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As a lasting tribute and memorial to the late 18watt.com, I am going to finally build myself an 18 watter. No, I figure I better get it done while I can still find good help for the "issues" that occur with this project.
I've built a bunch of amps, all Fender or P1 types, but never a Marshall type amp. I guess I always got a little nervous by all those different taps on the trannys And I haven't used EL84's since a small practice amp I had back in the early `70's.
I've decided on Trinity as the vendor as there is a good reputation here and I like this site and the involvement of all those here! But which model should I build??? Tone-wise what I would like to get is Duane Allman, Cream type of Marshall tone. TMB or sIII ??? Which would come closest to this sound? The tone on the Stormy Monday sound clip is KILLER, just what I'm looking for.
I've seen some threads about "buzziness". Don't want buzziness. Also, what configuration do most of you prefer? I figure if I'm building a "small" Marshall I should do a stack with either one or two 12" Hellatones in a closed back cab.
Thanks for any info and encouragement.
John

Ibet, You could answer this You the man on tone

We all have our different tone that we want. I love the clips on this site as they give a good representation of the tone I'm after.
If you haven't, listen to the clippage section. I'm building the sIII with the boost option and I purchased the new TC-15. Best of both worlds .

But again, Ibet is the tone monster, he has a great ear.

After rereading ,

The cab I'm going to have a ball on. I'm definitely going with a 2 x 12. I have speakers everywhere. Celestion Golds; Eminance patriots, etc. original Jensons. Nice huh.

I figure I'm going to just keep switching until I find the best combo.

I don't have any Helletones and read alot of great things about them. IMO go for the 2 x 12
Have fun
Jac

Would you go with a open back combo like a "Bluesbreaker" or a small closed back cab?
The 15 seems like a nice amp too. So many choices ...
John

Well, my sIII is going in a "Bluesbreaker" 1 x 12. And I have no clue which speaker to place yet. The cab I bought from S2 and it was built by Coco. Green and beautiful. For my TC-15 I want to place it in a head and have either a 2 x 10 or a 2 x 12. The shock is what you said. To many choices.
But what fun getting there, eh I'm right there with you , what to do, what to do

Just a last thought,
I told Coco I wanted the TC so bad. The tone is excellent. It's got that grit, Don't know how to explain, But the TC is the one I'm waiting for. I love the Marshall tone, but I adore the Vox/Matchless tone more. Of course this again is personal preference.

I'm listening to "Mr High & Mighty" Gov't Mule right now, My tastes go everywhere.
Later,
Jac

Hi Harpo,

When I was trying to decide I asked Stephen about it and gave him very similar reference points (i.e. late 60's/early 70's rock). He recommended the sIII with the boost option to put it more into super lead territory if needed. It does a great job for what I wanted. In fact, I rarely use the boost switch. The normal channel on it's own will do sparkling chimey cleans, or handle vintage AC/DC or the Cult when cranked.

If I was gonna build another one (and I guarantee I will at some point!), I would go with the new sIIIV6 for the switchable power section. But there are so many choices. I would like to try the Lightning kit too, and their new Fender-ish kit might be nice.

As for configuration, I went with a head. It's mainly for portability and convenience than anything else.

Kirb

Harpo, Welcome aboard. For the Stormy Monady clip I was using a straight TMB with les paul custom, with WCR Darkburst Pickups into a Bogner 1x12 cab.

I was using the normal channel on the amp. Volume on 8 tone on 2. The sIII normal channel is very similar. I have gotten very similar tones form the normal channel.

So my recommendation is sIII TMB with the boost option. You will have a range of 18 watt and plexi tones AND you can bridge channels when you have to have more.

Hope this helps.

Larry

_________________
Guitologist at Large
"How does that feel?"

Larry,
Thanks for the reply. Is the Bogner cab open back or closed back? My only decision left is between building the amp as a combo or a piggyback. I'm not a gigging musician, I play at home or jam with my family and some friends so I need good tone without a lot of volume. The 18 watt should fit well with that scene but I'm not sure whether I need one or two 12's in the cab? The last big amp I built is a low powered tweed twin with 2x12's. It is a great amp for clean country, surf, or rhythm but way, way too loud for where I play. Our keyboard player ends up using it most of the time
Do you think I can get that kind of tone with a 1x12 combo cab or would a small 1x12 "mini-Marshall" closed back cab work better?
John

Larry,
Rereading your reply I'm just a little confused
You recommend the SIII-TMB with boost option. Looking at the product listings there is a TMB-MV model and a sIII model based on the TMB but with slightly lower gain. I am assuming your recommendation is the sIII model, but with the boost option. Is this correct?
Thanks for the help here,
John

The sIII model Harpo. This is the one I'm currently building. If you look at the layout you'll see a 22uf cap, You can add a switch to that cap. I'm adding a footswitch. I think everyone else that used it, added just a regular switch and flipped it on when they needed it.
Gives you a little more gain when you need it
Have fun.
Later,
Jac

I was looking at the layouts for the sIII posted on this forum and noticed a 2K7 resistor and 22u cap connected to the ground side of the cathode resistor for V2 but with no connection on the other side. I assumed that this network would be switched in parallel with the 2K7 resistor increasing the gain to V2 and that this was the "boost switch" option.
Looking at the layouts and schematics it seems like there is so much in common between the two designs that it would be pretty easy to modify from the sIII into the TMB or go somewhere in between if I wanted too. I think I will go sIII and then tweak until I get just the tone I'm after.
John

That's what I liked about the design. And why I'm adding the footswitch. The amp has so many ways to change afterwards.

I added the boost switch to the first sIII I had built for my nephew, first mod, worked well.

My second build, for me ( ), I built the SIIIv6 to have the added flexibility of having the additional 6v6 tubes and the boost. I didn't think it was that much more difficult than the sIII.

Just another option to make your decision that much more difficult

HahHa it's all too much fun.

Jac, we're evil I tell you, evil

Mwaa-haaa-haaa-haaa!!

(Fade out demented bad english monster film (Hammer Films!!) laughter)

OK, I'm all better now (I think)

And you're going to have to show me how you're adding the footswitch.

No problem, my evil brother . Now it's getting bad, like an old rerun. G o over to the Webcor thread.

Correct. sIII with boost. BTW the bognor cab is a front ported "shiva style" 1x12

_________________
Guitologist at Large
"How does that feel?"

True, there is a boost switch there when activated gives it a big punch.


In fact we use the same board for the TMB or sIII and less than 10 parts you can interchange. I think you'd find the sIII with boost would do it tho.

You also have an option of the Normal channel tone control. The sIII is different from the TMB.

_________________
Stephen
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