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You know what doesn't work?

:

11/13/2003 5:17 PM

You know what doesn't work?

a 5E3 with a 1.5 ohm resistor where the 1k5 bias resistor should be on the 12ax7. you know what does work - MY 5E3! after 5 months i finally heard my 5e3. all because i didn't check the stupid resistor. i have taken this amp apart and rebuilt it too many times to count when it all could have been fixed if i would have noticed that resistor. what a bonehead. anyway, thought i would share.

11/13/2003 6:24 PM
Mike G.	Congratulations Dean, I know you have had your share of problems with that thing, good to see you have got it working! Mike G.

11/13/2003 8:27 PM
Curly	great ... I had a couple problems with the input grounding/ wiring, so I know it can be frustrating... FWIW, I double check the values on all my resistors - some visually against ones of a known value, and some I check with the meter, especially where I want close values to match ...

11/13/2003 10:09 PM
bnwitt	Dean, I know you must have been saying "Son of a gun" or something to that effect when you found it. This experience will change the way you double check your work. After my first "ahhh crud" I have learned to expect my own stupidity. After all, specialists say the average male thinks of sex every 4 seconds. That doesn't leave much time for concentrating now does it. So how does she sound? Barry

11/14/2003 2:23 PM

Yeah, and this brings up a very good point about building any kind of electronic circuit. I am a professional electronics tech, and I have built a ton of prototype electronic equipment, and the one thing I learned over the years is...check not once, not twice, but three times every single component value/orientation, every single connection with a meter, not just for continuity, but for resistance as well, a resistance greater than an ohm or two will help detect cold solder joints/connections. Use a schematic or layout diagram when you do this, and mark each thing checked with a highlighter as you go.

The fact is, we all screw up and make mistakes. It is best to find these errors BEFORE you apply power and let the smoke out of a few parts and complicate what was previously just a simple error.

Mike G.

11/14/2003 4:02 PM
Chris ( CMW amps )	famous mistakes Dean , great to see you're amp is working right now ! About wrong resistor-values : did read somewhere that the RAT pedal sound was because of a "wrong" resistor value picked when prototyping a MXR style distortion . Have a nice & rockin' weekend ( dime your amp ! ) , Chris

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