Welcome to Solid State Guitar Amp Forum | DIY Guitar Amplifiers. Please login or sign up.

Recent Posts

 

Crate Chassis-visceration

Started by saturated, August 25, 2026, 07:37:15 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

saturated

I wanted to have an amp chassis I could put on the bench and maybe accomplish a few sorely needed achievements
-be able to look at any component and identity it moreover locate it on the schematic
-identify the components of the power supply
-determine the route of the signal path
-do some signal tracing

The amp works I tried it a while back it is missing a speaker

Beautiful ain't it

You cannot view this attachment.

You cannot view this attachment.

Well that didn't take long (I had to be careful not to scratch the Tolex)

You cannot view this attachment.

And inside on the bench

You cannot view this attachment.

You cannot view this attachment.

Doesnt look too intimidating but it just occurred to me that TDA 2040 or whatever it is may eliminate quite a few components

You cannot view this attachment.

Maybe this is the bridge rectifier

You cannot view this attachment.

That white cable is some type of three wire cable I just attached for makeshift speaker wire

Also I see an 8 DIP wondering what that is but all good in the hood because I get to find out  :tu:
EDIT: They are two 4558DD

You cannot view this attachment.

They must be for the cheese that goes CRUNCH

As far as the signal path well at least I think it begins at the input jack and ends at the speaker  xP
Consumed by negative voltage ⚡

saturated

There is a switched potentiometer (or whatever you call a dial that turns on and off  8| ) for the overdrive gain

I thought maybe I could check the + and - voltage of each 4558DD with the gain off and on

But I got the same reading with it off or on it appears they are powered up at all times 

Then I checked the rectifier diodes and looks like we have a bipolar power supply  xP

Whose voltages show up on the TDA

You cannot view this attachment.

I think I may look at these diodes I'm curious I always think these clear colored diodes are zeners but sometimes they are (switching?) diodes idk

You cannot view this attachment.

But looking at the schematic for the 10xl and 15xl kindly provided by G1 they look like ordinary diodes

You cannot view this attachment.

So might be time for a look at the TDA and see why it needs diodes around it  xP

Seems like this is gonna be a good project I thank you for your help  :dbtu:

These integrated circuits op amps chips etc must be revolutionary because it occurred to me there is not one transistor in this amp  :loco
Consumed by negative voltage ⚡

Jazz P Bass

My take on the diodes is that are "clipping diodes".
A poor way of creating distortion.