Small Special with Merlin effects loop

[telentubes]

Just need to get some corners, then it's done.
Realized I didn't take any finished gut shots before loaning it to a friend. I'll post some when I see the amp again.
I have only used the loop to run a TC Eletronics Hall of Fame Reverb, and it works perfectly. Haven't tried other effects like OD yet but I think I will still run them in front.
Here are pics of the cab build and tweeding.
Running an EL12L right now, which brings up the weight to 56 LBS. Kinda heavy but great tone. With a Celestion G1265, it was around 46 LBS, but that speaker didn't cut it. Will try a Celestion Gold. The Vin 30 was too mid-rangy for my taste.

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[Colossal]

Beautiful and I just know it sounds good!

[martin manning]

Very nice, T&T. Corners? Looks PDG without them! I guess the EVM12L sounds about ten pounds better than the Celestion, then?

[pompeiisneaks]

oooo smooth as buttah! Gorgeous!

~Phil

[10thTx]

Fantastic build.

[j0k3335]

really nice and if it sounds the same ...

[telentubes]

Here's an effects loop pic, which I had posted in another thread. In this pic, the orange wire is the "return" and goes through a 0.1uf cap hanging off the Master Volume pot.
I have since rerouted the wire up on to the board where the cap is now installed. It's more secure there. When I take some current pics, you'll see the change.

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[Colossal]

Telentubes,

Were you able to try this amp with the Celestion Gold?

[telentubes]

Yes, ran it with the Gold and it was not so good. Then wired up an Eminence "Texas Heat" I had lying around, and it was by far the winner. Lots better than the EV12L, which I never would have guessed. The Gold was a distant 3rd place.

I got an Eminence Josh Smith Signature in the mail yesterday (JS-1250), a 12" 50 watt speaker, that I will try in the new amp next time I see it (the amp is out on loan). In the mean time, I put it in my JM Signature, and it was nice, but not as nice as the Gold that is in there (the Gold is great in that amp).
Then the Josh Smith went in my BFPR. Josh plays through a BFPR style amp and I imagine the speaker was designed around that application. The speaker was fabulous in the BFPR. It's obviously not broken in yet, but has some very nice sounds including a tight low end, and lack of ice picky top end, and feels responsive under the fingers with a nice amount of compression.

The Texas Heat has a nice full open sound in the new amp and may well stay in there. The JS-1250 may have something more complex to offer. We'll see. Both Eminence speakers are inexpensive and have the added bonus of weighing far less than the EV12L which was originally in the amp.

I will try the JS-1250 in the new amp when I get the chance . At $99 shipped, it is worth a try.

[Colossal]

Yes, ran it with the Gold and it was not so good. Then wired up an Eminence "Texas Heat" I had lying around, and it was by far the winner. Lots better than the EV12L, which I never would have guessed. The Gold was a distant 3rd place.

I got an Eminence Josh Smith Signature in the mail yesterday (JS-1250), a 12" 50 watt speaker, that I will try in the new amp next time I see it (the amp is out on loan). In the mean time, I put it in my JM Signature, and it was nice, but not as nice as the Gold that is in there (the Gold is great in that amp).
Then the Josh Smith went in my BFPR. Josh plays through a BFPR style amp and I imagine the speaker was designed around that application. The speaker was fabulous in the BFPR. It's obviously not broken in yet, but has some very nice sounds including a tight low end, and lack of ice picky top end, and feels responsive under the fingers with a nice amount of compression.

The Texas Heat has a nice full open sound in the new amp and may well stay in there. The JS-1250 may have something more complex to offer. We'll see. Both Eminence speakers are inexpensive and have the added bonus of weighing far less than the EV12L which was originally in the amp.

I will try the JS-1250 in the new amp when I get the chance . At $99 shipped, it is worth a try.

Thanks for the tone report! That is quite surprising about the Texas Heat being better than the EVM12L! I haven't tried too many Eminence speakers. Some years ago, I repaired a Headstrong Lil King which is a very slightly modded Princeton Reverb with 6L6s and it had a 12" Eminence something-or-other that I found just kind of weak and polite. It wasn't bad, but I just don't think it was a good match for that amp. I plugged it into a 1x12 with an EVM12L and the amp just came alive. I might check out the Texas Heat though. The price is certainly very reasonable! Thanks for the tip. It's so interesting how certain speakers work with certain amps, but not at all with others.

I'm quite interested in the Small Special. Do you find the low end big and clear?

[telentubes]

The Small Special is big and clear.
This one is the third I have built. The first two had some spiky ice pick treble, if you dug into the high e string up the neck, that had to be tamed via treble cap and maybe a few other things that I don't remember, but the rest of the range was well represented. The new amp doesn't have that problem.
Speaking of Eminence, I put Eminence Swamp Thangs in the first two Small Specials (all have been 50 watt amps), as they were recommended on the forum here for working well with Dumble circuits. I was skeptical, and because they were inexpensive, I assumed they wouldn't be well made or wouldn't hold up. The Texas Heat at the time was around $65. The Swamp Thangs ( around $85) are still in the first two amps and sound really good. I put the Texas Heat in a cab in my shop and hooked it up to the radio, till now.
It's possible that the EV12L that I have is tired, as it's was my main gigging speaker since the mid 80s. It was reconed after a band mate put a mic stand through it. I've always liked that speaker but it may not be up to industry standards anymore.
Here is a cut of Eli West and Bill Frisell. Eli is using the first Small Special. You can get a idea of the open tone of the amp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzl0fZTSbBk

[Colossal]

The Small Special is big and clear.
This one is the third I have built. The first two had some spiky ice pick treble, if you dug into the high e string up the neck, that had to be tamed via treble cap and maybe a few other things that I don't remember, but the rest of the range was well represented. The new amp doesn't have that problem.

I see you used MC iron. Did you use the equivalents of a 100W Twin PT and Bassman 4k OT? For the two Small Special schematics (100W and 50W Generic), there are differing voltages. A 100W Twin PT would deliver 460V to the OT, but one of the schematics calls for something like 437V plates.

Do you bother with the Deep switch or would you advise to just omit it? I think I read you install the Bright switch but leave it off. Any use for an added Mid control?

Speaking of Eminence, I put Eminence Swamp Thangs in the first two Small Specials (all have been 50 watt amps), as they were recommended on the forum here for working well with Dumble circuits. I was skeptical, and because they were inexpensive, I assumed they wouldn't be well made or wouldn't hold up. The Texas Heat at the time was around $65. The Swamp Thangs ( around $85) are still in the first two amps and sound really good. I put the Texas Heat in a cab in my shop and hooked it up to the radio, till now.
It's possible that the EV12L that I have is tired, as it's was my main gigging speaker since the mid 80s. It was reconed after a band mate put a mic stand through it. I've always liked that speaker but it may not be up to industry standards anymore.
Here is a cut of Eli West and Bill Frisell. Eli is using the first Small Special. You can get a idea of the open tone of the amp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzl0fZTSbBk

That video was very nice and Eli's tone was indeed open, clear, and with solid lows. You could really hear the guitar/pickup. Very good! The Swamp Thangs are 11lbs. as opposed to the EV's 16lbs. (a nice bonus).

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions; very mch appreciated.

[telentubes]

I used Magnetic Components Bassman style 50 watt Transformers on all three amps.
PT, 40-18005
Choke, 40-18003
OT, 40-18001

I omitted all three front panel switch functions (and switches of course) from the circuit because I never liked any of the options.
A mid pot, which I had on the second build, I also thought unnecessary and left it out. I'm not a huge fan of mid rangy amps and find I can fine tune the mids with the resistor off the bass pot, then dial in the tone with the treble and bass pots. There are other ways as well, but that works well enough if the rest of the circuit is close.
I wanted a really simple front panel on the new amp.

Here is a low sound quality recording of Hans Ottsen playing through the second Small Special. You can get an idea of how this circuit handles jazz tones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fStAyiPn7wE

[Colossal]

I used Magnetic Components Bassman style 50 watt Transformers on all three amps.
PT, 40-18005
Choke, 40-18003
OT, 40-18001

Thanks, this is helpful.

I omitted all three front panel switch functions (and switches of course) from the circuit because I never liked any of the options.
A mid pot, which I had on the second build, I also thought unnecessary and left it out. I'm not a huge fan of mid rangy amps and find I can fine tune the mids with the resistor off the bass pot, then dial in the tone with the treble and bass pots. There are other ways as well, but that works well enough if the rest of the circuit is close.
I wanted a really simple front panel on the new amp.

Ok, thanks for clarifying. I went back to the first page and looked closely at your build photos. Yep, no switches. I'm of a similar mind. Less is more. Most of the time, I set it and forget it. I find the amps I like the most have the least in them.

Here is a low sound quality recording of Hans Ottsen playing through the second Small Special. You can get an idea of how this circuit handles jazz tones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fStAyiPn7wE

That sounds great! Definitely a full bodied sound

[norburybrook]

Fantastic I'm a huge Bill Frisell fan so thanks for posting that it was beautiful. There's a documentary film that's doing the rounds at the moment on Bill. I saw the only showing in London end of last year, try and find it if you're a fan.

Telentubes, are the amps in the videos the same size as this one? it looks quite large in the photos but small on the Bill frissell film.

I've ben using my JM wonderland as a jazz amp and have been thinking about putting it on a combo, but it's a 100w so not sure if it will be too heavy and large.


Marcus