bluesy

Yep, when you look inside, you'll see the plates have different lengths There's also black plate, and smooth plate etc etc. Seriously though, the electrical specs are the same. Knowing whether it is a long or a short plate version helps identify who made it and when. This info helps people choose the particular tube that they think will give the best sound - particularly used and NOS expensive rare ones - but as we said, we shouldn't get into that discussion

Yes, as I said, that's usually a hifi consoderation. However, the 12A*7 tubes used in the phase splitter can unbalance the drive to the output tubes, resulting in less power out before distortion occurs - which may or may not be a good thing ) Some tubes are matched for gain as well as just where they bias. Full matching will enure you maximise what you can get from the amp, but as you say - it often just isn't necessary. Still, a lot of places don't charge very much extra for matched tubes, so you might as well, I figure. Blue glow, at the glass is just phospherescence of the glass and not a problem. Blue glow inside the tube space indicates some gassification. A little bit doesn't matter, but a lot can mean you should get a new tube before it fails.

Here http://www.ampeg.com/manuals/V-50H.PDF Info from that manual... 13. Preamp Tube: 12AX7A / 7025 (1) 14. Power Amp Phase Splitter Tube:12AX7A / 7025 (1) 15,16. Power Tubes: EL34 / 6CA7 (2) A fairly standard lineup, usually associated with 30 to 60 watt amps (depending on how hard they push the tubes, and how honest they are in the ratings) You can, in fact, push a pair of EL34/6CA7 types as far as 80 to 100 watts - but you need good rugged tubes if they are to survive that. Matching most commonly is preferred/required for the output tubes of push-pull amps - in your case the EL34/6CA7 tubes. These aren't triodes, by the way. This ensures they share the load. However, sometimes, particularly in stereo amps that use one half of a twin triode tube like the 12AX7 in each channel of a preamp, it may be of some benefit to match the 2 halves. It also may be of some benefit for the phase splitter tube. However, I would never bother matching the preamp or phase splitters in a guitar amp. Just buy matched output tubes. As for brand names. That's a long discussion/argument, and there are many choices. I have been using new Electro-Harmonix tubes with good results. Other names that should/could be good for new tubes are JJ Electronics, Svetlana, Sovtek etc, and then there are manymany NOS (new old stock) tubes, some that sell for huge dollars because people say thay are better than new ones, and we probably shouldn't open those cans or worms here

Altering the height of the nut will only effect buzz on the first fret. If fret 2 is buzzing, when you hold the string down in fret 1 position, then either raise the bridge or add some relief to the neck (assuming the frets are all level and the neck angle is correct)

Another way to look at it - you will NEVER build one as cheap as those coming out of Asia, or that you can buy secondhand. I mean that both ways too. It will cost you more for the parts, AND the one you build will usually be better quality (i.e. not as cheap). I added up the costs for the 335 I just made, and it's over $300 - and that's without buying premium parts.

I agree, especially when speaking about guitars, but I feel I should mention that special breed of audiophiles that claim to hear the sound of different capacitors (even when they are the same value) in their hifi equipment. This seems to spill over to guitars as well. The thing is, if there is any effect at all, of swapping one cap for another of different type, but same value, it is very slight. Your time is certainly better spent tweaking other areas.

Get one of those pop/rock fake books. Best way to start building the repetoire.

Oh we SOOOO didn't need to know that!

That circuit's not that different, in principle, to the one posted above. The 2 opamps at the bottom do roughly the same thing as the 555 in the first circuit. The other 2 opamps are just input and output buffering, and the FET, when wired in "shunt" mode, works pretty much the same as the FET in the first circuit.

I bought a Jazz III to try it and was quite surprised at the softer jazzy sound it produces. I think the heavy bevel is more like just using bare finger tips. Great for jazz picking and appegios, but I prefer the larger more flexible picks for faster "strumming" especially complicated rhythms like some latin jazz.

I am after some better pickups, but don't want to spring for Seymour Duncans, or Dimarzios, or anything that expensive just yet. I could get EMG Selects, but no-one really seems to like them much, from my searching around. I was wondering about the offerings from Gotoh, such as the Classic (follow the link for an example) http://luthierssupplies.com.au/product_inf...roducts_id=1063 My musical tastes are more towards a clean sound, jazz, classic rock etc. I am not after a super hot, distortion, metal sound. So, does anyone have any experience of these, or other suggestions...

Are the Dunlop "Tortex" picks comparable to this?

No...the black ones... Those jazz picks blow...everybody thinks they make them play faster...well,maybe they are a bit more fluid,but they take away the pick's attack,and that cripples the rythm... And we all know the rythm IS the song...not all the little hundred mile an hour notes in the lead..... Even on lead,what is speed without meaning?Those stubbies take away the dynamics of the playing...and who wants to hear just one note after the other without dynamics? I prefer the gray 0.73s. I tried the dark gray 0.88s but they were too stiff. I know I wouldn't like the, even thicker, black 1.0mm. But, the are the best I have tried for grip. I am thinking of trying their Ultex Jazz III - supposed to be very good for dynamics. I don't know what gauges it comes in though.

Filtering a square wave doesn't really give you a triangle wave. If you filter it enough, you get left with the fundamental frequency as a sinewave. However, it appears that R6/C4 are doing the filtering (time constant about .5 second) I wouldn't remove them, I'd try it as is, then reduce the size of the capacitor until it sounds the way you want it. Maybe 1/10th the size might be good - just a guess.

Some sort of astable circuit, yes a 555 can do it, switching a transistor will work. I would try to set up the transistor as a normal gain stage, then use the square wave from the astable circuit, to drag the transistors bias down to where it is cut-off on that half of the wave form. You might need some filtering to "round" the square wave a bit if it is too severe and you hear clicking etc..

Excellent tip! yes, that's an easy way to do it.

Really nice photos of the process. Worth making into a more permanent tutorial. Do you ever have a problem where a worn fret is too low for the radius inside the crowning file, such that the file is hitting the fingerboard before the fret is rounded properly? I bought one of those little stainless guards too. I found it makes it harder to see what you are doing though. Good while practicing however. I noticed you used many different grits of sandpaper on the frets, and I see some people just use a couple, then polish with steel wool. Any reason, or just being careful? Also, I find steel wool very messy, particularly if the little bits get near a magnet, such as a pickup. So hard to clean up . I might need to investigate some other alternative to steel wool.

I applied the binding first while the top was still flat. Instead of 1.5mmx6mm, I cut the size of the route for the binding at 1.5mmx12mm, glued on the binding at the bottom of the route, then shaped the top, curving it down the 6mm to meet the binding's top edge.

Is it appropriate to reply in this thread? Hope so, please delete if not... Anyway, about the binding, I shaped the top down to meet the binding (which was applied first). I noticed that I didn't get it meeting exactly in that spot, too late, while I was applying the finish. The binding is glued on solid and neat though, and that picture makes it look worse than it is (poor choice of picture eh? ) I think I agree about the headstock - too much black. Thanks for the thoughts - that's going to be the best thing for me in this comp - it'll make me own up to things I need to do better next time .

The reason the scarf joint is stronger is because if you carve it from one piece instead, the headstock is cut across the grain, and being thin, it can break at any weak point in the grain. On the other hand, if you scarf it, the grain runs along the headstock, like most normal pieces of wood that you use, and the joint itself is very strong. Modern glues are very hard to break. As for the actual angle, 15 degress is common, but I read that Gibson have used 13 degrees. It isn't that critical apparently.

It's not. 12" is 12 inches - a distance of about 305mm, and it's the radius of the curve.

I am reading that advice everywhere, and I fully intend to do it. Should make it very easy to see how I am going. I have the perfect neck to practice on. It has many roughed up frets, one or two even need replacing, so I'll replace them, level the lot, and then get stuck into crowning them. By the time I am finished, I should know what I am doing

As it's double edged, I think I'll run one of the edges over some sandpaper, and if it works well, I'll do both. I can't think of any reason to not have smooth edges.

Yes, I have used a triangular file for single frets, and it takes so long, there's no way I would want to do it for lot's of them. That's why I bought the proper file. Actually, I splurged and bought a fret levelling file and a set of nut files at the same time. Big expense (for me) but I figure it'll be worth it. I've already used the nut files and they are a dream to use. I hope the fret file works as well.

I cut piece of plywood into a curve and sawed a slot into the edge. Keeping the tang in the slot stops the twisting as you bend the fretwire around the curve. MY problem was that it springs back (the wood has a 12" curve) so if I make a new one with about 7" radius, then it sounds like I'll have a tool that will work!