in parallel were close to 6n (which actually makes sense considering the higher bass content of the 2x 100k/10µ V1 configuration compared to 220k/5u and 150k/1u).
Actually I ended up with the 6n based on LTSpice simulations. The idea was to tweak the bass content hitting the OD section to about the same amount as for the 220k/150k V1 configuration.
For the PI input like you I used 20n. Except V1 the amp pretty much follows the "Early 80s grail tone" schematics.
What I've found with the clones I have is that they all handle heavy handed approaches just fine. I personally like the HRM for the smoothness and refined tones, but I understand the attraction to the non-HRM for the rawness.
Where I see issues with these amps is with light touch players. A friend of mine plays 100% tapping technique and he can't even get a sound out of the OD.
Bob-I wrote:What I've found with the clones I have is that they all handle heavy handed approaches just fine. I personally like the HRM for the smoothness and refined tones, but I understand the attraction to the non-HRM for the rawness.
Where I see issues with these amps is with light touch players. A friend of mine plays 100% tapping technique and he can't even get a sound out of the OD.
Great to know Thanks a lot!
Maybe my buddy plays a bit too heavy handed? At least he contiunously managed to rip 009 E strings during rehearsals or gigs. He then changed to thicker strings.
The other guitar players that tested my amp (at least in my ears) clearly produced a smoother and more pleasing overdrive sound than he did (although I'm sure he does play in the same league as the others). Therefore, I thought his rather heavy picking style might be the reason. Would have been a too easy solution
Although you found that all variations handle heavy handed styles fine do think that one of them might handle them a bit easier?
bluesfendermanblues wrote:The Gil mod is usually a 47n with a 10m to ground.
For what it's worth, that it not actually the case. What I did -- and never in an amp with 100K plate load resistors -- is put a .0047uF (so, 4.7nF, NOT 47) in PARALLEL with a 4.7 Meg resistor before the 220K pre OD trimmer (100K).
bluesfendermanblues wrote:The Gil mod is usually a 47n with a 10m to ground.
For what it's worth, that it not actually the case. What I did -- and never in an amp with 100K plate load resistors -- is put a .0047uF (so, 4.7nF, NOT 47) in PARALLEL with a 4.7 Meg resistor before the 220K pre OD trimmer (100K).
Cheers,
Gil
Ok, to understand you correct
In a high plate (220k/150K), Non-hrm amp, you used a 4.7n in parallel with a 4.7. Mohm, equalling a cut at 7 hz. Hmmm thats not a lot of low cut
In low plate (100K) Non-hrm amp, you used the mod consisting of a 4.7m resistor between OD input and ground followed by a 47n (0.047uF) capacitor in series with the other end of the resistor and OD input. And if the V1b capacitor is also 47n you would arrive at 23.5n, when the OD is engaged and the knee, created with the 220k + 100k trimmer would give a knee freq at 21 Hz, cutting off some of the 100K ormph mud.
Correct?? please verify
Last edited by bluesfendermanblues on Tue Aug 11, 2009 7:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.
bluesfendermanblues wrote:The Gil mod is usually a 47n with a 10m to ground.
For what it's worth, that it not actually the case. What I did -- and never in an amp with 100K plate load resistors -- is put a .0047uF (so, 4.7nF, NOT 47) in PARALLEL with a 4.7 Meg resistor before the 220K pre OD trimmer (100K).
Cheers,
Gil
Ok so in a high plate, Non-hrm amp, you used a 4.7n in parallel with a 4.7. Mohm equalling a cut at 7 hz. Hmmm thats not a lot of low cut I thought the 4.7 Mohm resistor went to ground??
What would you use in a 100k plate load resistor amp?
ayan wrote:
For what it's worth, that it not actually the case. What I did -- and never in an amp with 100K plate load resistors -- is put a .0047uF (so, 4.7nF, NOT 47) in PARALLEL with a 4.7 Meg resistor before the 220K pre OD trimmer (100K).
Cheers,
Gil
Ok so in a high plate, Non-hrm amp, you used a 4.7n in parallel with a 4.7. Mohm equalling a cut at 7 hz. Hmmm thats not a lot of low cut I thought the 4.7 Mohm resistor went to ground??
What would you use in a 100k plate load resistor amp?
I thought the 4.7 Mohm resistor went to ground??
