Forums have been slow, how about a 'In the mail' thread?

[Starfire]

Way Huge Red Llama and an EP Booster clone.

Also an AC10 that I scored for cheap. Been wanting to hear how the Jazzmaster sounds through something Voxy. Cheers to JB for picking it up!

[dayl]

I have a Suhr SSH+ Bridge / SSV neck combo on the way.

I've never used them but have read some great reviews, so looking forward to giving them a try.

[Aquila Rossa]

I bought an unpopulated Trinity Amps 18 watt turret board from somebody here about ten years ago. I finally ordered the parts to do something with it, plus some spares for my Plexi clone. They just arrived from Valve Storm in the US.

The nephew is keen to solder it all. Good, because I am not quite as keen. He is a jewelry apprentice and has almost done his time, so has the patience for fiddly stuff like this. He seems to enjoy thing soldering things for guitar and amps, so I may as well encourage it. Depending on results, I might order a chassis and stuff.

I ordered a (supposedly) LCR capable multimeter from Dick Smith almost a week before ordering these from the USA three weeks ago. It was in stock they said. I need to to measure resistors, because I am too colour blind to read the colour codes. The multi-meter is still awaiting international departure from Sydney. The last time I will ever order from them I guess.

429787193_1463359754618555_6917371758742948803_n.jpg (1.13 MiB) Viewed 945 times

[MikeC]

I've built a few of these and have used a standard Plexi chassis. Which actual model is the amp?

[Aquila Rossa]

I've built a few of these and have used a standard Plexi chassis. Which actual model is the amp?

The turret board is Trinity Amps 18 watt 'Plexi'. Looks like a JMP 1974 'TMB' for the most part to me and the board has the same turret layout between every version of 18 watter they do it seems. I still need to compare layouts and have not 100% made my mind up what kind to do, but all the parts I ordered should cover most of the options.
I'd actually prefer to do more of a Superlead curcuit in 18 watts format, but that's well above my pay grade (I have only done little things to amps, but never a full build -- I am not sure I want to yet -- it depends if the lad turns out to be as keen on it as he seems now). Documentation and parts for a TMB is far easier to get hold of too I guess -- rather than some mish-mash custom build.

[MikeC]

I've built this one and have full schematics etc - the Trinity "Custom Plexi". I included VRM.
But I think you need to have experience, especially for power up/testing etc.

Custom Plexi

The Marshall 1959 Super Lead was made famous by: Townsend, Clapton, Hendrix, Young, Van Halen, Page, Gibbons and more. Want to crank it up and Rock and Roll to some Classic, vintage Marshall? The Trinity Amps Custom Plexi is authentic to the Marshall Super Lead Plexi and it does sound excellent. It has the Classic Marshall tone and crunch in a usable 18 watt package.
12AX7 preamps, TMB tone stack and Phase Inverter are identically voiced to the Plexi Super Lead.
1 Watt Carbon Film resistors are used throughout the sound chain to minimize noise.
The amp does not need to use negative feedback.
Running at 390V, with an octal socket based solid state rectifier, the power section is powered by two cathode biased JJ 6V6Ss. The original was fixed bias but because the Trinity Amps Custom Plexi is cathode biased, the rectifier can be swapped out for a 5AR4 for lower voltage to ‘brown’ out the sound and give it a more compressed feel.
The fat switch fattens it up the TMB channel and increases the sound spectrum.
Get the Classic Marshall tone you’ve heard a million times!

[MikeC]

Have you got transformers, valve bases etc?

[Aquila Rossa]

Have you got transformers, valve bases etc?

None of that yet. Just doing the turret board for now. If the nephew is keen after that, I'll look at ordering everything else.

[MikeC]

Have you got transformers, valve bases etc?

None of that yet. Just doing the turret board for now. If the nephew is keen after that, I'll look at ordering everything else.

Good luck!

[Bg]

Epic nogd, 1 payment to go then I’ll disclose

[Aquila Rossa]

Have you got transformers, valve bases etc?

None of that yet. Just doing the turret board for now. If the nephew is keen after that, I'll look at ordering everything else.

Good luck!

I have almost decided not to build that amp. I think I could do it if I had the whole kit, but not when trying to mash together a bunch of parts from different suppliers. Other kits are 18 Watt TMB and this 18 Watt Plexi MK II is quite different curcuit wise and with its layout.

I am thinking of building a Plexi instead. I know that curcuit quite well and understand how it works for the most part. I can not say the same for a cathode biased 18 watter amp. Less chance of screwing it up if I know the curcuit well.

P.S. Any chance you have a 1987, 1959, 2003/4 turret board you would swap for the Trinity Amps 18 watt one?

BTW. I just made the cathode bypass for pin 8 of V1 for the JMP 1987. Then the lad soldered it in. I left the bright cap off for now. Freaking brutal and a bit scary to play. Dynamic as hell and there's no hiding sloppy playing like with the modern shred friendly amps that let you zoom around the neck really easily. Really nice feedback with all the harmonic overtones though. Perfect for just bashing out some Angus chords

[MikeC]

I don't have any pre-made turret boards but I can make them. That's what I do for the amps I build.
If you name a Trinity amp I can build the turret board for you.
So did you do a mod to V1a cathode circuit?

[Aquila Rossa]

I don't have any pre-made turret boards but I can make them. That's what I do for the amps I build.
If you name a Trinity amp I can build the turret board for you.
So did you do a mod to V1a cathode circuit?

I have decided not to use the unpopulated Trinity Amps '18 Watt Plexi Mk II' turret board I have, because I'd want to use the rest of their parts to build it, but they are not selling them these days (stuff like their custom chassis that has an extra hole for the master volume and is made for this turret board etc). Therefore I have a turret board that might want to find a new home.

I'd prefer to build a JMP 1987 like my amp, or maybe a 1959. Either or, but according to the Metroamp build guide and using Valve Storm parts (they now supply most of the stuff for Metroamp builds). There's stuff to decide like whether to bother with a laydown transformer like mine has, or exterior mounted filter caps etc.

I also wonder about a JMP 2203. It would be for the nephew. His dad had one back in the 1980s in a NZ band called Confessor. Probably my favourite amp there is and definitely the one I liked playing the most.

The sensible thing to do would be to build a little 5F1 Champ though

Mod to V1a? Not really. It was shared cathode and I just made it split cathode. I had the 0.68uF cap and 2.7k resistor, but the cap turned out to be faulty. That's what that fuss I made about trying to get a 0.68uF cap in NZ was about. I imported one in the end. Yesterday I just assembled the new cathode bypass and the nephew soldered it in. It worked a treat and got rid of the nasty hiss that bad cap was causing.

[robthemac]

No! Do the 18W! It's such a sweet little amp. It was the sound in my head for fifteen years and was just as good as I remembered when I eventually bought one.

[Aquila Rossa]

No! Do the 18W! It's such a sweet little amp. It was the sound in my head for fifteen years and was just as good as I remembered when I eventually bought one.

They are cool sounding for sure. The 20 watt JMP 2061 ones that Paul Gilbert often uses sound great as well. It's just that I am much more familiar with the JMP 1987 curcuit. I would be more comfortable attempting that.

The other thing is that the lad likes cranking the 50 watt Plexi into a 2x12 so much that he thinks he will like 100 watts with a 4x12 even more, which is why I am thinking of that option too. He plays all this tricky Lamb of God stuff, but the Plexi gets him saying he would like to be in a band that just bashes out AC/DC style chords and riffs. He is a convert to the Plexi kerrang it seems

Being able to do the build is one thing, but what it comes down to is if he is prepared to sink money into it. I am not going to be paying for it all myself