Who Makes Custom Chrome 5F1 Chassis for a Verb-O-Champ III Build?

[dchang0]

Well, my last idea fell through (building a true-to-original SIZE 5C1 wide panel copy but with an 8" speaker) because of space problems. Thanks to Bruce at Memphis Amps for helping me with the preplanning.

Anyhoo... I'm considering building in the bigger late-50s 5F1 chassis and cabinet (which can be made to fit a 10" speaker).

But at that size cabinet, I can add a shorty 9.5" reverb tank, so here's what I'm thinking: build a "Verb O Champ III!" There is a circuit posted here by Tubenit (post #11) that I'd like to try:

http://music-electronics-forum.com/t8383/

Add one 12AX7 tube socket on the bottom for the reverb circuit, an extra pot on top for the reverb knob, and drill two extra holes for the reverb transformer at the top right corner of the chassis, facing into the cabinet.

But I don't know where to get a blank 5F1 chrome chassis, nor do I have the metalworking tools to punch the tube sockets, reverb pot, and transformer holes if I could get a blank chassis.

So, does anyone know someone who builds custom chassis that can do this for me? Chrome and silkscreening would be a must. I can drill the reverb transformer bolt holes myself.

(I considered the 5F2A chassis, which has a tone control hole that could be used for the reverb pot, but the tube socket holes are the same as on the 5F1. Plus, the 5F2A cabinet is too big.)

Thanks in advance!

[dchang0]

Okay, so I found an actual diagram of the 5F1 chassis and also looked more carefully at the Verb O Champ III's schematic. These components will have to be added:

1) a choke--needs plenty of room to mount
2) two extra 9-pin tube sockets for a total of three
3) reverb transformer (not terribly big, but still gotta put it somewhere with low noise)
4) reverb knob (probably use push-pull pot on volume knob, but then a separate power toggle switch would have to go on top, probably in one of the instrument jacks)
5) three isolated RCA jacks: reverb in, reverb out, and foot pedal
6) dwell pot (optional)
7) long circuit board (25 pairs on a turret or eyelet board--if spaced 3/8" apart, then that's about 9.5", which is LONG and will run into the power transformer. Might solve this by using a Cap Can instead of the last four rows for filter caps.)

Obviously, we're talking a much bigger chassis than the original 5F1's 8 3/4 x 4 1/8 x 2 5/8 chassis.

The widest possible chassis that would clear the cabinet is 11 1/14 x 4 1/8 x 2 5/8. It may be necessary to use taller chassis than 4 1/8. It may also be possible to use a chassis between 11 1/2 and 12 1/2 IF one end of the chassis is inserted into the cabinet before the other (to clear the bulkheads for the back panels).

So, I'm now looking for a blank aluminum chassis of 11.25 x 4.125 x 2.625. Or of course, to make things easier, 11" x 4" x 2.75". Things could still get really hairy, as I have not accounted for spacing components far enough apart to eliminate noise/hum.

Anybody know of a place that sells blank aluminum chassis? The Hammond chassis blanks just aren't deep enough (only 2" deep). If not, is there anyone who bends and welds sturdy blank chassis of custom sizes?

[dchang0]

Looks like I found a place that has blanks AND can do custom builds:

GUITAR AMPLIFIER CHASSIS'

These are a bit tall at 6.5" high, but they should do the trick.