trinityamps.com

Big package came in from Ceri@tone yesterday.

Good news--everything is quality, no junk parts. Board assembled already, neat as a pin.

Bad news--Although I sent the Nik the specs for S2s transformers, chassis came in cut and drilled for Westlabs (I think). Out comes the drill. I'm hoping that the output transformer is oriented correctly to the power, since one is stand up and the other is laydown, but I drilled holes to rotate it 90° if I have to.

Good news--every thing slipped in nice as you please, assembled all parts and started wiring it up. I started with the AC in, then went to 6.3V heaters.

Bad news--first few connections on the tube sockets look pretty funky. I did make sure I got a good physical connection, and I will go back and touch them up, but there's definitely a touch involved. As I moved on, the are looking better.

Can't wait to get home from work and do more.

P.

Yeah, soldering up tube sockets can be a bit tricky. Just takes practice.

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PJM

http://www.diyguitarist.com

Hey! Best wishes on your build! It'll all come together!!!

The Original Lightning Chassis as conceived by Nik and Stephen at Trinity Amps were lasered for WestLabs Trannies and I think that the S2 Trannies would have dropped right in if I'm not mistaken.

I know what's going on with the Nikster. He's been trying to standardize production for quite awhile now. I told him awhile back how good the 18 Watt OT's sound in both my Thunderbolt 8 and Thunderbolt 9 Amps. So, now he's using the 18 Watt Marshall OT for the Lightning and Spitfire as well. Believe me, there's not that much difference in the Tone. Just a bit more grind and hi end with the 18 Watters.

Nik is good people!!! He's just trying to standardize. He was using my LowWatt Head Chassis as part of his Spitfire Kit for awhile.

I've prolly driven ole Nik half nutz with my crazy neophite ideas over the past year.

I count him as a close friend even though we have never met.

CR ><>

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WoodCross Amps

http://www.geocities.com/woodcrossamps/

There are two version of this chassis. I think you got #1. My first effort was without a laydown trasnformer, the second for Matchless. Trinty iron is all laydown style and the kits use the laydown transformers.

I guess you're looking for the cab now eh.

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't complaining about Nik, he was a pleasure to deal with, and makes a fine product.

Adapting is part of the "charm" of building stuff, besides I had to add a hole in the back for a 16-ohm jack and another in the front for my Cut control.

Things are coming together nicely, I spent another couple of hours this evening. I've got the inputs and controls all wired into the front of the board, the outputs all wired on the back and the socket for V1 finished, V2 started.

It's going quite well so far, although I did scratch my head a bit on the input jacks--that was the only even slightly confusing part, but I'm pretty sure it's fine now.

One or two more evenings I guess to actually start testing. If all goes well, I'll start getting jittery for the cab, but I am a big boy and I guess I'll be just fine until it's done.

My cats and wife seem to miss me.

P.

I used nik's spitfire kit too with his 18 watt trannies. He was kind enough to make me a custom chassis and do a layout for me too (doesn't do custom chassis anymore).
His transformers sound awesome, much nicer than hammond stuff IMHO.
Top guy, top service.

Paul,

I'm not sure I follow you. Did you end up getting the #1 chassis from nik instead of the #2? Steve's Lightning trannies (s2) are supposed to be a direct drop in to the #2 chassis.

Regardless, I'm curious to hear your results...as I'm probably going the same exact route as you (Ceri@tone chassis, s2 Trannies).

I'm curious to hear if the s2 trannies line up ok, noisewise, on Nik's chassis. Are you going to do a headphone test before wiring in the trannies?

-Frank

I odered #2 chassis, but I guess I got the #1.

I was going to proceed, and if I get too much interference I was going to rotate the OT 90°.

I don't know about any headphone test.

P.

Headphone test is fairly simple....

before wiring up your trannies....

Place your PT where you want it. Mount if that helps.

Shield all secondaries and unused primaries from the PT.

Then, take a regular everyday pair of consumer headphones....wire them to your OT secondaries, while shielding all unused secondaries and all your OT primaries.

Then energize your PT as it normally would in operation...and test positioning of the OT until there is no iducted PT noise coming through the headphones of the OT.

Simple but very effective way to make sure your OT and PT are in good position.

Granted, if you are using a precut chassis, it's kinda hard to change things too much....but you get the idea.

-F

It's all wired up.

I left the in and out from the OT a bit long, in case I do have to move it.

Plugged in without tubes, no smoke, no fires, good voltages, and in the right places!!!.

Tomorrow I'll put some old tubes in and see what happens.

It looks pretty good, not as clinical neat as some I've seen, but at least as good as most commercial amps. There is a bit of a rat's nest around the PT, but once I'm sure everything is working I may neaten it up.

Fingers crossed, but this is a real simple design, so I'm hoping for the best, but ready for the worst. That's always been my philosophy anyway.

Thanks for all your help guys, I'm hoping I don't need any more.


P.

Paul;

Keep us posted, Man!

CR ><>

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WoodCross Amps

http://www.geocities.com/woodcrossamps/

s2/Ceri@tone, are a great combo. Give the Kit / Matchless set some thought.

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Would probably do so, if I didn't already have all the other components here in a bag!

As it stands now, All I need is the chassis and the irons...thats it.

-F