Drak Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 The RIG is starting to come together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevan Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 Hey Drak, nice rig (I run a TBR-2SL), but.... http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=11235 Did we forget? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 Well, ... start pluggin cables and let's have a clip or 2... Nahh, I know there is a lot left to be done and accomplish, but it's looking nice so far. Got a rack yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 Yes Kevan, I did forget (meep ) It is now edited properly. Nope, no rack yet. I'm gonna rip this thing apart tomorrow and see what kind of cheesy tubes it came with and replace 'em with some real testosterone laden 'vacuum-under-glass'. I think I'm gonna rip those big letters out of there and make up my own, like 'DRAKULATOR'...hehehe...what a freakin' geeky thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maher Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 nice, what rule did you break.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevan Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 Drak- thanks for the edit, but you can post links to the other pics. Just don't use the IMG tag and you're all good. I "faced" (machined) the name plate on my Rivera. It looks SWEET! Pics available upon request. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 I know I can post links, I just don't like to. I'm weird like that. Pics or nuddins. Of COURSE I'd like to see a pic. Close-up too! I'm having all kinds of good ideas what to do with the faceplate now I have it off. I'm already inside it. Ruby Tubes straight across the board, every one of them. I wonder what they came with stock and if these are the factory tubes? I doubt it, it looks from the screw heads that someone's been in here before. Hopefully someone did the complete retube and I can just use some cool preferential pre-amp tubes and be done with it for now. I'll hook the old compressor up and give her a good blow-out tomorrow. Little dusty in there. These things are sinfully heavy, it reminds me of my Traynors with their Godzilla-sized transformers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darren wilson Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 Mmm... i love the look of those Rivera TBRs! I tried a used S120 in a store a couple of years ago, and really couldn't get a tone i liked out of it. But my tastes have changed a bit in the last year, so i might give one a whirl if i see one around these parts. (I've started moving away from the melt-your-face-off Mesa tone to a less-distorted kinda Matchless tone for a lot of my rhythm work. Digital models do have some benefits for those of us whose tastes change with the weather! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevan Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 All my amps: http://www.tremol-no.com/images/rig2004.jpg You can see the facing that I did on the name plate, as well as the fronts of the handles. BTW- those handles are not only for picking up the 80 lbs. monstrosity, they're also for setting it down on them. I know it sounds odd, but with this amp, you're *supposed* to rest it on it's face. :-) Yikes- Ruby Tubes. I get all my tubes (36 total, in the 3 amps pictured above) from TubeStore.com. Good prices, and good descriptions of the tubes. If your tubes are truly stock/factory, they will have a little metal sticker on the base that's signed "Paul Rivera" and has a date. DON'T THROW THESE OUT! The Rivera team can research using that info and your S/N to send you a perfectly matched, pre-biased, set of power tubes...if you want factory stuff. If you're going to tech the amp yourself, call Rivera. Their staff is so cool, it's not even funny. When I first went to bias my TBR, they transfered me over to Paul Sr. He spent 20 min. with me (Joe Average Moron) and gave me the correct way, and then his quick way, to bias the amp. Absolutely painless, and saved me countless tech time and money. The TBR-series were all made "per order" (MSRP was anywhere from $1800 to $2300 depending on model/options), and Paul Jr. and Paul Sr. are *the guys* who know the amp inside and out. If I remember correctly, Eric also knows the TBR stuff well. It's been a while since I've (had to) call, but don't be surprised if Paul Sr. or Jr. answer the phone themselves. :-) Their customer service is something all companies should strive for. If you have any other TBR questions, let me know. I'll try to answer them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 8, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 Kevan, thanks -very- much for that Rivera info, man, that's a real added plus I didn't count on. Nope, tubes are brown-based Ruby's w/ no Rivera info on them, just Ruby info, but I never ditch tubes anyway in case I ever sell the amp again, I have two huge boxes of old NOS tubes of all descriptions, plus all the old pulls that came in all the amps I've bought. On that front I am very well stocked up from years ago. If I need matched power tubes I get mine from Mike Kropotkin at KCA NOS tubes, he has great selection and is close to me, he's in Northern VA. Super guy too. These have that Chinese look to me. But you know, it's been my experience that the 'dirtier' the amp, the less individual 'tube tone' can be really sensed. I can hear the difference of good and bad tubes in my vintage Fender amps, but I remember when I swapped tubes in my old Hafler Bogner Triple Giant pre-amp, I couldn't tell any difference between a $40.00 old NOS tube and the $6.00 crap it came with, so I don't know what to expect with this one. They need to be real 7025's for the added quietness and ruggedness of build, but as far as 'tone' is concerned, I think the more distortion the amp has, the less I can tell the difference between one tube and another. Maybe it's just me. Great info on Rivera, I'll tell you why. On all the reviews I looked up, there was little about dealing with Rivera except I remember this one guy, who had the same amp I have, requested them to make him one of the footswitches (which I also need, BTW) and he said they stalled and stalled and stalled him to the point where he was completely f*in' pissed at them, so I wasn't expecting the kind of service you stated. I was actually expecting a pretty hard go of it based on that review. Two sides to every story, maybe he was an impatient dork or something...dunno... Yeah, I have my own BiasProbe and have already spotted what looks to be the bias adjust pot, but will call them anyway now that I know they're sociable, I need the footswitch anyway. PG has really pulled together to help me out on this tonequest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevan Posted January 8, 2005 Report Share Posted January 8, 2005 I've called Rivera a dozen times, and had nothing but polite, smart, and insanely considerate conversations. Paul Jr. actually took a parts order from me one day (replacement pot...painless). I'm not sure what the dealieo was with Capt. Footswitch you heard from, but I don't think they make the TBR foot switch anymore, so finding one kicking around the factory might have taken a while. I don't use my TBR f/s, so if you'd like to borrow it until you can find one, let me know. Paul Sr. is a former Fender guy. He did TONS of hot-rodding of Fender amps "back in the day" before leaving Fender to start his own company. His designs are Fender-based, but with greater output (no, really? 320W is high-output? you're kidding!). If you're looking for Fender-era sound, but with a bit more gain, wider tonal range, and more output, you've come to the right place. I have (8) 6550's as my power amp glass. They're a matched "octa-pair" from TubeStore, but it sounds like Mike can get you a hookup like that as well. Good call. For the setup I run, this amp works great. It sounds like you're doing a similar setup to what Darren and I do: kickbutt tube amp cleaning up digital effects. Good luck with the rack and wiring it up. Should be a fun, low sawdust, project. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 Good luck with the rack and wiring it up. Should be a fun, low sawdust, project. :-) As long as it doesn't meet the W.O.D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 Wha??? ...THIS rig -IS- a Wall Of Death! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowser Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 just try to restrain yourself from throwing guitars at it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToneMonkey Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Hey Drak, I hope that the equipment on the top of the amp isn't covering any vent holes I can see the vent in the front but you should have about 100mm of clearence above the amp (if there are vents in the top). But hell, you know better than I do. Kaj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 I just sat it all there for the pic, it's not even racked yet. But it does have a fan mounted in the back that blows straight forward thru to the front opening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToneMonkey Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 I kind of figured that if it was rack mount then it probably wouldn't have an air intake/outlet in the top. One of my mates fried an amp (DJ amp, not guitar amp) by putting the skinning up tray on top of it, over the vent. Though I should point it out as I wouldn't want anything to happen to that beautiful bit of kit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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