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I occasionally put up a snap from the backyard, or some other nature scene. But my primary requirement is to keep my desktop icons visible amid the clutter. So mostly simple or no pictures for me.

All good questions, and welcome to the forum!
Preamp tubes generally are used in a circuit that makes them self-biasing, so that they do not need to be biased by the user.

edit: I see other, more...

OK, amend that to read "after every time they touch the strings". The point being: some people are so toxic the strings don't last a day. Understand that the chemical reaction between strings and...

Some players changes their strings after every show, maybe every day. Sweat and whatever else - coffee, beer, tobacco - will kill the 'zing' and 'ring'.

You know they say "tone is in your...

I'd hear piano tuners complain about how the harmonics were 'sharp', but I'd always attributed it to the way tuning by perfect 5ths results in a wolf tone (aka wolf interval), about 1/4 step sharp...

Right. Any whole number that can be factored by 2 until the factoring is no longer possible reveals the lowest harmonic that that number (harmonic) is an octave of.

I agree with that as written. In fact, I'd love to discuss the relative merits of equal temperament vs. the temperaments that Bach, et. al., favored; alas that ship sailed over 250 years ago. My...

Yes. Harmonics are whole number multiples of the fundamental frequency, so if the fundamental freq is defined as 1 cycle per (pick your units), then the harmonics are 2, 3, 4, etc. Ratios of small...

well, internet lore suggests that a signal through a single preamp tube distorts in a way that adds 2nd harmonics. The mechanism is that one half of the waveform is distorted differently than the...

This is my understanding. It has to do with the gain of the tube, nothing more. Unbalanced gain -> asymmetrical waveform when reproducing a sine wave -> 2nd-order harmonics are created.

I could be...

Have we ruled out lifeless tubes?

I use a test jig I constructed for my first build, still useful! An IEC connector and fuse block for the primaries on one end of a wooden plank, a term strip with space for all secondary wires on the...

Of course! Where else would you get "Baltic masonite"?

Right. Sorry if I caused confusion with the pronoun 'this'. I was referring to my amp, where the cap goes from grid to cathode, instead of grid to ground.

Instead of the terms "better suited" or "best...", perhaps "well-suited" takes care of any quantification quibbles, and allows a strong endorsement of M.O. resistor properties. Besides, being cheap...

Gary,
I looked over the list you linked to. As Justin says, it is a generalized list of possible fixes for possible problems. Do not take it as a magic formula for mojo. Each mod can address a...

I just took a peek at the website, expecting to see some double-shoulder and waist harness type thing. Nope.

The problem I'd have is that my hips are below my waist, which means I wouldn't be able...

Don't bench yourself just yet!

Does the recovery tube go to a second output jack, then maybe to a second input on the Kustom amp (assuming there is one)? I don't think I'd want to be in the room...

We haven't talked about form factor or portability.
Wolfman, you could build a stand-alone reverb unit if you're dead set on building something. Otherwise consider that while re-purposing the trem...

A quick look at the calculator (excellent resource, even for the non-luthier!) shows a 'default' compensation of about 1/4" at the sixth string, which correlates strongly with the error found:


...

Welcome to the forum!

If it's truly a "barn find", or from any non-sterile environment, I wouldn't be surprised at a spider or other creepy-crawly stuck in the meter movement.
Someone will check...

I agree, based on the info provided. I might suggest measuring resistance (no power applied to primary, of course) between each of the three combinations of two wires, and then measuring AC voltage...

As far "wiper open" condition, as long as the wiper is tied to the end of the track both circuits are safe with max neg bias.
Dave's JTM45 schem is more 'doofus-proof' with respect to actual doofus...

The end result looks a bit like one of the guitars I McGyver'd/PartsCasted/Destroyed when I was younger. :tape:

I've used a rotary switch but never thought to go the extra mile to rotate it 90...

The harder a symptom is to troubleshoot, the harder the solution is to name unless it's stumbled upon and recognized in the debug process. Once fixed, there may be no way to reproduce. Bad solder...

That's quite a temperature coefficient! Or else there's a big inductive component to the element?

Yikes! I think I'll be packing a DI box from now on.

My one-and-a-half cents' worth, based on mods I've tried:

Do the easy first.
Replace R27 (NFB resistor) with a resistor-and-pot circuit that can go from less resistance (more NFB and a colder,...