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Messages - onebaldbloke

#1
Schematics and Layouts / Re: Gallien Krueger 100 MPL
March 10, 2021, 04:51:40 PM
Quote from: Jazz P Bass on March 10, 2021, 12:32:28 AM
That is one heck of of a circuit description write up!!!
You have not noted what is wrong with the unit but a good tech should be able to narrow it down with that excellent info.

I don't know what's technically wrong, only that the sound is miles from where it should be. I have messed around with the internal bias trim pots, and that has helped marginally, but has not corrected the main problems, hence the need for a proper tech. :-)
#2
Schematics and Layouts / Re: Gallien Krueger 100 MPL
March 08, 2021, 03:45:04 PM
Quote from: willpirkle on March 08, 2021, 08:06:55 AM
This is the complete service manual, scanned from my paper version that I got from Bob Gallien back in the 90's -- it has all of the gory details including the digital programming. It is almost 80MB in length and won't fit as an upload, so I added a link from my website below. I have no plan to remove the link, but an admin may want to store it in a more permanent manner on an SSGA server for future use.

This is a digitally controlled analog product; e.g. it uses vactrols for channel switching and other routing. It is also a treasure-trove of interesting circuits (log amp for the compressor, use of the LMC835 to implement the GK active EQ filters (in addition to the graphic EQ), noise reduction ckt, even an R/2R DAC).

The schematic pages were repeated within the documents, so there are two sets of them (didn't have time to go back and remove them).

Enjoy!

Will

Kind Sir!!

Now I need to find someone in Australia crazy enough to look at it!  :dbtu:

Cheers,
Bob.
#3
Schematics and Layouts / Gallien Krueger 100 MPL
March 07, 2021, 11:09:21 PM
Hi,
I've recently acquired a GK 100 MPL, which is not working as it should (I have had two in the past, so I have a good idea of what "working properly" means :-) ).

Any schematics out there?

Cheers,
Bob.
#4
The Newcomer's Forum / Re: G'day from Melbourne
April 17, 2012, 07:48:34 AM
Quote from: J M Fahey on April 17, 2012, 06:33:09 AM
Well, congratulations on the good sound and great playing, plus excellent stage presence.
And yes, playing at high power *does* a lot of good to your sound.
I'm *constantly* answering complaints about "fizzy sound" on many Forums, many times coming from amps I *know* are very good, and my standard answer is "get out of the bedroom and play it full tilt".
Day and night.

Ta JM.
And agreed - the bedroom is maybe not the best place for a nice amp. There's no substitute for a good gig!
#5
The Newcomer's Forum / Re: G'day from Melbourne
April 16, 2012, 07:17:34 AM
Quote from: J M Fahey on April 16, 2012, 12:50:53 AM
I bet you also had some distortion pedal, even a simple one driving that little Squire.
You have much more sustain than what can be made by plugging straight into it.

On that live stuff (it's from a DVD) there is a rat-like pedal & a Big Muff on some stuff, but not on the song that's posted above; that's only the bubby amp, straight in, honestly. However, I did have very large monitoring, both in front & to the side of me, & in those days I monitored at stupid levels. That would help account for the sustain.

On the studio album mentioned, I used a Big Muff on (I think) two solo's, but the rest are just the Squire. It may sound odd, but I'm not a fan of sustain, it gets in the way for my style. The most important part of the sound to me is the initial few milliseconds. I'm un-healthily obsessed with those few milliseconds!

Cheers,
Bob.


#6
Yes, I agree, as mexicanyella suggested, that getting physically closer to your speakers may help with sustain. If you get too close to your transformers, you'll need to find the correct angle, relative to the amp, to minimise hum.

I would strongly discourage, in general, using a compressor before or after a fuzz/overdrive, as they will compress as a matter of course.

And never underestimate the value of a properly set up guitar - frets that aren't "scratchy" (stainless steel frets rule, IMO), a secure neck, strings that are still OK etc.

Go well,
Bob.
#7
Quote from: GarageDharma on January 12, 2012, 09:39:42 PM
I read somewhere that Billy Gibbons from ZZ-Top uses several (3 i think) same model dist. pedals in line in his signal chain, this seems to increase sustain as i have done some experiments with a couple of ds-1 boss pedals with some success.

Um..... I recorded with Billy's producer, Terry Manning, for a very long time & let's say that what Billy says in interviews & what he & Terry actually do may well be very, very different things!

Cheers,
Bob.
#8
The Newcomer's Forum / Re: G'day from Melbourne
April 13, 2012, 12:50:46 AM
Quote from: mexicanyella on April 13, 2012, 12:08:04 AM
I seem to recall Squier amps having a headphone out but no actual line out jack. Do you remember what method you used to obtain a line-level signal from that amp?

I seem to recall (edit - oops - I didn't mean to copy you!!)  that we took a padded down line level split in parallel with the speaker, though I can't be sure now. It was a long while ago.

Cheers,
Bob.
#9
The Newcomer's Forum / Re: G'day from Melbourne
April 12, 2012, 10:18:37 PM
Quote from: mexicanyella on April 12, 2012, 10:13:01 PM
All those Marshalls on stage and what we're hearing is a miked up Fender Squier 15 hidden in back of a road case! I love it. Sounds good; looks like a fun band regardless of what you were playing through, but I can relate to expanding the role of SS practice amps.

Hey, if you have any Squire tone recordings, or whatever, that aren't up elsewhere, I started a thread in "Player's Corner" for stuff like that...post some stuff there!

The Marshall boxes were fed by a lineout from the Squire, into power amps, but they didn't run into the PA or to the recordings.
Don't have any more recent Squire stuff - just now frigging about with stuff to record at home, hence the renewed interest in building something.
The recording posted by "phatt" in Jan 2010 as quite something. I've PM'd him about what he used.

#10
The Newcomer's Forum / Re: G'day from Melbourne
April 12, 2012, 09:38:15 PM
Quote from: J M Fahey on April 12, 2012, 09:21:22 PM
Well, I've found a YToob featuring a certain Bob Spencer who looks like the World's heaviest Hare Krishna guy.
That you?
Band sounds VERY good.
EDIT: I forgot the link:
http://youtu.be/3QEjiJ56Zac

:lmao:
Yes, that'd be me!
That live stuff is the same little Squire out the back in a road case with a Sennheiser 421 mic on it.
Fun setup!

Cheers,
Bob.
#11
The Newcomer's Forum / Re: G'day from Melbourne
April 12, 2012, 09:11:59 PM
Quote from: J M Fahey on April 12, 2012, 09:05:45 PM
Cool !! Please link to it so we can hear its sound. :)

Oh! I've never looked for links to it!

Maybe try YouTube?
The band is "The Angels", & the album was "Beyond Salvation". There was a single here that did well called "Dogs Are Talking". (I'm the one that's bald plus dreads).
I also used a bubby Vox Escort to record with a previous band,"Skyhooks".

I'm going to venture into a SS preamp build sometime soon.

Cheers,
Bob.

#12
The Newcomer's Forum / G'day from Melbourne
April 12, 2012, 08:39:03 PM
Greetings.
I am a guitar player who has a rather dangerous interest in making/abusing/modifying amps.

I've always had a fondness for SS stuff. The biggest selling album I ever recorded (multi Platinum here in Oz) was done with a $50 SS Squire with an 8" speaker, though everyone seems to think I used valve big stacks - ah well. I like tubes but don't like the "sponginess" that ruins the pick attack & "BANG!".

Just saying "Hi".

Ta,
Bob.