The Steel Guitar Forum

Dan's stuff is expensive, including his book, and I have also heard less-than-glowing things about his services. I hesitated to mention this because I've had good dealings with him, and I've learned alot from his book. But - If you don't want to jump into this with both feet, and have a stellar amp ...

Oh, yeah, he's at: http://www.torresengineering.com/

I would recommend getting Dan Torres' book "Inside Tube Amps". He also sells the parts. Me, I'd also do a "tone cap" replacement, which really cleans up the sound for steel. I bet you won't sell them after that. (I love Bassmans) (Bassmen?) Dan also explains how to 'voice' the am...

What Joey said. We have a guitarist who sits in sometimes. When he does, every guitar he touches needs re-stringing the next day. Me, I don't give off whatever he does, and I don't play paying gigs much, so I don't change strings much. I am more guided by a string's smoothness than its lack of crisp...

If you have the skills and desire to finish a Dynalap, I would recommend looking into it. I'm pleased with mine.

Ed, you said "it leaves me exhilerated." That's why I play. In my case, it's certainly not for the money. Theory makes me dizzy.

I use a modified silverface Fender Bassman. Stock, it sounded horrible.

20 years ago or so, I played one instrument (electric guitar) through a whole string of pedals. Now I play a whole string of instruments through one pedal (Rivera BufIV buffer/splitter), when I play out.

At home I use lots of electronics.

John, I also use the Yamaha Magicstomp. I mainly use mine for recording, using Yamaha's stock "steel" patch. Pros: Sound quality, variety of effects, ability to download patches (including a few for steel). Con: It requires time and computer skills to set up. It's more than you need, but t...

If you want loud, you go other routes.

The full range speakers have two things going for them: They have no crossover distortion, and they are a "point source", as are coaxial speakers. The lack of a crossover goes along with a somewhat obscure branch of audio I guess is called "minimalist", the idea being that the le...

Well, you've got two letter A's in the part number, and no L's. I'd say that's a good sign.

Thanks for the info, Bob. Caps seem to be the weak link in the chain. I know some guys parallel a lower-capacitance poly cap with an electrolytic - I'm assuming it's to address this issue.

For home use, I'm currently using a Scholz on a Mesa Mk I reissue for guitar, although I would not hesitate to use it for steel. I'm not using it for distortion. I'm just trying to get the power amp section running somewhat higher than idle, reducing the push/pull crossover distortion and attenuatin...

A couple of years ago, I used a cheap tie-clip mic on the soundhole of an acoustic guitar, and thought it sounded pretty good (maybe I'm easily pleased). I since moved to an Ovation, and lost the mic. I've got a resonator now, and I'm wondering if this would work, clipped into one of the coverplate ...

I hope to hear a recording of this some day. Spruce is the primary material for guitar tops, and it has one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of all woods. Titanium, I know, has a very high strenth-to-weight ratio in the metal family (thus it's use on jets and Mercedes wrenches). I would imag...

It looks like the vote so far is for PC-based, and I haven't tried this yet. (Anyone try a Linux-based system?) I have had a smaller Roland in the past, and I'm currently using a Yamaha AW2816. I've been very pleased with the products of both of these companies - very reliable, good sound, good onbo...

Also, Steve, just because you want the 8 ohm tap doesn't mean that the TRANSFORMER should read 8 ohms - it means the SPEAKER should read 8 ohms (nominal impedence, more or less, as explained above). I don't know what the transformer's secondaries should read, but, once you get your meter sorted out,...

A key feature to look at is the storage media. The flash memory systems are inexpensive, quiet, and very portable. They are limited in memory, but a computer can be used to burn the "keepers" to CD. The hard disk systems are usually much more powerful, but it sounds like you don't need tha...

...and have had WONDERFUL luck with used eBay RCAs, tested, from the middle period. For clean. Your milage may vary.

Tom, I've had good luck with Svetlana's 6L6s. For more British, there's supposed to be a modern KT66 out there which (supposedly) interchanges with a 6L6CG, although I'm not familiar with it. For more dirt, I've liked the Sovtek 5881s, and for more clean, I like NOS RCAs, when I can afford it.

I think metal film is O.K. there. Metal oxide handles the heat best.

Someone like Dan Torres can add a speaker-voiced line out. This removes the only limitation to this amp. None sound better, IMHO.

Metal film is better. I've heard thay you can use an AM radio to find amp noise, although I can't say that it's worked for me. Your're supposed to tune to an empty station and wave the antenna over the suspect component, and pick up the noise on the radio. Anyone do this? (Please, no one die trying!)

Metal film is typically used nowadays for a plate load resistor, instead of the old carbon comp. Metal oxide is used for screen grid and power resistors. Carbon film is frowned on by the boutique amp dudes.