First Amp Build.. 5e3

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

Hey, let's have a better look at those speaker jacks... something doesn't look quite right.

[Caparris]

Where is that red/yellow wire going in the picture of the eyelet board? It should be connected right to ground or the negative lead of the first main filter cap.
All those voltages look OK, relative to each other, but the actual plate voltages are a little high... that would not make the amp quieter.
That is a Russian GZ30 type tube and the only ones I can find anymore that are close to 5Y3GT but not an over priced SOVTEK 5Y3GT which is also a 5U4C.
It is not a bridge rectifier... just a simple full wave rectifier.
You can lower the B+ voltages a bit with some 5 watt zener diodes but this is not the problem you are running into.
Shoot me/us some other pictures and email them or post them here, and I'm sure we'll spot what is/are the issue(s).
Also, as mentioned in our private email messages, try to measure some of the AC signal voltages coming out of the coupling caps while strumming too. It could be that there is not enough drive from the preamp to turn the power tubes on all the way, due to a bad part or a very simple miswiring.

Red/yellow wasnt connected in these pics. I hooked it to the first main filter cap though later.

I have a ton of pics I'll post tomorrow.. can't really post them from my phone very well.

I measured voltages in 2 of the 3 places you mentioned but wasn't sure where I was measuring for one of them.. Everything I read that I thought could be it was basically 0. I'm having some issues with this meter though--going to get another one tomorrow that I can trust a little more.

[Caparris]

Hey, let's have a better look at those speaker jacks... something doesn't look quite right.

Will post better pics tomorrow. Basically yellow/black from OT to the 8 ohm jack. other wire (green? from OT) to 4 ohm jack. Blue cloth covered wire ran between the two center lugs may be what you are seeing that looks funny..? I think in my email to you I said green cloth wire but it looks like blue in the picture. Is this not correct?

[Tom Phillips]

...Blue cloth covered wire ran between the two center lugs may be what you are seeing that looks funny..? I think in my email to you I said green cloth wire but it looks like blue in the picture....

I agree with Bruce that the output jack wiring appears suspicious.
It looks to me like that Blue (in the picture) cloth covered wire is connecting the ground pin of the left jack to the hot pin of the right jack. If this is true then your output is shorted. The green OT wire is also connected to ground.
Suggest you recheck all the OT secondary wiring.
Tom

[Caparris]

I agree with Bruce that the output jack wiring appears suspicious.
It looks to me like that Blue (in the picture) cloth covered wire is connecting the ground pin of the left jack to the hot pin of the right jack. If this is true then your output is shorted. The green OT wire is also connected to ground.
Suggest you recheck all the OT secondary wiring.
Tom

Yeah, you guys are right. I wired the output jacks as if they were mirror images of one another. Obviously that isn't the case. So I had the 4ohm jack basically backwards of how it should have been.

I am almost certain I disconnected the 4 ohm wiring altogether though after I had issues just as I was trying to elminate possiblities. I will check when I get off work and rewire accordingly.

Is it likely this fried anything?

[Tom Phillips]

...Is it likely this fried anything?

For an amp like yours there is a very good chance that everything will be OK after you correct the wiring. No sense in worrying now. Just proceed with the fix and give it a sound check and let us know how the amp sounds. Most likely it will jump to life.
Good Luck,
Tom

[Caparris]

Another quick question...

Any thoughts on whether this be the cause of my higher than normal voltages?

[Caparris]

For an amp like yours there is a very good chance that everything will be OK after you correct the wiring. No sense in worrying now. Just proceed with the fix and give it a sound check and let us know how the amp sounds. Most likely it will jump to life.
Good Luck,
Tom

Sounds good.. guess we shall see I believe I disconnected the wire running between the two outputs but still had the green wire connected to the wrong place on the 4 ohm output jack which would have been basically grounding it. I'll let everyone know how it turns out in a couple of hours. Now I wanna go home early from work to check this out.. haha

I was getting pretty discouraged. I really hope this is it.. Even if I have to replace some parts, at least the (or a) problem has been identified so I have some direction now.

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

No... the cause of the higher then expected B+ is the lack of a NOS 5Y3GT, maybe coupled with a pair of stiff'ish power tubes (their natural affinity to draw less idle current)... but the B+ voltages are not stupid high and will not create the loss of output volume you are experiencing.

[Caparris]

fixed! neighbors are going to hate me now

haha..can't believe i missed that. thanks bruce and everyone else too for the help!