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New ampeg speculation - A true B15 Reissue?

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#61
JimmyM said:
a b-15n is a much better reissue choice than the b-15r, although i'm told it really just needs better tubes and it becomes a lot better amp.
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Hang on, I thought that the AmpegUSA post just above is saying that the Google "find" on the B-15R is just an old page (and therefore not directly related to the apparent upcoming reissue). So it doesn't seem that we can call it another B-15R just yet (unless you know something I don't). :confused:
 
#62
tombowlus said:
Hang on, I thought that the AmpegUSA post just above is saying that the Google "find" on the B-15R is just an old page (and therefore not directly related to the apparent upcoming reissue). So it doesn't seem that we can call it another B-15R just yet (unless you know something I don't). :confused:
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Yes, lets be clear. The B-15R webpage found was old. It is unrelated to the upcoming Ampeg release in many, many, many ways.
 
#63
AmpegUSA said:
The B-15R webpage found was old. It is unrelated to the upcoming Ampeg release in many, many, many ways.
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Wow triple many ways unrelated! It must be really, really, really different :p.

I triple-dog dare you to give us more.


Just having some fun .... January 13 is a long way away .... unless you're working to meet that deadline.
 
#66
beans-on-toast said:
Wow triple many ways unrelated! It must be really, really, really different :p.

I triple-dog dare you to give us more.


Just having some fun .... January 13 is a long way away .... unless you're working to meet that deadline.
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We are just really (x3) excited. Another pic coming later this week and some really interesting stuff lined up for Bass Player Live...
 
#69
I have this mint condition '67 B-15-N and a 2002 B-15R/15E but I still have room, potentially" for more Ampeg goodness.

B-15-NWEB.jpg
 
#73
Shadi said:
....I'm beginning to feel an eerie "Vetchking/Acoustic" "AmpegUSA/B-15" deja vu thing here.....
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Another Saluki!!! Yeah, original design and "made in the USA" would be very tempting. Heck, even true to the original design would be cool......as long as the manufacturing is well executed.

The quality and sound/tone have to be there, otherwise, it will be viewed as a disappointment.
 
#77
OldogNewTrick said:
how ist that ? :confused:
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Google: tin whiskers.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

A slow-motion train wreck in military and aerospace electronics design is taking place right in front of us. Everyone seems powerless to do anything to head off the catastrophe, yet no one can tear his eyes away from the impending crash that we all know is virtually certain to happen.

The wreck-in-progress revolves around the evolving switch in the electronics industries in the U.S., Europe, and throughout the world from conventional lead solders to the new lead-free solders.

The specific threat is tin whiskers, which are physical abnormalities that grow in nonlead solders that lead to unpredictable shorting and failures of electronic parts. This phenomenon will compromise the reliability and reputation of most, if not all, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronic parts and subsystems.
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And from NASA:

http://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/background/

http://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/

What are Tin Whiskers?
Tin whiskers are electrically conductive, crystalline structures of tin that sometimes grow from surfaces where tin (especially electroplated tin) is used as a final finish. Tin whiskers have been observed to grow to lengths of several millimeters (mm) and in rare instances to lengths in excess of 10 mm. Numerous electronic system failures have been attributed to short circuits caused by tin whiskers that bridge closely-spaced circuit elements maintained at different electrical potentials.
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#79
I don't believe RoHS needs to be an issue that would affect tone in an amp like the B15N. RoSH places restrictions on hazardous substances, one of which is lead. So the type of solder used comes into play.

Let's assume that the circuit board construction in a B15N reissue will be based on either eyelets like the original, or turrets. Turrets tend to be popular these days, vintage builds tend to stick to eyelets to maintain authenticity. Eyelets were used in the past because manufacturers could turn out that type of board faster. It was more cost effective. When building an amp, the goal is to make a good mechanical connection between a lead and the turret or eyelet, then solder is applied to glue everything in place. If done properly, turrets provide a better mechanical connection than an eyelet. The turret provides more contact surface area than an eyelet. Especially when the lead is wrapped around the turret. The solder should serve as a glue to lock things in place. It shouldn't be acting as a bridge between the turret and the lead where the solder becomes part of the signal path. This is where tone is affected. Good manufacturing practices and quality control can ensure that this doesn't happen.

Unfortunately, you tend to encounter more bad solder joints when eyelets are used. People push a lead through a hole and throw in a glob of solder. When the lead isn't in contact with anything but solder, you're asking for trouble. Good joints can be made with eyelets. Better joints are easier to make with turrets.

Many people find that lead based solder is easier to work with than lead-free solder because it flows better and this makes it easier when soldering by hand. They can get better results. The point is, if you start with a good mechanical connection, the type of solder used is less of an issue.

Tin or any other type of whiskers aren't an issue in an amp unless connections are in close proximity to each other. There are a number of very interesting NASA studies where they investigated whiskers that were found to be causing shorts between metals. This included such things as circuit board traces or connectors that were close to each other. This is an issue in the aerospace industry. You don't want an expensive satellite to fail in space because of a rare short.

In an amp like a B15N, everything is sufficiently spread out that this isn't an issue. In very old amps and instrument electronics, especially where dissimilar metals are used, it isn't unusual to find oxidation whiskers. They are easily cleaned and with regular maintenance, they would never have existed. But these are usually in cases that were beyond the manufacturer's intended life of the product.
 
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