What I wish someone would build...

[aborgman]

Peavey VB-3 style switching power supply (and thus weight).

Peavey VB-3 style foot switchable channels (but I want 3 channels instead of 2.)

60's Ampeg B15 tonestack (bass/treble with no mid version) using 6SL7 on all channels.

SVT power section.

So... a 3 channel (footswitchable), sub 40lb, 300W tube head - with B15 tonestacks.

[BassmanPaul]

Get out yer soldrin' station boy and get down to it!!!

[Alex1984]

Would've thought you'd warn him against the hazards first, Paul!

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by BassmanPaul

Get out yer soldrin' station boy and get down to it!!!

I actually drew up schematics for everything but the switching power supply at one point ... but after looking at parts prices, I'm afraid I'd need to find a dead SVT with a working power section to have any chance of making it economical.

...and I don't want it to look home built.

...and I don't want to deal with the PCB iteration that comes with designing a switcher, or the radiated noise issues...

[AwkwardLoudness]

Originally Posted by aborgman

sub 40lb, 300W tube head

This part is likely impossible. Any 300w tube amp will have fairly heavy transformers.

If you have the cash, then a boutique amp builder may be able to help turn your idea into reality or close to it.

Otherwise, try a Traynor YBA-300 or a Laney Nexus 400 amp. One of those might get you a little closer to your goal, but still far off.

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by Alex1984

Would've thought you'd warn him against the hazards first, Paul!

Nah, you don't have to worry about me... I'm an Electrical Engineer and I've worked on and built dozens of tube amps.

Heck, last Friday I was working on some stuff that makes tube amps look safe. Interfacing power supplies for our Plasmadynamics and Electrical Space Propulsion lab - a 600V @ 2A unit, and a 60V @ 30A unit.

It wasn't as scary as the 200V @ 5A supply they were floating at 1200V (so the output actually swung from 1000VDC to 1400VDC).

[will33]

Why the 3rd channel with the same tonestack?

Why not just do a b15 pre and run it into a vb3?

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by AwkwardLoudness

This part is likely impossible. Any 300w tube amp will have fairly heavy transformers.

Nah, it's totally possible using a switching supply - no need for the large power transformer.

The Peavey VB-3 (using a switcher) is 300W @ 37 lbs.

Originally Posted by AwkwardLoudness

If you have the cash, then a boutique amp builder may be able to help turn your idea into reality or close to it.

I think most boutique amp builders would have an easy time with the pre/power sections. I doubt ANY of them would touch the power supply design. Boutique tube amp guys are unlikely to know ANYTHING at all about designing a switching supply.

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by will33

Why the 3rd channel with the same tonestack?

My preference would be the B-15 tone stack - but with each channel having a gain/volume.

Standard B-15 layout is (well, ONE of them):

input -> gain stage1 -> tone stack -> gain stage2 -> volume

what I want for each channel is:

input -> gain pot -> gain stage1 -> tone stack -> gain stage2 -> channel volume -> master volume

...and it needs to have enough gain so that with the gain wide open on a channel, you get full on buzzing bees distortion.

Originally Posted by will33

Why not just do a b15 pre and run it into a vb3?

Loss of channel switching.

[BassmanPaul]

Originally Posted by aborgman

Nah, you don't have to worry about me... I'm an Electrical Engineer and I've worked on and built dozens of tube amps.

Y'see Alex I knew this.

However your point is well taken as safety is my primary concern especially when I read about posters messin' with their tube amps.

[will33]

Originally Posted by aborgman

My preference would be the B-15 tone stack - but with each channel having a gain/volume.

Standard B-15 layout is (well, ONE of them):

input -> gain stage1 -> tone stack -> gain stage2 -> volume

what I want for each channel is:

input -> gain pot -> gain stage1 -> tone stack -> gain stage2 -> channel volume -> master volume

...and it needs to have enough gain so that with the gain wide open on a channel, you get full on buzzing bees distortion.




Loss of channel switching.

Aso.

I was thinking clean channel/dirty channel ala guitar heads.

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by will33

Aso.

I was thinking clean channel/dirty channel ala guitar heads.

Basically like that - but with three channel and each having it's own tone stack.

[Robby Hoinsky]

That's the best thing about DIY or custom contracting - you want it, you got it. I was at a conference where the company that built Aerosmith's studio was talking about how they wanted the pres from one console, the eq's from another, and the compressors of yet another. So they put it all together.

Robby

[Dethrats]

Originally Posted by will33

Why the 3rd channel with the same tonestack?

Why not just do a b15 pre and run it into a vb3?

^this.
and get the VT deluxe all the channels you could want.