New Rocket build

[stevek66]

Hey Ron,
Thanks for the clarification.
Again build looks great,Hows it sound???
Thanks Steve

[Ron Worley]

Steve-

I tested it with a Strat with a hot rails humbucker in the bridge and through the 2x12 speakers of my 1975 Marshall half back MKII combo (I don't have my 4x12 done yet, waiting on speakers).

First off, it sounds amazing.... and LOUD. Although it doesn't have all the "hair' of the Express, it still goes in harmonic feedback just as well and the distorted tone is.... well, awesome (that being the most over used descriptor in the American English vocabulary it seems). With the regular single coils in the middle and neck positions, it did calm down some, but still was impressive.

I have not tried it with my Les Paul yet, I'm going to wait until I put it into the cabinet and get it all done to do any more testing. I will report on what I find once that's all done.

Ron

[Fischerman]

Ron,
I think what 67plexi was referring to is that pin 2 is the filament and pin 8 is the cathode and you really want the main filters connected to the cathode. You have the main filter caps connected to the filament (pin 2). To be honest, I'm not sure how much it matters...I noticed on the Ceriatone Mu$$less DC30 clone that they have the main filters connected to pin 2 of the dual rectifiers (which are either 5AR4 or 5V4...both same pinout).

What is the black wire connected to pin 8?

EDIT: I did mess with the Rk on V2 and it does make quite a difference on the gain. I haven't played it enough (not cranked anyway) to judge the tone.

[Ron Worley]

The black wire is from the 40uf caps onto the ground lug on the rectifier's Cinch style socket- regular sockets don't have it... The layout drawing is being modified to reflect the accurate installation. The 100K bleeders are also not on the real Rocket..

Perhaps (who knows), Ken Fischer wired the caps to pin 2 intentionally to get a certain gain???? Knowing as little as I do about the real electrical going's on in a rectifier (other than it makes DC out of AC), I don't know why Ken did what he did......

[Fischerman]

Did KF connect pin 2 to the main filters?

In a directly-heated cathode rectifier (the kind that turn on instantly...like a 5U4) the filament IS the cathode so in that case it doesn't seem like it would matter. But in an indirectly-heated cathode rectifier (the kind that turn on slowly...like a 5AR4), I thought that the cathode and filament were two seperate elements that were internally connected at pin8. So I was thinking that if you connect to pin8 you are taking the B+ straight off the cathode (which is what you want) but if you connect to pin 2 then you are actually taking the B+ from the filament (in series with the cathode...i.e. all your B+ current is going from the cathode through the filament). However, our B+ current is puny compared to the filament current so again...it may not matter.

[Ron Worley]

Yeah, Ken wired it to pin 2, as did Allyn in his replica.

Again, I'm just not that smart, but looking at the tube chart for the GZ34, it appears to me that pins 2 and 8 are directly connected.... so... it would mean that either should work.... but it does then pass through the heater filament....

I don't know, perhaps one of the smart fellers here can enlighten us...

Ron

[M Fowler]

Ron who is the source for Rocket Heyboer tranny set?

Mark

[Ron Worley]

Mark-

I bought mine from Allyn Meyers, who had purchased a quantity of them- but I don't know if he has any left.... You could go direct to Heyboer, but the one off price will be accordingly higher, I would have to guess.

Ron

[Zippy]

Mark - Check also with RJ. He has been in contact with Heyboer and has had several trannie sets posted for sale.

[Ron Worley]

I forgot that RJ had purchased some as well, don't know if he bought the same units as Allyn.

BTW, Parts Express has the lowest price I found on the Hammond Choke:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdet ... er=122-330

Ron

[M Fowler]

Zippy and Ron thanks I will get ahold of RJ and see what he has.

Mark

[Ron Worley]

Here are some pics of the completed amp in the nice cabinet that I got from Ritchie Hall. Notice that the builder used Kreg pocket screws to attach the front, pretty slick!

http://www.kregjoint.com/index.php

I did not add the brown weather stripping to the front where the faceplate meets the cabinet front. Not sure if I will or not, it's a royal pain to install.

BTW, the faceplate is aligned with the edge of the front, it just looks misaligned due to the camera angle.

[M Fowler]

Ron very nice cab, Richie did another great job. I was going to use my Kreg pocket jig up ended up using some left over maple stips and screwed those in for the front valance.

Who did the face plate and your logo? I don't have a machine to mill my Mahagany board down so I plan to find some one around town that can sand it down or plane it down.

Know one builds the wood faced laser cut face plates anymore right?

Mark

[Structo]

Nice job and thanks for the tip on the Kreg'a pocket screw jig.

I've always known that pocket screw joints were strong but didn't know how to achieve them.

A bit of change for the jig but if you were to use it much it would be worth it.

[Ron Worley]

Mark- Sadly, Eric Ventura (Lonely Raven) no longer has access to the machine that made my faceplates.

There are 2 alternatives listed on the BOM though....

Tom- I agree that the Kreg jig is a little spendy, but not really too bad when compared to a biscuit jointer or other methods.... It won't work for the top/bottom/side part of the TW cab if you're using 45 degree miter joints. But if you used butt joints, it would work for the whole thing.

KF may in fact have done this- see the picture below, the real wreck is on the right- and that ain't a miter joint as far as I can tell.....

Ron