Build Your Own Clone Message Board

New Brit 45 build
Went through the initial startup procedure

Plugged in speaker and installed preamp tubes

Powered up and set bias to 39mv

Plugged in instrument cable and no sound

Powered everything off, scratched my head, and started inspecting signals connections at the output. I quickly figured out I had NO continuity through the speaker selector switch. Upon very close inspection with a magnifying glass it looks like one of the wipers on the bottom side of the switch is not there. Checked the other side of the switch and continuity was good on that side as it has the double wiper. Turned the switch over and soldered the connections on to that side. Powered up and now I have sound but it's very low and sounds blown.

Is my output transformer toasted from basically powering up without the speaker being connected due to a faulty selector switch? I sure the heck hope not.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

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Tube Amps:
EVH 5150 100S Stealth
Friedman Runt 50
JTM45 Clone
Orange Micro Terror

Lex Luthier

Problem solved!

So I got to poking around with a wooden sick after turning that selector switch over and connecting to the other side of it. I couldn't get anything I poked at to change the ultra low fuzzy output I was getting. I was just about to give up for the night when I started poking around on the V3 jumper from pin 3 to 8 and I pushed on pin 3 and boom! it came to life. It's like it was in a bind and not making good contact with the pin. Thank God

It sounds freaking awesome. I'm running all Gold Lion tubes.

_________________
Tube Amps:
EVH 5150 100S Stealth
Friedman Runt 50
JTM45 Clone
Orange Micro Terror

Lex Luthier

Good news! But if you haven't already, you should definitely re-flow the solder on that V3 jumper connection and maybe add a bit of solder. The fact that it would go from no contact to connected with just a physical push on the joint indicates a poor solder joint. Could easily recur just from thermal cycling inside the amp unless fixed.

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“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

I think what happened is the jumpered pins were pushed close together then soldered so they were both leaning in. The solder joints are all good.

I guess they were leaning in just enough to cause bad pin contact.

_________________
Tube Amps:
EVH 5150 100S Stealth
Friedman Runt 50
JTM45 Clone
Orange Micro Terror

Lex Luthier

So you're saying that the poor contact was between the tube and the socket pin?

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

Yep

_________________
Tube Amps:
EVH 5150 100S Stealth
Friedman Runt 50
JTM45 Clone
Orange Micro Terror

Lex Luthier

After pulling the tube and looking at that pin it was spread open pretty wide... I adjusted it with a small screwdriver.

_________________
Tube Amps:
EVH 5150 100S Stealth
Friedman Runt 50
JTM45 Clone
Orange Micro Terror

Lex Luthier

Good job chasing that down!

_________________
“My favorite programming language is SOLDER” - Bob Pease (RIP)

My Website * My Musical Gear * My DIY Pedals: Pg.1 - Pg.2

Honestly. What a thing to happen on your first (?) amp build...

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Everyone likes sausage. Nobody wants to see how it's made.

It seems especially in those preamp sockets that the pins are very loose. You can almost make them touch each other.

As a novice it seems to me that they should be a little tighter in the housing. Am I wrong to think that?

_________________
Tube Amps:
EVH 5150 100S Stealth
Friedman Runt 50
JTM45 Clone
Orange Micro Terror

Lex Luthier

They kind of 'float' until you install a tube. I assume this is done to accommodate inconsistent tube pin alignment. That said, I give my solder tabs a little bend to the outside just to be on the safe side.

_________________
If practice makes perfect, and nobody is perfect, then why practice?

It hurts me to say this.. but.. follow me on facebook and.. instagram

And that was my exact issue... They were leaning in too far when soldered together.

_________________
Tube Amps:
EVH 5150 100S Stealth
Friedman Runt 50
JTM45 Clone
Orange Micro Terror

Lex Luthier