Anodized front panel for ODS

[RJ Guitars]

Edit - Oct 16 - 2007 Progress so far... I've got an order in with Mouser... then maybe put the boards in next week... The PT is a Stancor and the OPT is a hammond.

Edit Oct. 22 - 2007 See my latest post for a few more pictures...

Hello All,

I'm relatively new, especially to the Dumble side of this forum but I have been looking on and listening for a while now amd I think I'm ready to try a Dumble type build.

I have a friend who owns a machine shop here in New Mexico. I recently asked him to build me some chassis boxes and front panels and they turned out extremely nice. The chassis boxes are made from .090 thick 5052 aluminum and are very stout.

For the face plates I asked him to anodize a blank front panel, then mill in the text according to a drawing I provided to him. He made me a few extra and I may put them over in the for sale adds eventually, but I wanted to get a few comments first.

Any words of wisdom to help make my first ODS amp worthy of this nice panel & chassis?

rj

[Leka]

That front panel looks awesome!
I really like that "11" idea!

[JimiB]

looks very nice!

[novosibir]

What about a corresponding back panel?

Larry

[RJ Guitars]

Thank you for your compliments...

Yeah I figure 11 is "one louder" than 10... when you need that little bit of extra!

I suppose I ought to make a back panel, I had envisioned that the anodized idea would look good, but I was actually kinda surprised at the professional look of it after I saw it. It was an idea test and I hadn't really thought of "what else I'll need" if that idea turns out really well.

I'm a low quantity builder, mostly for my own use and I keep my sons supplied with good tube amp tone for their adventures in music making. I've been in electronics fabrication for most of my career, but always experimental equipment and never tube circuits. I'd love to create amps that that make guitar players drool with tone envy, having them look first rate would be a real bonus! I hope I can make a cabinet that's complimentary to the rest of the project.

My friends at the machine shop encouraged me to make a few extra pieces because it was so easy for them to make them after they had the machinery setup.

Thanks again, send more comments on what else I ought to know before I start the actual amp building.

rj

[Sven]

Greetings,

did you present your work to this forum to be praised or can you stand an honest critiques and opinion of failures of your work?

Let me know, since there are plenty of people who cannot stand the honest critique, and I really do not have the time and will to deal with them, as I had to do several months ago ...

Anyway, since I am also in a process of designing a panel, and similar thoughts occupy my mind, let me know are you ready?

All the best,

Sven

[bcook]

Any words of wisdom to help make my first ODS amp worthy of this nice panel & chassis?
rj

Yes, come on down sometime and play one in person. You'll never look back.
-Bob

[RJ Guitars]

Greetings,

did you present your work to this forum to be praised or can you stand an honest critiques and opinion of failures of your work?

Let me know, since there are plenty of people who cannot stand the honest critique, and I really do not have the time and will to deal with them, as I had to do several months ago ...

Anyway, since I am also in a process of designing a panel, and similar thoughts occupy my mind, let me know are you ready?

All the best,

Sven

Actually, I just wanted to share what I'd done and make those same resources available if anybody else wants to do something similar... I'm O.K. with the fact that some will like it and some will not just on appearance. I am myself curious what it will look like in ten years.

Now if there are potential technical failures that someone can see, could be I have something to learn and though I'm not opposed to learning from others mistakes I just usually have to make them myself to make sure they were right...

If the honesty is brutal, I figure I'd rather be in the dark. If it's kind and helpful then maybe we'll all learn from it. I say error toward not saying enough as opposed to saying too much... who needs enemies?

I'd be interested in seeing your panel design and fabrication ideas.

rj

[RJ Guitars]

Yes, come on down sometime and play one in person. You'll never look back.
-Bob

Bob, I gotta make it down and hear one of your amps... Can you send me contact info again?? rjguitars at comcast dot net

Thanks,

rj

[Sven]

Greetings,

OK, fine, here are some of my observations. Some of them personal, and some of them fairly ¨universal¨.

1. It is OK to joke and have 11, but I think the joke is somewhat worn out (kinda corny, in my opinion).

2. Having 11 while not having a ¨0¨ is beyond personal opinion -- it is not tolerable. Amplifier must have a ¨0¨ on the first position, since that is what it means ¨no signal¨ or whatever ... So, I would definitely grade the numbered dial from 0 to 10. Besides, some of Dumble lower positions in OD are already ¨11¨ for some people.

2. To me it looks like a smile of someone with each second tooth missing, when I see a dial numbered 1, 3, .... 7, .... I can understand and have seen plenty of dials (especially in sound recording studios where I spent a lot of time) that save space and/or simplify by having 2,4,6, etc. even numbers, or sometimes 1,3,5,... odd numbers, with or without a ¨dot¨ or something in between. Here, on valve guitar amp, I really do not see the need to do that. So, if you are going to have numbers, have them all ... that is how most great amps are made, and with a purpose. Personally, I am actually considering a dial with no numbers at all, but rather with ¨clock¨ dots or small squares etc. We have seen some of those on this forum, ... I like that. Still have not made up my mind. Anyway, I really think that it would look better with all numbers. And, yes, you can make the number a bit smaller. It is nott possible to judge from these pictures, but it seems that the numbers are somewhat too big ... dunno ... look at some nice faceplates on this forum ... and compare.

3. It is a matter of personal taste, but I would really not use engraved aluminum, rather, it would be better to make a faceplate that covers the aluminum, perhaps like plexi, or something ... It is a matter of artistic consideration and personal, but it particularly looks bad with those ¨lines¨ around the frame inside several millimeters that I imagine in some nice color (dark color and 2mm thin line), rather than engraved aluminum.

Other issues are not worth mentioning now, but the main point, obviously, is that you should have smaller numbers from 0 to 10 and all of them. I like that about original Dumbles.

Actually, I am going to post a nice picture of dumble restored amp (who knows, perhaps it is also engraved aluminum on this picture, but it is certainly done very nicely)..

Actually, I think on this picture, the fellow who restored this head, should have installed cane type of ¨speaker cloth¨ up front i(I think that Marshall calls is ¨biscuit¨ or ¨cane¨? -- not that awful Mesa Boogie stuff that is used for seats of warm weather chairs!) nstead of covering this front area below the face with suede leather. Covering that area with suede was OVERDOING, that actually spoiled this restoration IMO. By the way, if one decided to use suede, is there a way to spray that suede with something so that it does not get stained or wet too quick?


Sven

[heisthl]

You may want to punch the pot holes out Fender style so the pots attach to the chassis and the panel hole is larger than the pot nuts. The jack, switches and pilot light can go through both pieces. I think this panel would last a lifetime and beyond.

[Buschman]

I like it. It's prettier than my homebrew by a long shot.

[audiomatic]

Don't second guess your asthetics, that is a killer chassis/faceplate. Everyone will have an opinion, if you like it that is all that matters. Don't let the opinions of a few have you second guess those chassis, these are the same guys that would have pissed their pants for a chassis that nice looking 5-6 years ago. Enjoy it.
I think your etched aluminum faces are great too.
I did some annodized chassis about 4 years ago and had them laser engraved. They look great, the letter will never come off. Plexiglass cracks, scratches, clouds up.....your chassis should look great for a lot of years.

Good luck on your build.

[Sven]

Don't second guess your asthetics, that is a killer chassis/faceplate. Everyone will have an opinion, if you like it that is all that matters. Don't let the opinions of a few have you second guess those chassis, these are the same guys that would have pissed their pants for a chassis that nice looking 5-6 years ago. Enjoy it.
I think your etched aluminum faces are great too.
I did some annodized chassis about 4 years ago and had them laser engraved. They look great, the letter will never come off. Plexiglass cracks, scratches, clouds up.....your chassis should look great for a lot of years.

Good luck on your build.

Sven: This gentleman who owns the face plate brought his faceplate to this forum, posted a picture and ASKED for opinions, guidance, suggestions, reactions ... etc.

So, some people reacted, including my own reaction and opinion. That is why such forums are created. However, the above commentary, rude commentary, ... is one of the most arrogant interventions, one of the worst ATTITUDES I have seen on this forum.

Since I responded to request for critique, suggestions, opinions, ... I find it deplorable that someone should react the way the above reaction was made. That is¨spitting on us who made the comment.

And, by the way I have never seen or heard of someone who ¨pissed his pants¨ over an amplfier chassis. That is rude language.

So far, as it stands, that face plate has number ¨7¨ and the next number that is engraved is ¨11¨. Numbers 8, 9 and 10 are ¨represented by dots¨.

Sven

[Chad]

I like it. It's differant from a real dumble but that don't bother me none.I wouldn't think a amp must have a 0 especialy if it is your own.I don't mind that it has 11 on it makes little differance to me.Like I said I like it but thats my opinion. Good job RJ. Chad