modded dr. z

[drewl]

So, those schems floating around similar to the Hammond correct?

Got one here that someone modded, some stupid pot with a switch on the back that just creates fizz and oscillation.
Wtf is wrong with people.

[Mick Bailey]

Is it a Carmen Ghia?

There's a craze for modifying amps that I don't get. Mainly because most of the mods are either poorly thought out, badly executed, or just a poor idea to begin with. I had one a few months ago - an original SLO100 Marshall. Badly drilled chassis with no attempt to align or deburr the holes, butchered wiring and an FX loop fitted that put tens of volts onto the send. What angered me (and why should I bother? - it isn't my amp) was the thing was totally mint apart from the kludges. Talk about reducing the value. So the job was to reverse it all as far as possible to put it back to stock.

Now, I can understand working on an amp to achieve a goal, where a player has a defined and considered idea of what they want from an amp. I don't see too much of that. But I do get plenty of work from failed or partly-completed mods, often with missing components, tracks or pads. Lots of sellers putting together a handful of caps and resistors and touting the idea your amp will be transformed. Or worse; buy an amp and change all the caps, resistors, transformers, speaker, tubes (totally different type, of course), pots knobs, and pretty much everything else. Then change the cabinet. No skill required, of course. Then when it doesn't work add two switches to flip from fixed to cathode bias and a 'hot/cold' switch.

Even more insane is the idea of taking a 70s 335 and drilling holes to fit a stutter switch and a range of mini-toggles. Some of the guitar mods make me wince.

[drewl]

Yeah, it was a Carmen ghia.
It was hacked up by a pretty well known amp company pretty similar to a Marshall 18watt.
It would have been alot cheaper to sell the Z and just buy a kit or a real 18 watter.

[Chuck H]

Yeah, it was a Carmen ghia.
It was hacked up by a pretty well known amp company pretty similar to a Marshall 18watt.
It would have been alot cheaper to sell the Z and just buy a kit or a real 18 watter.

But that wouldn't be a "Dr. Z" with "the mod"..

[Mick Bailey]

There are quite a few differences between the Hammond schematics and the Carmen Ghia - especially the preamp. The Phoenix project looks to be closer.

[drewl]

The phoenix project looked to be dead on judging by what parts were still left and reused.
That's what I used as a guide to returning it to stock and it sounds a hell of alot better.