I threw together a Normster Rocket Reverb this weekend for fun.
Thanks goes out to Normster for this great circuit and other TAG members for there great versions as well.
This one tube verb works very well. I did incorporate the switch that Normster used to pad down the verb when in higher volumes.
Used Colossal's DPDT brite switching works great Dave. Running 6L6 cathode bias (is there anyother way ). I need to wood burn the faceplate and add some stain.
Hammond 16x8x2 chassis got crowded fast.
Mark
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Looks great Mark, another fine amp! How do you like the reverb (or have you tried it yet)? How does the 'verb dampening switch work? Have you tried the amp with a Tele yet?
Well my family got pissed since I wouldn't stop playing today and then I had my son play while I listened. Then I got back on and played some more. I just enjoy the Rocket no matter if its the traditional Ken F. four EL84 type or with octals. Hard not to like this circuit. The reverb is just a plus. I am glad that I added the brite switch as the amp is a little on the darker side. Of course the cut control adds flavor as well.
I may have to convert my other octal Rocket over to reverb as well.
I first thought the amp was too dark for a LP that was when I had my Strat plugged in. My son and I tried a Tele and a LP, each could get its own sound no problem. That is due to your brite switching Dave and the cut control.
The reverb works very good. I used the small frame medium decay pan mounted toward the front of the cab and the shortest rca cable I could find in my junk boxes. Only a very very slight reverb pan hum is heard and I mean slight. Oh I said that already.
Okay I decided I had better post a picture of the back of the amp so you can see the reverb pan in the head cab. I need a very short RCA cable or make some, another project, great.
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If the spring flood stays away this year I won't have to haul everything out of my Man Cave then I will set up my recording gear to get some sound bytes. I do have a Zoom hand held recorder but never try it yet.
I hate recording but realize I need to do some soon.
I have been gigging with this amp steady and constantly changing the circuit as I go.
You can see how the faceplate controls have grown, running out of room.
No fancy faceplate for this amp.
Added a great scale/prime/watts control to the amp yesterday, something colossal and I have been testing in Marshalls, Express and Rocket.
It does not work well in an Express type circuit but is great scale control in a Rocket. Allows you to keep the volume down and get a great distortion. If I kick in the 10uf boost for V1b bias it really grinds nice and scale back the volume. The two way brite switch allows that extra bite needed and the cut control offers even more control.
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Last edited by M Fowler on Sat Aug 14, 2010 11:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
These are more like a Fender but sound better than the Fenders I have owned and when you crank the volume pot to noon it gets a mixture of preamp and power amp drive. Engage the boost and you get more. If it is too dark adjust to taste.
The EL84 is chimey and a different tone which is also very good. Nothing wrong with the original TW Rocket thats is a great circuit. I have been running the EL84 version through celestion blues 212 openback Dr Z cab and sometimes with Vin/GH30 mix.
......And yes I have owned some nice blackface Fenders.
I tend to agree with Mark about his Fender comments. There are some who protest but if you take an AC-30 schematic and swap in a pair of octals for the quad of EL-84's it's kinda hard not to notice the circuit looks a lot like a 59' Bassman.
I like the KT-66's for the best overall tone out these amps, but each tube set I try gives me a little different flavor. If I want it to break up I have a set of Old Stock 5881's that are easily driven into a very sweet saturation. When I use EL-34's I get a great Marshall sound (imagine that). The KT-66's seem to keep the original Rocket chime more than anything else I've tried and make it a bigger and fuller sounding amp. I have not really worked much with 6L6GC's in this amp but then it really would be hard not to be thinking Bassman or Super Reverb all the way.
For myself, everything cool about the amp is complimented by the addition of the reverb. No doubt my most versatile amp. The B+ voltages on the one I built are fairly low so I don't think the wattage is all that high (I never bothered to measure it). It is still loud enough please the rockers in the crowd and way more than adequate to annoy the sound man.
My comments to follow are regarding the octal power section Rocket amp:
Yeah even with a stock Heyboer HTS-5199 PT and I have used 5k2 (about right) and 6k6 (little darker) for the OT on my Rocket reverb builds. The power of the 35w PT/OT has worked out well for me in gigging situations un-miked into 212 speakers.
If you look at the mA ratng of this PT its a lot higher in mA then what comes stock in some 40 to 50w amps. The OT states it is 35w but many here have said it actually is capable of a lot higher power ratings.
The Edcor 100w iron I used really gets this amp into the next level with low end and accentuated mids as well as good highs. I used a 412 loaded with two English Vin 30 and two American Vin 30.
I need one more English Vin 30 8 ohm to make this 412 all English Vin 30 if anyone has one.
). I need to wood burn the faceplate and add some stain.
