ingeneri Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Now that I'm back in the US I'm thinking of having some mods done to my DRRI. This includes clipping the bright switch and swapping in a neo Jensen speaker. I'd like to add a mid pot, and would be interested if anyone has done this, where they put the pot, and how it worked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoslate Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Hey, Matt. So, you're back. Welcome home. I had my Deluxe worked over by my Amp Guy Supreme, Dale Laslie, at DJL Vintage Audio, which is also MegaTone Amps. If you need the gory details, I can probably scare them up; just p.m. me. But yep, Got rid of what Dale refers to as "the turd caps" (because of their color), which he says are decidedly inferior OME, stuck in an Eminence Tonker, put in a Mercury output tranny, some vintage 6L's and 12 AX's, clipped the bright cap, put in a 4/8/16 ohm selector switch for an extension cab (my deeper 1x12 extension cab has the greatest effect on that amp's sound), and installed a push/pull mid-boost pot on the rear of the chassis (just to the right of the black info panel on the chassis). What I was after, which will differ greatly from you, I think, is a ballsy Blackface blues amp, which will work great with humbuckers and single coils, and not need any pedals. Plug and grind. But the mid-boost is a nice addition to the amp in that it does exactly that, brings up the mids, making the amp sound progressively less Fender "boxy" as the mids become more emphatic, and given that it's a pot, I can dial to taste. Did warm things up and round them off, which is something that I would imagine you might find appealing for your material. I have a live clip of it in action, but there were pedals involved, so I don't think that would be of any use to you. I am very pleased with the mod. Ultimately, what I'd probably like most is to turn the thing into just a head to use with a variety of cabs, and it would also be easier to load. Amazing the difference the slightly deeper cab makes. Hope this didn't just confuse the issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOGBOY Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Recently went way overboard modding my DRRI. Had it point to pointed to 67 DR specs, new Mercury output and power transformers, Weber 12F150 speaker, new tubes. My guy made the vibrato channel treble a push/pull switch for the bright cap, really like that option. Improved the amp greatly, so much warmer and smoother on the top end and way better mids. Did not do a mid-boost pot so cannot speak to that one other than it sounds good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ingeneri Posted November 16, 2014 Author Share Posted November 16, 2014 Thanks guys, 'Slate did you have to get the new transformer to run 6l6 power tubes? If not, why the change? Anyone have any thoughts on a Jensen neo versus a Tornado? I like the stock Jensen speaker, but would love both me and the amp to shed a few pounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoslate Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 'Slate did you have to get the new transformer to run 6l6 power tubes? Brain fart, Matt. It's still running the 6V6's.... I've been modding a couple of my EL34 amps to 6L6's, so I had those on the brain. Sorry for any confusion. Dale thought the transformer-ectomy would make a qualitative change in the sound of the amp. With all the other changes, all done at once, I couldn't tell what the tranny did. But Dale's opinion is usually good enough for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slider313 Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 You could use the extension speaker out as the spot for your mid pot. Most folks never use an extension speaker anyway. As for using 6L6's you would have to check your filament voltage and see if it's "dipping" under 6.3v. I've found that, most of the time, 5881's work well with just a rebias. The 5881 is also closer in transconductance to the 6V6 compared to a 6L6GC. Remember, using a higher wattage tube doesn't give you more wattage when your output transformer is a 22 watt unit, it just changes the sound a bit. The Jensen Neo is nice but a little "flat" sounding to me. Maybe uncolored is a better term. I have no experience with the Tornado. My favorite Jensen "flavored" speaker is the Weber 12A150W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockabilly69 Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 My favorite Jensen "flavored" speaker is the Weber 12A150W. Mine too, and it was the speaker that took the longest to break in than any other speaker I've ever used. My very good friend Troy continually told me to hang on as that's what he's used in his vintage '66 Deluxe Reverb, and when I heard his amp wound up, I heard the tone I was looking for so I was very patient. Now I couldn't imagine that amp with any other speaker... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockabilly69 Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 And don't forget to pull the V1 tube if you want a little earlier breakup:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slider313 Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Mine too, and it was the speaker that took the longest to break in than any other speaker I've ever used. My very good friend Troy continually told me to hang on as that's what he's used in his vintage '66 Deluxe Reverb, and when I heard his amp wound up, I heard the tone I was looking for so I was very patient. Now I couldn't imagine that amp with any other speaker... Daniel, that's a nice first production run DR you have there. The Deluxe Reverb was the first of the AA763 circuits to go into production. Even though the schematics were drawn up in July of 1963; hence the AA763 designation, the first ones came off the line in October of '63 followed by the Super Reverb in November of '63. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockabilly69 Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Daniel, that's a nice first production run DR you have there. The Deluxe Reverb was the first of the AA763 circuits to go into production. Even though the schematics were drawn up in July of 1963; hence the AA763 designation, the first ones came off the line in October of '63 followed by the Super Reverb in November of '63. I was very lucky to have inherited this amp from a Rockabilly friend "Hal Holiday":) He wrote a famous rockabilly song called "Booze Party" and when his band started touring around this was the amp he used. My friend Troy Angus got it up and running for me, he's my personal amp whisperer! Here's an excerpt from the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame website about Hal... Schneider, Hal "Holiday" "Three Aces And A Joker Christmas and New years record. Sleigh Bell Rock and the flip side Booze Party. Written and recorded by Hal (Holiday) Schneider. These were rockabilly songs of the late fifties and early sixties. The song Booze Party was a big drinking song in Europe. It also has been recorded on about 13 different albums, to name a few: Cramps, Born To Be Bad, Speed Devils, Flyrite Boys and Sleigh Bell Bock has been recorded on albums such as Rockabilly Christmas and Christmas Rockin' the Fifties." - Hal Schneider Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slider313 Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 From the tube chart code it looks to be a January of 1964 completion date, but I'm sure most of the component codes date to late 1963. I see the output transformer has no "end bells" which is what they used on the previous brown Deluxe 6G3. Is your speaker actually the 12A150W or the standard cone version? They make a few different cones for that speaker; 12A150 standard and the 12A150 O, B, T, A or W. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockabilly69 Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Yep it's a transition model and I think I remember the cone being the W version with very light or no doping. I have the receipt in my studio, I'll check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slider313 Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Yep it's a transition model and I think I remember the cone being the W version with very light or no doping. I have the receipt in my studio, I'll check it out. I first heard the "12W" cone when Weber reconed a 1958 P12P for me. I then had them recone a pair of 1961 P12P's with that cone and a 50 watt voice coil. I was floored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterbright Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 I wish I had 100 Webers...perhaps an overstatement. They need breaking in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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