The Amp Garage

The uTracer is a fantastic machine, but not cheap. The kit is ~$300 for the board only, so an enclosure and socket array are needed... Maybe another $150. Its miles ahead of any vintage tester, though, so cheap for what it can do. I built a uTracer and agree. It's terrific, I still need to case min...

I had built a Carmen Ghia already so when I got my AO-35 chassis I made it into a Marshall Lite IIB instead, that amp is loud great transformers. Before and after photos. Nice work! It looks like you drilled out the rivets that held the tube sockets and board inside the chassis and then replaced it...

I can make that happen...

Thanks, I really want to thank this forum for all the great info that I've picked up here over the years. You guys are great.

I've been a forum member for many years, but very rarely post. Mostly, I have just enjoyed reading all the great design and modification information that you all have put down, and I've completely enjoyed the ride...After reading all that I can find on the Hammond AO-35 I finally bought one, and it'...

What do you think would happen if I built a TW Express into a Fender silverface Bassman chassis? I picked one up that had been gutted a few years ago and I do have a Stancor A-3801 that is looking for something to do. I know that the wiring layout is very temperamental in these amps, could it be ove...

I should probably mention that I have a NOS in box Stancor A-3801 on the shelf that's been waiting for a build too

Hi all, I picked up a gutted AB165 Bassman head a few years ago, and I'm trying to decide what to build into the chassis. Tonewise, I like master volume amps, preferably PPIMV type. I recently bought a new Dr. Z Therapy, which is 2 6L6GC output tubes in cathode bias mode, with two 12AX7A preamp tube...

[quote="martin manning"]A second bench supply enabled some checking of the variation in measured parameters using the u-Tracer's internal filament supply vs. an external 6.3VDC supply. I tested several tube types and found a significant difference in the anode current (Ia) using the external supply,...

Very cool, so the uTracer ships with a USB cable that mates with that jack in the photo? There's lots to read, and I see he talks about a serial to usb converter in section 7.3 of the manual. Was that an issue with older computers? I have a 9 month old HP Envy laptop running Windows 8.1; do you know...

Hi, thanks for the reply...you mentioned earlier in the thread that you took out a power transistor from a wiring issue, I think on the grid circuit? Was the short circuit protection added later to the uTracer, or was that event unique somehow? Just curious :-) So it will cost about $600 to put toge...

Hi Martin, What a great thread, and very timely for me. I have a pretty complete lab in my basement, and I've been wanting a tube curve tracer for a long, long time. I have been researching the uTracer and I'm excited to have found an enthusiastic and complete review like this thread turned out to b...

Never mind, I pulled the cover off and the tone pots on my Jr. measure 498K...so I would imagine that the volume pots are 500k too. Can't measure directly without desoldering a wire and I'm out of time for the day...
I'm gonna have to give these pots a try!

Would these pots be suitable for a Les Paul Jr. with P-90's?

I think so! And I want to thank you all for the warm welcome. I've been into electric guitar for some 45 years and I've been in the hunt for great tone every since I heard Hendrix break out back in the mid sixties...There's so much to learn, I know from personal experience that there is ALWAYS more ...