Steel String Singer

[Max]

On a similar note did Colin James (Canadian blues guitarist) have a SSS.

His sound on his first record to me sounds like one. Very influenced by the "SRV" tone at the time, the high end is different from the ODS.He is quoted as using a dumble. Not just as another recorded example but also for cataloging these amps.


One thing about these amps I'm yet to see what the tone filters do and their circuits.

nick

Hi Nick,

Step Filters:
As far as I remember now I met several (SSS/DL) with seven and one with eleven positions. These were their effects on the amps sound to my ears:

High Filter:
Each position of the "High" filters in my ears boosts a certain band in the high frequency range. One position gives a bit more "silvery sparkle", one more "glass", one more "silk" and so on. It is a bit like having an array of different "Bright" switches, all with a different effect on the high-frequency-range. Extremly usefull. (At least for myself).

Low Filter:
If you turn this from left to right the "Lows" get more pronounced. It is a bit like having different "Deep" switches, each one with a different effect on the low-frequency-range.

If I did adjustments to these "Step Filters" I allways adjusted both to kind of "balance" a sound in the direction I wanted for a special piece of music.

Their are very "wild" settings possible, that may sound really weird to some. As what I hear from some SRV Live recordings he definitely somtetimes has chosen very "wild" ones.

The possibilities of these 2 Filters in my opinion go far beyond that what the ususal three tone-knobs can do. I allways have great fun playing one of these beasts: Very emotional!

My impression is, that these Filters have a great impact on how these amps sound and behave in total, but I don't now by what kind of circuity they achieve their effects.

Perhaps Brandon or someone who did the "Sterling" can tell something concerning how they work from a technical point of view?

Greetings

Max

[nickm57]

oh missed that.

"Never having played one of these amps or even seen one in the flesh, are the filters rotary switches that change the voicing of the amp or something different? I've read that there is a wha inductor in there? so is it a form of parametric eq."


you just answered my question as I was posting thanks max
Nick

[UltraHookedOnPhonix]

Looking at the filter switches on the TR Sterling (page 9 of this thread), I can only see caps and resistors being switched in different combos to yield different tones. Seems like it's a bright switch and deep switch on steroids!

[dr. who]

would it be possible to use an ods chassis from funk and install the hi & low filters instead of the 2 od controls, wire the tonestack to skyline specs, and use the extra tube side where od would be but bring the gain down to almost an inaudible amount of distortion to compress certain harmonic frequencies? I was thinking of using the in/out with a d/lator for verb in this.

[Max]

So are there NO gut shots of the SSS on the web?

Here is one I found that shows how the 9 pin sockets were wired to the circuit board. Perhaps someone has the complete picture and can post it in this thread...

Steve Ahola

Hi Steve,

perhaps you know the picture of Mr. Dumble, where you see him working on an amp. This amp is the "Pentode Amp"-Dumbleland as far as I know. I think the picture is on Rob's and Bill's page (and someone has already posted it here too) If I see it again, I will tell where I have found it.

Greetings

Max

[Max]

Double

[Max]

how many SSS are out there?

#1 is Henry Kaisers
#2 is John Mayers
#3 Was david Lindley's
#4 is Henry Kaiser's
#5 was eric Johnsons
#6 ?? Maybe Carltons from Renegade Gentleman?
#7 SRV

I know Kirk Hammett had one, and there are a few others out there.

They have alot of circuit boards, but the circuit is pretty basic.

Hi Brandon,

Do you know if Larry Carlton used his SSS on any record other than "Renegade Gentleman" (only the Nashville tracks)? Or could you perhaps ask him?

I always found, that his sound on Stanley Clarke's "Live At The Greek" sometimes is of a kind that I suspected a DL/SSS. Has anyone been there this night, who could tell?

Or did HAD tweak the cleans of Larray Carlton's ODS in this direction?

BTW: Was Larry Carltons SSS a 100W or a 150Watt?

Best wishes,

Max

[Runaway J]

Googled for 'Steel String Singer' and found this on a japanese homepage, of course without understanding the context (language barrier). Could this have anything to do with the real deal ?

[Funkalicousgroove]

Googled for 'Steel String Singer' and found this on a japanese homepage, of course without understanding the context (language barrier). Could this have anything to do with the real deal ?

Might be cool, but not the real article

[Max]

There is no compressor these amps have an unexplainable phenomenon! there is nothing strange in them at all. I think it's Dr D's mastery of lead dress and component selection, otherwise it's all regular old circuits.

I have no idea why it sounds the way it does, there was nothing out of the ordinary in the best sounding one I heard, and Electron Avalanche posted a schematic of the "Pentode Amp" preamp here: http://ampgarage.com/forum/viewtopic.ph ... sc&start=0

Hi all,

To complete the picture I'll add some remarks concerning the "Pentode Amp".

This amp is in many aspects a "very special" variant of a Dumbleland for guitar:

It had (when I met it) a wonderful clean sound but one very different from the DL/SSS sounds you are familar with from (e.g.) SRV live-recordings. The really "clean" sounds had much of the mellow but silvery highs of a good steel string acoustic. This "clean" sound was very elegant with a less pronounced attack. It was in no way spectacular or flashy like a SSS can sound, but more of an airy, refined and cultivated kind.

To get an idea, how the cleansounds of this amps are with tremolo and a bit of reverb listen to Ry Cooders "Crossroads" track 8, "Feelin' Bad Blues". This kind of "acoustic" sound I could easily get with the Pentode amp using a maple neck strat with usual strat single coils, jazz on, bright switch on, deep switch on (? not sure, maybe off) volume around 4 or 5, treble 9, middle 7, bass around 7 (not sure, maybe around 4), presence around 7, bit of reverb, slow tremolo.

And if you turned the input "volume" past 6 (Humbucker) or 9 (single coil) and engaged the PB you had great crunch and blues sounds with just the right amount of distortion for many kinds of blues styles.

But this is for sure not the amp for someone who is a fan of the signature SRV DL/SSS sounds. But if you like the guitar sound of this "Crossroads" take, you will not find an amp better suited. Great, great blues amp it was/is.

So if one wants to clone a Dumbleland or SSS to get SRV sounds I would stay away from using the schematics Electron has posted, that I suspect anyway as not beeing very trustworthy. As far as I know, Electron never met the "Pentode amp" in real life, but derived the preamp-schematic by own conclusions from some pictures he got from someone that show the boards. And a tech, who did service to this amp, once told that this posted schematic is wrong, after what he saw with his own eyes in the real amp. So I would be cautious in regard of this schematic (as with, as far as I know, many Dumble schematics you find in www).

From a technical point of view I can add that the "Pentode Dumbleland" did not have those giant PTs and OTs you find in other Dumblelands but smaller ones that look far more usual.

Tubes and their function after what I remember what this tech told me concerning this: 2xEF (input, recovery after EQ), 7247 (reverb mix), 7025 (reverb return), 12AX7 (tremolo), 5751 (reverb send), 7025 (phase inverter), 7025 (driver), 4 x 6550A.

It did put out around 140 Watts without any distortion and had an unusual high plate voltage (output tubes) for a Dumbleland.

Nice weekend to all!

Max

[RJ Guitars]

Hello All,

I posted up info the chassis' for a SSS that I had built on a separate thread... http://ampgarage.com/forum/viewtopic.ph ... hlight=sss

I want to see how much more we can learn about the internals. I got a bit of a peek at the layout for a 100 SSS and I'll attach a copy of my rendition of what I saw.

Does anyone think they can help fill in the blanks a bit for us on this layout?

I am also curious if anyone can help figure out where you would put two more output tubes if you were going for the 150 watt version?

Thanks,

rj

[groovtubin]

how many SSS are out there?

#1 is Henry Kaisers
#2 is John Mayers
#3 Was david Lindley's
#4 is Henry Kaiser's
#5 was eric Johnsons
#6 ?? Maybe Carltons from Renegade Gentleman?
#7 SRV

I know Kirk Hammett had one, and there are a few others out there.

They have alot of circuit boards, but the circuit is pretty basic.

Hi Brandon,

Do you know if Larry Carlton used his SSS on any record other than "Renegade Gentleman" (only the Nashville tracks)? Or could you perhaps ask him?

I always found, that his sound on Stanley Clarke's "Live At The Greek" sometimes is of a kind that I suspected a DL/SSS. Has anyone been there this night, who could tell?

Or did HAD tweak the cleans of Larray Carlton's ODS in this direction?

BTW: Was Larry Carltons SSS a 100W or a 150Watt?

Best wishes,

Max

sorry ta break in, but the SSS is DEF on Live in japan!!

[Funkalicousgroove]

How is that possible? Live in Japan was recorded in 1979, LC didn't even get a SSS until about 1990(ish). I am certain it wasn't on live in osaka with Robben ford, LC hasn't had the SSS for almost 10 years now.

[FuzzFaceBuilder]

Hey RJ,
With a max plate dissipation per of 42-44w per tube, the (4) 6550's (EH and Tung Sol spec sheets) can get fairly close to 150w. IIRC, the two 150w SSS that Funk(?) came across both made roughly 137w RMS.

Feel free to correct me on this, if I've misinterpreted your question.

Hello All,

I am also curious if anyone can help figure out where you would put two more output tubes if you were going for the 150 watt version?

Thanks,

rj

Take care,
Hale

[Funkalicousgroove]

150W versions use 4 6550's