Vibroclone Project almost under way...

[Ricky0ne1]

After reading posts, online articles and such... I got the fever...
Now I've GOT to put one of these together.

First, I found a 68 Bandmaster Reverb on Ebay. Then I spotted the proper output tranny. I'll be building the cabinet whenever this snow and cold go away. I have a D130F waiting for something to do.
All systems are go... almost..
Of all the articles I've read, none are specific when it comes to what caps, resistors, etc. I need to change for the blackface conversion. I'm hoping it's posted somewhere.
Does anyone know where I can get these changes from another member, online or otherwise?
I'd certainly appreciate the help...
Also, I'll post pictures of the process once I get started. Might be interesting to some.
Let me know...
Rick Summers

[Ken Fox]

Rick, I have done 4 Clones so far. The last one I did used a Fender Twin Reverb O.T. and an Altec Lansing 418B speaker. The other three were with re-coned D-140 or D-130 speakers changed to 4 ohms. The Twin transformer really tightens up the bottom. Gerald Webers book, Desktop Reference to Hiphop Amps, has a very detailed section on BlackFacing the inverter section and changing the bias balance to a bias adjust. Your amp may very well already be a Blackface schematic. You need to get a schematic and board layout for your amp and a 1964 Vibroverb and go through it to see the small differences. I have tried the GZ34 and did not care for the tight sound, increased headroom, extra B+ voltage and lack of internal resistance to the B+ it has. The 5U4 offers more sag/compression and is better to my ear for the Tele. There are lots of links to Vibroclones on the net. Check out Jack Prices page for a lot of information.
http://home.attbi.com/~priceamp/

[Ricky0ne1]

Thanks Ken,
It was your posts on the Forum that renewed my interest in this amp.
I've read all Jack's stuff 2 and 3 times.
I wish I had payed better attention in electronics class in H.S. I guess I need what I'd term as "assemblers' instruction" when it comes to swapping out electronic components. Since I can't follow the 'signal' through its paces like I should, I rely on knowing pin numbers, color codes, and other physical details.
Jack did say that the 68 BMR was the easiest to convert. Only 3 or 4 value changes, and voila!
Jack wrote me back telling me that what I needed to know was all layed out in his and other articles. So I'll just wait till that BMR gets here and ape it out.
After a few tried and true tweaks from the freaks, I'll just keep it. Then if anyone else wants one, I'll ape out another.
Rick