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In keeping with my heavily modded amp, I was looking for more options. I had planned from the beginning to have dual rectifiers for the different sounds they each give.
My idea was to use a voltage regulator (like the VVR/VRM) to control the B+. I think I am going to move this response to my dual rectifier thread and continue from there so as to not highjack bpkuder's thread.

Please see this thread viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2334

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Les

http://www.soundclick.com/unimind

Latest update on the amp. We pulled the tube buffer out because it was overloading the plexi channel. I ended up going with a passive effects loop. The SS recto mod did very little to the sound. As someone else stated on the thread the voltages did increase. Right now the head is with Kurt Granger of Granger amps. Kurt will be performing some tweaks to the plexi channel that I can not seem to figure out. Kurt will be doing mods to get me more of a VH / Lynch voicing, re tweak the eq and make it more adjustable, tighten up the bass, re engineer the ss recto mod, add presence control and PPMV mod.

Hmmmm I would be interested to know what he ends up doing to the amp....

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

when does an 18 cease being an 18?

I'd like to see what he does with the ss rectifier. I also tried a PPIMV in my amp and took it out 5 minutes later. It turned the amp into a one trick pony. With the channel gain on 3 and the master on 3 it was already into moderate clipping. I was no longer able to get any real clean sounds. Only semi-cleans. I guess it's good if you do not have an attenuator and all you really want is the cranked amp sound.

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Les

http://www.soundclick.com/unimind

I am questioning that as well. I do have a BBQ Mini Mass attenuator. I am getting a call from him today. I will discuss your findings with him. Thanks for the info.

Got the amp back this week. The amp has more gain on the Plexi channel and the bass was cleaned up and tighter. I am not to fond of the PPMV mod. I was not aware that the PPMV would affect both the normal channel as well. Like one poster stated the amp breaks up way to early and you lose the clean tones plus unwanted hiss when turned up. I also noticed the amp is less dynamic as well. I think I am going to pull it out and go back to a regular volume control. Curt did not change the SS rectifier circuit. So basically the circuit stays the same. 2 diodes and a bypass switch between the tube and solid state rectifier. Other than that the amp sounds like a hot rodded plexi / JCM800 on the plexi channel. The normal channel sounds like the plexi channel with some break up at lower volumes.

Hmmm, that sounds pretty good to me! Who needs cleans! Surely the post-PI MV is doing the job it's meant to, of providing overdriven tones at lower volume levels. Note you will get more cleans from the normal channel with the MV turned down, since the Normal channel depends entirely on the power stage for distortion.


That's inevitable, since both channels share the same PI and power amp. My main issue with post-PI MVs in 18w amps is that the 18W magic really comes from the EL84 power tubes working.


I'm pretty sure that both of those issues come from the increased gain mods, not the post-PI MV mod.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

Pulled the PPMV out and the amp sounds 10x better. The PPMV introduced unwanted noise . After the removal I still have the gain I was looking for but I have to turn the amp up much louder since the PPMV is gone but I got my dynamics back. Now I am researching power scaling mods.

That's what Trinity's VRM is.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

VRM mod installed and works so much better than ppmv or attenuator. I ended up pulling all the Granger mods out and put the amp back to stock due to lack of dynamics and muddy tones. Tomorrow I am going to install the brown mods along with the cascade mod using a push pull volume pot instead of the switch Stephen sent with the kit. If the changes do not suite my playing needs I might end up selling the amp on Ebay and try something else.

How are the mods going?

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Les

http://www.soundclick.com/unimind

Those EL 84's sound great, but they are quite picky about thier volts.

Mods are done and I am still not happy with my tone. Don't get me wrong great amp. killer dynamics but it has been a love hate relationship with it. My playing style bounces from 80's brit pop to 80's hair metal. Some Blues thrown in the mix and I could not nail the tones in my head. Must be my OCD issue. I ended up selling it.

You know... I seem to be able to get the 80's hair metal sound really well with the brown mods and cascade. Anything from Ratt and Crue to Accept and Saxxon etc. But.. as good as some of my clips may sound, I have a "fizziness" to the sound when trying to get the cranked 70's (i.e VH tone). Something in the PI/Power section when not cascaded and everything dimed. I will have to look into it.
Sorry to hear that. I feel that with some tweaking (and some help from others) anything is possible with these amps. For me I feel that my amp is very versatile and you can tweak a component here or there to dial in the exact sound you want. Just takes a little trial and error.

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Les

http://www.soundclick.com/unimind

I did the brown mods and the amp sounded 100% better to my ears. The person I sold it to loves it and fits his playing style! I ended up getting a DSL 50 with all the Voodoo amp mods. Not PTP but I am happy and getting my tone with out my pedals. Once the wife quits looking at our bank account I am going to plop down for a Trinity tweed kit for my blues fix. I have to say Trinity amps and Stephens customer service is A+! The 18 watter was not my cup of tea.