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Loving my TW but based on the rig I am using it still is a little too bright for me. Specifically which value and specifically where do I need to change a component or two? I was thinking that mica cap. Thanks for any help.

What tubes are you using in it? I think that's where I'd start. Certainly wouldn't want to mess around with cap values in the tone stack, and I don't like a lot of brightness in an amp either. JJ 12AX7s sound darker. And in our prototype amp (featured in Lawrence's clips), we're now running Russian 6pi6 power tubes, which are a little darker than the JJ 6V6s. I haven't had the opportunity to try Tung-Sol 6V6s in a TRIWATT yet, but I have hunch they would sound pretty good too. The KT66s are also darker sounding, and roll off some brightness from the amp. Also the speakers. Hiwatt used Celestions or Fanes, both of which have a somewhat rolled-off high end.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

I just put in a new set of Valve Art KT66's. Definitely darker sounding now. When I went to bias I had to turn the pot all the way clockwise to get them down to 38mV. It will go no lower. I have the switch in the KT position. What's up w/ this?

Tubes vary between each other, and we didn't have the facility to try every single kind out there, during the testing phases. Also, the amp design uses a 620k resistor in the bias circuit for KT66s, and due to availability issues, some of the kits have a 680k instead. If you want, we can send you a 620k when they become available.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

Mine has a 620K (blue/red/yellow bands) in it. Tone is great, volume not as loud as I thought it might get w/ the KT's.

After playing it about 45 minutes, the bias now reads 36mV. Guess the tubes are settling in.

So it would appear. Personally, I bias KT66s at around 40mA in the TRIWATT, and the Chinese KT66s are certainly said to sound best biased warm. I actually used a pair of Golden Dragon Retro KT66s while developing the TRIWATT (they were actually a gift from the guys at M**shall after some consulting I did for them).

As far as loudness goes, you get near around double the power output with the KT66s (38W vs 22W). However, since loudness varies logarithmically, you need a 10 times increase in power output to hear a double the volume. Double the power output therefore only gives a slight increase in perceived volume level. However, what it does buy you is quite a bit more clean headroom. The same applies between 50W and 100W amps.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

Wondering about this: the layout called for a 2 uF electrolytic from V2 pin 8. There was a 1 uF cap in the kit but I had a 2.2 uF left over from a pedal kit. I used the 2.2. Could that be part of what I perceive as not loud enough????

No. That cap will make a very slight difference to low end when the amp is in overdrive mode - you will get slightly more bass with the 2.2uF. And the amp should be real loud with either type of power tube. Just it will break up sooner with 6V6s.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

Thanks Zap. So should I use the 1 uF that came w/ the kit? I thought it was just a mistake. If you had an amp that you felt was not as loud as it should be where would you be looking? I thought new OP tubes would do it. I know this is difficult not seeing and hearing the amp. The speaker btw is an Eminence Wizard and is very efficient.

You can use either cap, to suit your own tastes when you're using the Overdrive. I designed a 1uF value in, but only had a 2uF to hand when building the prototype. So the official schematic got drawn with 2uF. Later the kits got put together with 1uF caps, but the schematic still shows 2uF. When you're not using the Overdrive stage, this cap isn't even in the circuit.

If the amp doesn't appear to be loud enough, then start by checking voltages, and comparing them against the chart in the build guide. Just be aware the voltages shown are with 6V6s in the power stage and a 12AT7 in the PI.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

This is embarrassing, but for the sake of other newbies in hopes they will not make this stoopid mistake, I will post the cause of my volume problem.
I put two 100 k resistors where 1 k ones should be. I did not have the opportunity to crank the amp till this weekend and starting looking inside.

Don't worry. You're not the first person to have done that! On Saturday I was fixing something in one of my own amps that I've been playing for some years, and was schocked to find that I had installed a pair of 1k resistors where 100 ohm ones should have been used. Fortunately, the value wasn't too critical in this particular case. So they weren't doing any harm or it would have been obvious long ago, and my excuse is that I'm mildly colour blind (in red/green/brown like 8% of the male population). However, due to my colour blindness, as well as the fact that resistors are sometimes mis-labeled, I always measure every resistor on a meter before soldering it in. So it really beats me how those two 1ks got in there. And for the record, as they weren't hurting anything I've left them in there, on the basis of "if it ain't broke don't fix it...".

So the next question is, did you also put in 1k resistors where those two 100ks should have gone...??

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

Thanks Zap. Yes, the others are ok.

At 11:45 pm when I am working on the amp, I think I am colorblind also.

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ROB

It happens. Not the first - Not the last.

So is it loud enough for you?

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

Yes lord it is loud. Almost as loud as my old DR504!!! My son who plays was floored by the sound of this amp w/ the TIM pedal. He said the amp intimidated him. Seriously. It's like a fine, responsive sports car.

A Ha!! Fantastic to know. Not surprised to 'hear' that. It should only be a few db less than the 504. Sonically/ tonewise, how does it compare to the 504??




I have heard similar descriptions - responsive and fast.

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

RE: my old DR504. Well it has been some years, and hearing is a funny sense to recall I think, BUT going out on a limb I would say a tad more gain character and not quite as loud. This is totally an awesome thing. Can't wait till I get the cab on order so i can really take it out and share the love.

Gain with OD out I assume? Cab is underway. Seriously!

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