Want to build - BF Deluxe/Vibrolux normal channel only amp

[Pater Familias]

Hi - I've been a member and a reader here for a couple years, but haven't posted much.

I want to try my first attempt at building an amp. I've built a few pedals, done a few simple mods on my DRRI, biased amps, etc. to date.

Here's what I want, but need some direction, advice, and any help I can get:

A head or small 112 combo that's simply the normal channel from a Blackface Deluxe Reverb or Vibrolux Reverb. I'd assume those are basically identical circuits except for the transformers (or would there be different value components as well?).

I have been given a link by another member over at The Gear Page to a modified schematic and a modified layout diagram, but I can't read all the values because the quality of the diagrams is not the best.

Also, not sure where I could get a chassis that would work.

Appreciate any and all help.

[M Fowler]

Sounds like the kind of amps http://allenamps.com/ has to offer.

[Pater Familias]

Sounds like the kind of amps http://allenamps.com/ has to offer.

I've look at his several times. They appear to be based on the Reverb/Trem channels of BF amps rather than the Normal Channel.

[Milkmansound]

Check out the Princeton amp (non reverb) - skip the tremolo. I think you'll like that one

Or just delete trem and verb from the Allen circuit

[topbrent]

Here are a few.

[rogb]

I just built an AB763 from scratch into a 17x8x2.5" chassis and like you, I though about just a single channel. However I went and built the Deluxe non reverb and having the 2 channels is well worth the small extra effort IMO.

Last night was the first time I took it out to a local jam and as you are called to play just about any kind of music having the choice between 2 very different channels was really useful. Also everybody went nuts about the opto trem vibrato Mine doesn't tick

I modded the Normal channel to have more gain and harmonics, more Marshall/ Vox/Dumble, switchable Deep and NFB, PAB tonestack lift, Mid/Raw pot. I used this a lot last night, as you can do rhythm on 6-7 and solo on 10 on the guitar volume. Jumping on the TS9 just adds a touch more when needed too
The Vibrato channel is virtually stock apart from a Mid pot and the trem lift mod switched pot for a tad more gain. I used this for jazzier and country songs, just has that classic BF sound.
I fitted a PPIMV in case I needed to take things down a touch.
I built a simple ABY and Vibrato box to take care of switching.

I used a mix of carbon comps and Dale RN65 resistors, Orange Drop and Mallory caps (which I am gradually changing out for ODs), Mercury Magnetics Fatstack 200mA PT and 4/8/16 OT, F&T PS caps, 20+20uF 500v in the 1st stage as opposed to 1x16uF in the original BF Deluxe and 2x16uF in the BFDR.

It has a passive loop which takes the Dumbelator and a TC G# for some reverb, which also acts as a global volume so you can crank your channels some more

I separated the cathodes in V1 and V2, and added a tube/diode rectifier switch. Plates on the 5U4GB tube rectifier are ~427v and on the diodes ~450v.
I've got a sweet Mullard GZ34 too, but it was too close to the diode voltages and I wanted a distinct "saggier" difference between the 2.
Power tubes are JJ6V6, or EH 6V6. You need to choose tubes that will take the 348-348 from the Mercury PT. You can also use 6L6 with no problem.

With a 12AT7 in the PI, and the JJs, diode recto on, this is pure BF Vibroverb tone, think Diaz Custom VV in Normal/Mod mode and BF "mini VV" in Vibrato channel, and could be even more so with 6L6s.

[M Fowler]

Normal channels are boring.