I put in the new tubes and fired it up. I got the bias set and it's putting out right about 95 watts at clipping.

Bad news: It seems the reverb pan is shot.

The wattage controls will be trickier that I expected. I will try rigging up a triode switch to cut power, and a separate half power switch to cut off two tubes (you will have to switch the polarity manually). Together they would do the same as the half volume switch in the Hiwatt DC40.

The power transformer does not have multiple primary windings. Those cheap bastards didn't do anything extra there. If you want to run this in a country with 220 or 240 voltage, you are gonna need a big ass step up transformer.

Liberty has never come from the government.
Liberty has always come from the subjects of it.
The history of liberty is a history of resistance.
The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of governmental power, not the increase of it.
-- Woodrow Wilson

Thats great...right now thats the best news I've had all day. I'm sick in bed with the flu...and I too have transpo problems, and they arent too cheap either.

Reverb tank? no sweat I guess...as far as voltage concerns go we can discuss that anytime after I feel better.

Right now I'm back to bed...

Thanks Tom...Your a genius:)

the house will be rocking.

Like a Switchcraft. I've had it for years, never used it. This I will use for the triode/pentode (or beam tetrode) switch. This is a power reduction that does not require changing the output impedance. The half power switch (that turns off two tubes) is installed. I should have it together this weekend, as I have made it top priority.

Think you can schedule a run up here before you ship out?

Liberty has never come from the government.
Liberty has always come from the subjects of it.
The history of liberty is a history of resistance.
The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of governmental power, not the increase of it.
-- Woodrow Wilson

Sure I can run out there, just sorta gimme a time thats good for ya and I'll make the time, as many trips as ya need, as long as it's not next week...that pesky Honda is still in the shop waiting for transmission parts. I was gonna ask ya to look a the Oahu anyway...but I dint have the guts to ask till now. I can't read all the markings on the caps, and a schematic for that thing is no where to be found. Bidding on some RCA 6V6GTY's at the moment...I'll see what it's like with some good tubes first and lemme know if ya need anything for V4.

Like Sunday, Nov. 12? Once the triode switch is in, I can let the thing run a while, get the guitar player next door to romp on it and listen for oddities.

Bring the Oahu with.

Liberty has never come from the government.
Liberty has always come from the subjects of it.
The history of liberty is a history of resistance.
The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of governmental power, not the increase of it.
-- Woodrow Wilson

The V4 does NOT like triode mode. Not at all. It oscillates like crazy. I also found that it does not like shielded cable for the grid wires. Very odd, that. Seems lead dress is critical in these. It does not mind the half power switch but at half power it's not much quieter. 100 watts full power, 65 watts half power (both at clipping). It do my P90s, though.

So, it's all back together and awaiting pickup.

Liberty has never come from the government.
Liberty has always come from the subjects of it.
The history of liberty is a history of resistance.
The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of governmental power, not the increase of it.
-- Woodrow Wilson

Alas the V4 is armed and ready for launch...pity my poor neighbors, the collateral damage will be sickening to behold.

So you still want the 12th for pick up...or are you flexible on that? I still haven't gotten the RCA 6v6's for the Oahu yet...should have them by the 12th..but I can pick up some chinese tubes if ya wanna see it light up. I'm thinking you wanna might wanna park your car where that V4 is sittting...lemme know...shoot me an email or something. The Honda has just had the transmission rebuilt so transpo problem is solved bla bla bla.

We can talk about joe behind his back;)

get 4 jbl e120's cause they're super sensitive , it would produce a very profound attack I would imagine . what are ya gonna play thru it first ? smoke on the water is traditional ya know.

Not sure what speaks someone would want to use. Vintage Fanes would be cool. First thing is to decide if you want to live with the V4. It's as versatile as an Orange or Hiwatt.

Liberty has never come from the government.
Liberty has always come from the subjects of it.
The history of liberty is a history of resistance.
The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of governmental power, not the increase of it.
-- Woodrow Wilson

but what's an Orange?

I'm familiar with Fanes & Hiwatts.

The Orange and Green amps were made in the UK in the early 1970s (and later, and maybe earlier, I don't know the history) that featured odd graphics and stiff trnasformers. They used EL34s and 500+ volts. The 50 and 100 watt versions used the same transformers so the 50 watters were quite stiff. They used a simple split load phase invertor which by it's nature is unblalnced so they broke up easier then a Hiwatt but otherwise they were loud & hard. Their cabs were build almost exactly like the Hiwatt stuff. They had thick, rugged chassis. I had an OR80 back when I had a collection of amps. Quite the Thor's Hammer. They are being reproduced these days.

Edit: I found this history of Orange on line:
http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/news_story/a/news_id/e/763







Liberty has never come from the government.
Liberty has always come from the subjects of it.
The history of liberty is a history of resistance.
The history of liberty is a history of the limitation of governmental power, not the increase of it.
-- Woodrow Wilson

Totally off topic, but I saw the Who last month in Chicago. I took my 13 yr. old son & was astounded at the cross-section of people there. Lots of parents with kids...lots of old heepies (& pot aroma )...and a surprising amount of people in their early twenties. I figured that age group would have barely heard of the Who. Who?

BTW, there's nothing quite like hearing The Seeker at that volume level


Ahem. Back to the topic at hand.

Ineresting... I do believe I recall correctly that the original cabs for the V4's came with 10" Jensens. I'd have to check on the wattage...I like 10's...4x10's will move more air than 2x12's...it's just an idea I'm toying with. 2 4x10 cabs. Or perhaps 2 2x12 cabs...with say Celestion gh12-H...the 50 oz magnets on the latter option. The cabs I've designed will do both easily.

Lets say I spin Live at Leeds...Amazing Journey, Townsends Hiwatt/ Gibson SG with P90 combo... I hear in that song everything from Sticky Fingers to Black Sabbath.It never ceases to amaze me. I can't remember but I think he had his cabs filled with JBL's, might have been Fanes...Joe did mention JBL's...but the JBL's are getting a bit rare...Fanes are expensive...I'm not at all sure what the Stones were recording with when they did lets say um Bitch. When I say them at the Hollywood Bowl last year they were using Fender amps, and the song sounded fantastic. There was a V4 on the stage, but it was for the cat playing bass. I think my point is...there is more than one way to get a sound. If the V4 is as versitle as a Hiwatt or an Orange...then I'm just going to try to get that combo of sounds at a slightly less than totaly insane volume...with the option to go to completely insane.

I'm sure it's gonna take some playing around to get it where I want it.

Fuck I dunno what tune to christen it with...Whatever it is it will be painfull;)

cause they're so loud . The v4 has a loud and punchy characteristic anyway the 120's would take it further. four of em would produce a mighty mighty boss tone . the 120's will produce a "rifle shot" like crack that very few , if any , speakers could match.

the original smoke was loud and punchy , not so marshally although it was a marshall.

that combo will get crazy loud like 130 or so it'll make you punch drunk but you'll love it.