Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[Al Kraft]

Just a design exercise for fun or with a possible new product in mind?

Let's hope his answer is "both".

 

[agedhorse]

Just a design exercise for fun or with a possible new product in mind?

Let's hope his answer is "both".

Yes, both. It's something that I wanted to do, but to do it right. Unfortunately, it's not "specifically" a bass product, but that doesn't mean that it "couldn't" be, because some of your comments here on TB might have helped a little with the feature set

 

[rust_preacher]

I have a D.Sc. (tech) in Electronics. But every time I need to bias a transistor, I need to go back to 3rd year EE books. For tubes I have some books from the 50s.

 

[BadExample]

I have a D.Sc. (tech) in Electronics. But every time I need to bias a transistor, I need to go back to 3rd year EE books. For tubes I have some books from the 50s.

Biasing is the first thing you forget once away from it for a while.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Being biased comes easy for many.

 

[beans-on-toast]

In the early 60's there were magazines and kits galore for kids to expand their minds.

Fun With Transistors provided a good learning experience. There are two audio amps, page 38. One of those amps comes from the Mullard Reference Manual of Transistor Circuits. As you can see in the Mullard manual, transistor theory is pretty complicated. Good book, chocked full of information but it also serves up practical examples. Those Mullard transistors are expensive these days. Thankfully, Small Bear sells them for pedal builders.

In the later 60's when those kids were older, they found easier ways to expand their minds.

 

[Ken Morgan]

I always thought tube kits were much easier to experiment with...turret boards, components large enough to actually see without a microscope and manipulate without tweezers, wire wrapping to test,etc...

Yea, sure, voltages were higher, but a little 120 thru ya for a second was good for your complexion.

 

[beans-on-toast]

Hardly scientific or objective, but whereas transistors operate on an invisibly microscopic, quantum scale, tubes exist and operate on an intuitive, human scale. You can see the heaters lit up, you can sometimes see a glowing plasma, and you can feel and hear the warmth. Everything about tubes exists in a more human realm than hard, cold transistors. Measure away, but it’s the sound that matters.

ref: Invalid Link Removed


As for dangerous voltages and currents in tube circuits, natural selection isn't a bad thing.

 

[Raulplaysbass]

I wanna play!

I'm, grumpy, old(ish), fart a lot & like big amps!

 

[agedhorse]

If you use a strong enough microscope, you can see the electrons in transistors too... it's more a matter of scale.

 

[BassmanPaul]

I went old school this morning, designed an all discrete FET/bipolar transistor amplifier circuit. Haven't done this in quite a few years...

Aye, but did you have fun?

But remember the creed for Talk Bass: photo required or it didn’t happen!!

 

[agedhorse]

Can't post photos of this kind of stuff.

 

[BassmanPaul]

Can't post photos of this kind of stuff.

I know my friend but I enjoyed demanding it!

 

[Ken Morgan]

Strong enough microscope, sure...I’ve thought of it like a surgeon working on Frankenstein vs working on MicroMan.

Note that for me, it’s all theoretical anyway. Anything more advance than wiring a studio patchbay, and I’m calling for help.

 

[tb4sbp]

My kids call me grumpy but I tell them to 'GET OFF MY LAWN'
Dirty kids with their new fangled basket ball sneakers tearing up my grass!

 

[Stumbo]

View attachment 2952250 View attachment 2952253 I wanna play!

I'm, grumpy, old(ish), fart a lot & like big amps!

You gotta list your ailments that make you so grumpy! BTW, nice rig.

Maybe you're not old enough. Old(ish) is what? That kinda stuff is too new around here. We don't understand(ish).

 

[Kirk Bryant]

Be careful with that design Agedhorse, never forget these immortal words, “fragile harmonics cannot survive in the latticework of transistors” Howard Dumble.

 

[Stumbo]

Anyone have a reverse mortgage? Happy with your lender?

 

[agedhorse]

Be careful with that design Agedhorse, never forget these immortal words, “fragile harmonics cannot survive in the latticework of transistors” Howard Dumble.

I sure hope I don't travel down that path, that's a big wow
How about Joe Meek's path, very sad and dark story for sure:
Joe Meek: The tortured life of Telstar genius

 

[beans-on-toast]

Anyone have a reverse mortgage? Happy with your lender?

When you google reverse mortgage horror, there are some scary stories. Then again, these are things that you read on the internet.

Sorry that I can’t help.