D. Boyden amp (did one of you guys build this?)

[dai h.]

Only one touch away from Rock -n- Roll Heaven!

Bit weird in that the review is in the guitar section but obviously the reviewer is referring to an amp. Possibly more of a lame and lazy (as in not sounding particularly enthused) stealth marketing attempt than an actual review (notice only one exists).

[woodyc]

Only one touch away from Rock -n- Roll Heaven!

The transformer issue is even worse than it appears. The HV terminals are directly behind a 6L6. You cannot avoid brushing against them if you remove or replace the tube. If some kid wanted to try different tubes, and put the amp on standby in between swaps, the result is potentially fatal.

I thought I'd add one more pic of this amp for posterity. This shows the preamp and effects loop with the grounds indicated. (The hum problem was a bad ground in the preamp.) The solder points are all right by chassis screws. He didn't use enough heat to wet any of these joints -- the solder just balled up on one side. It didn't help that all his hookup wire is 18 stranded or that he has five parts crammed in some of the eyelets.

[Prairie Dawg]

C'mon youse guys. His website says everything is critical to performance.

[tubeswell]

The transformer issue is even worse than it appears. The HV terminals are directly behind a 6L6. You cannot avoid brushing against them if you remove or replace the tube. If some kid wanted to try different tubes, and put the amp on standby in between swaps, the result is potentially fatal.

So are you going to tell the owner that the PT needs to be remounted because its dangerous?

[woodyc]

So are you going to tell the owner that the PT needs to be remounted because its dangerous?

I gave the owner the choice of gutting and rebuilding the power section, or I toss the amp. That may seem extreme, but as a repair person you become as liable as the guy that built it. It's unfortunately true for anything thats been in your shop, whether you do work on it or not.

I may post another pic when I'm done. I'll probably fix it later this week.

[dai h.]

It is kind of funny ragging on this guy but I sincerely hope nobody is hurt since it'd be such a senseless way to go; "Poor uncle Bob...He was killed changing a tube in his guitar amplifier"). The preamp pic just seems to show a lot of laziness (not much planning, bit of melted wire insulation. The cold looking ground wire joint--too lazy to finish or didn't bother to check for oxidation and remove it? Amp abomination 101.

[52 Bill]

It is kind of funny ragging on this guy but I sincerely hope nobody is hurt since it'd be such a senseless way to go; "Poor uncle Bob...He was killed changing a tube in his guitar amplifier"). The preamp pic just seems to show a lot of laziness (not much planning, bit of melted wire insulation. The cold looking ground wire joint--too lazy to finish or didn't bother to check for oxidation and remove it? Amp abomination 101.

Are we sure that this is amp is the work of the above named builder? Could this have been modded or does he sell chassis parts to the public? The layout and construction is so bad I find it hard to believe that any professional would create this and sell it to the public.

[Cygnus X1]

Yes, that's deadly and worthy of making safe or disposing.
I do many of my builds PTP on terminal strips but they look nothing like this!

[R.G.]

It's badly enough thought out and implemented that I wonder if it was put out by someone who has a grudge against the purported builder.

[dai h.]

yeah I suppose that is a possibility. Maybe if pictures of other chassis can be found, it would help form a more complete picture.

[soundguruman]

Somebody dropped this off today with a severe hum problem. They said it was a high end boutique amp from Austin -- but it is an unpleasant mess to work on.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]20031[/ATTACH]

I love the power tube socket under the power switch.
I think maybe Mesa built it?

And I love, most of all, your arrow which points to disaster.

Hey, those pots are from Radio Shack.

That HV wiring hanging out of the chassis, that's pretty.

[booj]

I wonder if that guy built this amp as well?

[woodyc]

It's badly enough thought out and implemented that I wonder if it was put out by someone who has a grudge against the purported builder.

You could be on to something... upon closer examination, its possible the amp was designed by the Illuminati and constructed at Area 51.

[soundguruman]

I wonder if that guy built this amp as well?[ATTACH=CONFIG]20105[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]20106[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]20107[/ATTACH]

Well, I don't know if it was the same guy, but definitely the same finely tuned technique.

[tedmich]

from Boyden's WEB site:

amps are expensive but talk is cheap.