Non-NOS component choices

[rootz]

True, whatever sounds good! Then again, this topic is about what sounds good to you, what you hear and where to use it. Purely subjective, just personal anecdotes (not that I have anything against scientific approaches, they are just pretty non-existent on this subject).

Surpising to me: The SPR line is the only 2 Watt Koa on Mouser. The datasheet states 91k as max value. The 2W Kiwame's on hificollective go much higher than 91k though. Maybe special production from Koa in any way? Anyway, that on a side note.

[talbany]

So whats the sonic direction you want to take it (within the musical context). Do you like a bright sound with a clear midrange or more of a scooped sound? Do you want it aggressive with plenty of gain and thick harmonic texture (Rock thing).or are you just looking for an extension of the clean channel smooth and mildly overdriven (Blues). Once you have a sonic picture in your head then you choose a combination of parts (NOS or new) that will get you there.A few examples might be?
Selection of polypropylene.01 (Skyliner) and X5F's or mica caps, NOS Dales or Roederstein Mk3's on the plates and say carbon comps for something like a (bright) Robben Ford type sound (mildly overdriven Blues). If a more aggressive Rock sound is what your after I would be looking for something a bit scooped (or flat) and stick to all polyesters and ceramic treble caps and NTE or Roederstein MF's and not the Dales!!.. For resistors you can sprinkle in some Pihers or Dralorics in the OD along with a few MF's to keep the amp smooth and thick. See where this is going?. Are you looking to copy the Dumble sound or do your own thing?

Schematics the recipe and parts are the ingredients
Tony

[rootz]

Thanks Tony, that is one informative and helpful post! I tend to like bright and middy amps better any day. My go to low plate classic is now fully 6ps but with np0 ceramics as treble caps. Also a 22n v1B coupler and 100k trigger trim pot. Makes the whole OD a bit tighter I think. This combo is pretty aggressive I think. New dales on the plates and mainly Xicon cf’s elsewhere. I’d like the amp to be a bit more of an extension of the clean channel. Right now it’s also pretty gainy, more than the high plate preamp I did. Or at least it feels like that.

I really like the sound Marcus gets on one of his soundcloud clips. Low gain neck and it just sings.

I was scrolling through Mouser’s website today. There really is a lot to choose from even for just CF resistors. Here’s the thing: I have no idea how those compare to the Dralorics you advise. Add to that that Dralorics are not easy to find and expensive. So there began my quest for modern parts and their sound/place in Dumble-ish amps.

[Bombacaototal]

I like these TKD resistors. I replaced them on 6 plates. I have 3 gain stages on clean. And two gain stages on OD (latter one being a 5879 pentode) going into an active FX. That's what got replaced. The amp did have some hiss/white noise but had a small amount of "buzz" also (almost single coil-ish type noise without using single coils). The TKD resistors totally lowered the floor noise. On the clean channel only white noise/slight hiss.
The OD channel has 70% hiss/30% some slight buzz still.

This is the clearest most musical harmonically rich (sort of 3D-ish) clean tone I've ever gotten on any amp I've owned or played. This is sort of that Larry Carlton playing with Fourplay clean tone. Amazing! I have a friend who had an tweed Super. First time I heard it, I thought it had reverb but it didn't. It was that full/dimensional sounding without reverb. These resistors sort of did that dimensional musical harmonically swirly thing but with a VERY clear (in contrast to clean) tone.

Thanks for sharing this. I bought 10 x 100K 2W of the TKD to try!

We have a newborn at home so may be something before I can get around to testing it but I will surely report back

[rootz]

Congrats on the newborn!

I ordered a bunch of Roederstein MK3's couple of days ago, also some 715p's for the mid cap position. Still have to find something to replace the Xicon CF's to something that is more along the lines of the Dralorics.

When I get the time, I'll update the top post with different resistor types and what you might expect/sonic signature/combo's with other components/etc. Purely as a bit of a guide through modern components land.

[Bombacaototal]

Thanks Rootz!

Btw the resistors arrived. I am itching to try them lol

I agree with Tony that the components are the ingredients and it’s personal taste too to which direction one wants to take. My personal experience was that Classic stack is better with ceramic (X5F) and Skyliner with Mica (my favourite is a Charcroft). I also like the polypropylene.01 1600V on the skyliner stack

[10thTx]

Btw the resistors arrived. I am itching to try them lol

Please share the tone results! Whether you like em or hate em, I'm very interested in hearing what someone else thinks about these.

In particular, I'd love to find out how you hear the clean channel, then the OD channel with these and whether they lower floor noise for you like they did for me. They definitely are
my "go to" plate resistors now.

While my initial review said that I probably wouldn't put them in my other amps ……………. I ended up putting them on plates in all 3 of my amps and felt like they improved tone and lowered floor noise both.

With respect, 10thtx

[pamaz67]

My personal point of view is not to stick with a certain brand or model of a capacitor, but to test different options in the most critical parts of an amp. In this way I usually stick with 3 or 4 brands of capacitors, 2 or 3 types of signal resistors, and just a couple of electrolytic caps brand.
In this way, I've managed since now to get the tonal and general feeling results that I was looking for. Most of the time not respecting 100% the prescriptions for a certain kind of design.
But settling where I am happy with the result.

[rootz]

Thanks Paolo. Are you willing to share your insights on the different brands of resistors you used and what you heard. Again, no problem if that is (highly) subjective or contrary to popular belief.

[pamaz67]

resistors: Dale rn65 (new) , Allen Bradley (NOS) , Royal ohm, Xicon. I've tried also old holco stuff and they are really fine. But almost impossible to source.
Capacitors: 715, mallory 150, Xicon MPP; Arcotronics mkp. sometimes also other stuff, like wima or old siemens I have in stock since a long time.
Electro: F&T , mallory

Furthermore, I tend to use in some cases ( mostly where I desire to have a dry bass and a chimey high with very fine detail, wirings made in pure silver cable. The amount is not so huge to be unaffordable. The only drawback is that pure silver is brittle. So it has to be secured in some ways.
Just to give you an idea. I own a deeply modified fuchs ods. Inside it, there is a wire link that is probably some 25 cm long. I used to have an almost perfect ( for my needs at least) sound out of it. But the bass was just a tad too deep. Changing that wire link with a 3 wire braided silver cable I solved that issue and the sound gained also a little bit of micro-detail. Something I used only because I had it already at home from the Hi-end stereo adventures.....
Be aware that we are talking about details....

[talbany]

Thanks Rootz!

Btw the resistors arrived. I am itching to try them lol

I agree with Tony that the components are the ingredients and it’s personal taste too to which direction one wants to take. My personal experience was that Classic stack is better with ceramic (X5F) and Skyliner with Mica (my favourite is a Charcroft). I also like the polypropylene.01 1600V on the skyliner stack

OHHH ISKRAS! My favorite resistor. They have similar sonic qualities to the Pihers accept a more open and articulate midrange plenty of 2nd order and a very smooth break up quality! Bass is big and round sounding. Too bad they are getting so hard to come by. Let me know if you have any spare 220K's I need 1 for my OD entrance

BTW. The XF5 Spragues are hands down my favorite ceramic cap. They have their own sound and for me is really a MUST! if your chasing the Dumble sound. I've since been spoiled by using them and now everything else just does not sound balanced..weird? Silver Micas I can live with in a Clean only amp but an amp with OD Spragues are the deal! (I have not tried the Charcroft's)
2 each is own..
Tony

[rootz]

I hear you on the ceramics. Just found one 470p 1kV Sprague in eBay. €8 + €10 shipping!! Just absurd for just one cap.

[martin manning]

Choosing components from current production comes down to matching materials and in some cases the construction of the original parts, and I maintain that there isn't anything significant to be gained beyond that. We all know that some people are willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money for audio components, and they are of course free to do so. In the case of capacitors, PET and PP film/foil are currently available in the Orange Drop pattern. Radial ceramics with various dielectrics, including X7R, are also easily found. For resistors, The Dale RN65 MF as used for plate loads are available, as are CF from various manufacturers.

Vishay seems to have acquired many of the component lines used by HAD.

[Bombacaototal]

Thanks Rootz!

Btw the resistors arrived. I am itching to try them lol

I agree with Tony that the components are the ingredients and it’s personal taste too to which direction one wants to take. My personal experience was that Classic stack is better with ceramic (X5F) and Skyliner with Mica (my favourite is a Charcroft). I also like the polypropylene.01 1600V on the skyliner stack

OHHH ISKRAS! My favorite resistor. They have similar sonic qualities to the Pihers accept a more open and articulate midrange plenty of 2nd order and a very smooth break up quality! Bass is big and round sounding. Too bad they are getting so hard to come by. Let me know if you have any spare 220K's I need 1 for my OD entrance

Just curious, did HAD ever use Iskras?

[markusw]

Furthermore, I tend to use in some cases ( mostly where I desire to have a dry bass and a chimey high with very fine detail, wirings made in pure silver cable.

From https://www.aikenamps.com/index.php/technical-q-a
Q: Is there any advantage to using solder with a 2% silver content?
A: Yes. Silver solder keeps werewolves away from your amp.

I guess silver wire is even more efficient.
Sorry, I couldn't resist