Solid State Guitar Amp Forum | DIY Guitar Amplifiers

Solid State Amplifiers => The Newcomer's Forum => Topic started by: mladenu on October 27, 2014, 01:33:41 AM

Title: Current Feedback question!
Post by: mladenu on October 27, 2014, 01:33:41 AM
Hello guys,

I own Japanese Fender Sidekick Reverb 30 amp, and I have dilemma does this amp have current feedback in topology?

I marked where my doubts lie...

Thanks in advance for your answer(s). :)

Cheers!
Title: Re: Current Feedback question!
Post by: tonyharker on October 27, 2014, 05:33:16 AM
No thats a Zobel network.  This has normal voltage feedback
Title: Re: Current Feedback question!
Post by: J M Fahey on October 27, 2014, 11:21:30 AM
When those old Japanese Sidekick were made, almost nobody used current feedback.

Nice amps, well built, just somewhat bland sounding, but a couple good pedals will help.

FWIW practically a full clone of Vox amps of that era, specially the classic Fender passive tone control used inside a feedback loop.

Notice it's neither a Baxandall nor exactly the classic Fender.
Title: Re: Current Feedback question!
Post by: mladenu on October 27, 2014, 11:52:07 AM
"Bland" sound solved with Celestion G12L-40.. Right from Session Rockette 30... Nice little custom speaker, and to me, sound like have increased sensitivity in dB, despite small magnet... This mod give me well defined all around sound.. BUT :D, still have a lack of treble, what i think is uncharacteristic for fender amps... Neither Presence pot brings highs... Maybe some of Jensen speaker? :) C12Q?
Title: Re: Current Feedback question!
Post by: J M Fahey on October 27, 2014, 09:01:24 PM
No need for that, just add a bright circuit.

1) put a 2k2 resistor and a .0047 uF (4n7) cap in series.
Put them side by side, twist together leads on one end , solder and cut excess (leave, say, 2 mm) so they are as close as possible.
Cut remaining free leads (1 in each part) around 5mm long and pretin them.

Then soder them to the volume pot: one to the center lug (ground), the other to the clockwise/hot leg.

Amp should become very bright but losing no bass at all.

A cheap ceramic cap will do fine.

If pot is panel mounted and joins PCB with wires, you're done; if pot is PCB mounted, put the new RC net almost parallel to thye PCB but 2 or 3 mm away and put a drop of glue/hot glue between it and the PCB so it never touches it.

Post results.
Title: Re: Current Feedback question!
Post by: mladenu on October 27, 2014, 10:03:40 PM
Thanks for that advice! :)

Is this similar to treble bypass capacitor things like many players done on guitar volume pots?
I mean boosting treble on lower volume? Or am i wrong?

Will do what you recommended to me and i will post results!

Basically, i just want to get as close as possible the sound similar to a twin reverb...  <3) (known aim for many people :) ) Especially from this link.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFklegm91RI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFklegm91RI) I hope you see that eq settings.. Treble on 5... Sidekick treble on 5 is like -10 treble on Twin, that do not exist! :D

Thanks again J M Fahey!

EDIT: Just found exact example how my Sidekick sound.. To mention, Treble is on 10, and Presence also on max on this clip.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uIJq9THm1A (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uIJq9THm1A)
Title: Re: Current Feedback question!
Post by: Roly on October 28, 2014, 05:31:06 AM
{instant reaction...}

The Twin clip had much more mid available and a shimmery top, and overall good detail and definition, fidelity.

{assuming a lot}

c.f. The Sidekick sounds "boxy" (which I'd be inclined to put down, at least partly, to the smaller cab).  It sounds distorted, and lacks transparent clarity to the stings, the tops seem abridged (driver?).