Tools, Tones and Toys for Guitarists
Testing an Unknown Power Transformer Every now and then I end up with a transformer on the bench that I know came from valve gear, but I did not take enough notes when I pulled it. That was the case here. I knew this one came out of an old Zenith radiogram, but that was … Read more
From the General Electric semiconductor handbook, 1971
The James tone stack is one of the more common bass/treble tone controls. You most often see it in hi-fi equipment, or in guitar amps that sit outside the usual Fender and Marshall mould – although both Fender and Marshall did use similar circuits on rare occasions. Probably the best-known guitar amp examples are Orange … Read more
Another simple one knob tone control, this time from the Marshall 18w amplifier, or the model 1974x, whatever you prefer… Marshall used two different tone controls in the amp. A lot of folks build the 18w lite, which is just the normal channel of the amp, and they often use the trem channel tone … Read more
This is the classic single-knob tone circuit made famous by a number of Fender amps—most notably the 5E3 Tweed Deluxe. Despite not inventing it, Leo must have thought that he nailed it when he first dropped this into a guitar amplifier: it’s simple, clever, and very musical. Despite using only a handful of parts, it … Read more
Vintage big muff fonts, these are generally available for download. Please note that EHX is known to be very protective of their brand. Arnold Boecklin Devinne: sustain, volume, tone Futura: on, off and made in U.S.A Skjald: Electro Harmonix ITC Pioneer Not exact, but pretty damn close. The M needs a slight drop on one … Read more
Chicago Telephone Supply (CTS) originally built drivers for telephone network signaling and tone generation. By the late 1950s they expanded into loudspeakers, supplying the booming tube-amp market. Their speakers, often marked with the EIA code “137,” were used extensively by Fender, Ampeg, and many other amplifier companies from the 1950s through the 1970s. Early CTS … Read more
How to Test an Output Transformer Got an old output transformer with no markings or a transformer in an amp that your are not sure about? Maybe one used for a 100v line system? Don’t toss it just yet — with a few simple tests, you can figure out what it is, how it’s wired, … Read more
{ “@context”:”https://schema.org”, “@type”:”BreadcrumbList”, “itemListElement”:[ {“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:1,”name”:”Home”,”item”:”https://vero-p2p.blogspot.com/”}, {“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:2,”name”:”Electronics Basics”,”item”:”https://vero-p2p.blogspot.com/search/label/electronics%20basics”}, {“@type”:”ListItem”,”position”:3,”name”:”How to Use a Breadboard”,”item”:”https://vero-p2p.blogspot.com/2025/01/breadboard-how-to.html”} ] } Breadboards are one of the most effective learning tools when it comes to electronics. Not only are they great for prototyping and testing circuits, but they also offer a hands-on way to fine-tune and troubleshoot designs—perfect for testing guitar pedals. In … Read more
This humble little transformer is a favourite valve amp OT among some DIY folks in Australia, as it’s cheap at only $27 and readily available from Altronics. It’s sold as a 20w 100v line transformer, but it also works really well as a 8k P-P output transformer. Based on real world testing, it’s thought to … Read more