SSS 01 Layout

[Aaron]

Hi Max,

SSS Silver Aligator is labelled "TREMELO", but has "SPEED" and "MODULATION"

ODS were originally "LEVEL" and "RATIO" compared to "DRIVE" and "VOLUME".

I don't know every Magnatone circuit, but their amps with real vibrato need the varistor.

As I understand vibrato is a change in pitch, tremelo is a change in volume.
I haven't heard the magnatone vibrato but my ac30 vibrato doesn't really change in pitch (unless its broken)

[Max]

Hi Max, SSS Silver Aligator is labelled "TREMELO", but has "SPEED" and "MODULATION"

Yes Aaron, of course. The EF86 Dumbleland has a tremolo and no vibrato, just like the Borderland Special and the ODS 150W.

ODS were originally "LEVEL" and "RATIO" compared to "DRIVE" and "VOLUME".

AFAIK this is wrong. Please look at all the pictures here: http://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/s ... ey/dumble/. But if you posted this wrong statement just to make clear that the label "vibrato" on SSS #001 might be just the wrong label for a tremolo circuit, I agree. This is possible. But AFAIK Alexander Dumble usually isn't sloppy when it comes to details.

I don't know every Magnatone circuit, but their amps with real vibrato need the varistor.

Yes, AFAIK this is correct. But AFAIK you can achieve electronic vibrato by other means, too.

As I understand vibrato is a change in pitch, tremelo is a change in volume.

AFAIK this is correct.

I haven't heard the magnatone vibrato but my ac30 vibrato doesn't really change in pitch (unless its broken)

Of course. AFAIK the Vox AC30 has a tremolo.

As I posted: Of course it's possible that Henry Kaiser misunderstood what Alexander Dumble told him concerning the vibrato of SSS #001. But I think that the experienced techs here will be able to find out if the parts visible on the picture of #001 are those of some kind of circuit changing the level or of some kind of circuit changing the pitch of the signal.

Cheers,

Max

[wjdunham]

As I posted: Of course it's possible that Henry Kaiser misunderstood what Alexander Dumble told him concerning the vibrato of SSS #001. But I think that the experienced techs here will be able to find out if the parts visible on the picture of #001 are those of some kind of circuit changing the level or of some kind of circuit changing the pitch of the signal.

Cheers,

Max

The circuit in #001 is definitely a standard volume modulation tremolo circuit, it's coupled in right at the master volume wiper, and the bug is a dead giveaway. It's possible HAD did some mods to keep the trem from loading the master when it's not engaged.

FWIW, the EF86 amp has a straight AB763 trem, same values and all.
Bill

www.sebagosound.com

[dreric]

I've owned 5 Magnatones over the years. Varsistors are very distinct looking, big and brown. All Magnatones are true point to point, it's very hard to see whats happening inside. There are no varistors in what I've seen of the SSS. Even if there were, they are obsolete, and virtually unobtainable.

"real" pitch changing vibrato based on the Varistor / patented Bohman circuit was only available on Magnatones and Audio Guild amps in the 60-70's:

http://www.vibroworld.com/magnatone/vibrato.html

Everything else supposedly is just tremolo..................until they made chorus pedals!

Zack of Vibroworld.com used to make a rack unit, Robert Cray uses one, but I think he's run out of Varistors.

Eric

[martin manning]

There is the Fender "harmonic vibrato" which appeared briefly in the early '60's amps (6G4 and an improved version in the 6G4-A) This would be quite conspicuous due to it's requiring two and one-half 12AX7's.

[Max]

Everything else supposedly is just tremolo

"There are other ... electronic ways to make Vibrato i.e. ... Hammond's distributor RC Network."

Source: http://www.vibroworld.com/magnatone/vibrato.html

Cheers,

Max

[talbany]

Let's try and stay focused and help Aaron figure this thing out...Here are both layout to AB763 Twin Reverb and shot of 001..(for the new guy's who want to help) this is your opportunity..BTW..The trem setup in the EF-86 Pentode amp is virtually identical to the AB763 circuit!!

Aaron..Do you know the approx size of each board?..If so can you post these or send them to me,or is the visio to scale!!..I know the chassis size to be 26.6" x 3" x 9"

Thanks Again!!

Tony

[ElectronAvalanche]

Hi gang,

this is the Tremolo schematic and Layout of the Silver Alligator Tremolo.


Cheers,

Electron

[ToneMerc]

Looks like they are not the exactly same. At a quick glance the Pihers clockwise are:

100R .5
10K .5
22K .5
2.2K 1W
100R .5W
100K .5W
47K .5W
330K .5W (2)
3.3M .5W
1M .5W, at first I thought this was possibly a 10M, until I compared a 1M and 10M and when the pic is 5X magnified, it has a greater green tinge. The Piher blue pigment tends to be deeper.

I'm double checking these by verifying them against actually samples on hand.

330K, 47K and 3.3M are commonly found in the Magnatone trem circuits.

Also, the large Pihers on the CF are 100K 2W

TM

[bcook]

And does anyone know what the label on the red 4-pole switch says?

[bcook]

And does anyone know what the label on the red 4-pole switch says?

[Max]

Let's try and stay focused...

Yes, Sir.

Have fun!

Max

[talbany]

[
Dominick
Thanks for posting the info on the Pentode Amp!!

Tony

[tubedogsmith]

Man, what a pain in the ass it must have been soldering those tube sockets to those boards with those short wires like that.

[wicker]

Looks like kind of hardwire, if so, probably not that big problem, the hardwire goes through eyelet, you solder it to socket, then solder to eyelet and finally cut hardwire as close to solder as you can get. That's how I would try to do it.