Cramming it all in.

[sean k]

You guys have helped me to this stage and I'm sure I'll need a little more but at the risk of seeming justifiably, in my own head, proud, I'd like to show my progress.

It's basically a 5E3 set for the inputs using a 6AU6 on channel one and a 6AV6 on channel two, with the channel stacking mod by Chuck H, then into a 6BM8 and OT salvaged from an Akai tape machine, which with the PT from an old radio comes out being remarbly similar to the bigend of a GA-5T.

It's all being acheived in a remarkable small space, for me anyways, and I'm going to etch the copper you can see in this photo and have all the resistors and caps above it so I can make changes and be able to take voltages etc.

If you want to follow progress I'm blogging it so heres the link.
just go here

If it's naughty to post such big pictures then let me know and I'll refrain from such. Oh, and that speakers mainly cosmetic as it'll have a speaker out switching that little baby out... unless it sounds good... or even nicely bad.

Cheers Lads, from the bottom of the World, New Zealand.

[Chuck H]

Well...You have that big 'ol pad of something covering up the layout... But Kudos for getting all into a small space anyway. Is that a 6X9 speaker your using???

As for "the channel stacking mod by Chuck H"... I've never done it. I just posted it as an idea. I think it will work well, but may require some tweaking. I just wanted to be clear on that.

Chuck

[sean k]

Chuck, the board is copper clad and I'll be etching it to solder the caps and resistors to. Normally upside down I suppose but I want to be able to track things easy, take voltages and change out parts if I have to so the parts and the copper traces are going to be both face up.

I'm sure the idea will work fine. If I doesn't I figure out a way to make it do so.

Yup six by nine and mainly because I wanted the whole box to be stubby and also allude to the fact the parts are from an old akai that used the same type of speakers. It's paper and not suspended on rubber so it's quite old and may even be Alnico.

[sean k]

The power supplies, OT and most of output tube, filaments and grounds that sit underneath the board.

Then the preamp board goes over the top. God it's tricky doing things this small.

[sean k]

All finished... just got to get around to firing it up... I so enjoy building these things... not so interested in using them.... until I do fire them up then realise there fun!
Jumped straight into building some microphones, ones a ribbon planar and the others a telephone speaker.

[tedmich]

nice work!

In my hands, combos that small seem to already have serious microphonics

Is it noisy?

[otto pärt]

Very cool.

Say hello to Neil Finn for me.

Cheers!

[sean k]

Hey Otto, I did do some work with Neil years and years ago but our paths have not crossed for a very long time though I did have the pleasure of jamming with Paul Crowther, the ol' split enz drummer, a little while back and he played a minimum theremin of mine through his hotcake. Cheers mate, didn't you do some work with Neils son, Liam, with weird and wonderful instruments?

[otto pärt]

No, I was just having a bit of fun, dropping the name of the only New Zealander I know of... except for the Flight of the Conchord guys. Huge fan of them all though.

[sean k]

When the rest of the world works at 6 degrees of separation we have a new company called 2 degrees... the idea being that we're so small and relatively modern that we have everybody, almost, but not quite knowing everybody else!

And it's actually true!

[tubeswell]

Hi Sean

Any soundbytes?

[sean k]

Nope, sorry Bud, don't do the recording stuff at the mo'

Though if it's really loud you might hear it in Wellington!

[J M Fahey]

Great job and a beautiful amp.