The MetroAmp thread

[Vrad]

These kits are great. You guys DO know that the Marsha is based off the Metroamp kit and uses about 90% of the kit parts don't you? ...

Yup...

I think a key ingredient to Dave's amp is the transformer - makes the 50 watts as big sounding/feeling as a 100 watt.

I'm assuming he's having custom-wound transformers made. I want to build a Metro just for the power transformer with the low-voltage option... LOL!

I have that tranny in mine, I would not get one without it very cool

Yes, the one I have here has the 400V/500V taps as well. It's a very noticeable difference in feel, at least it is in stock form.

Metro sells a transformer that goes from ~495 volts to ~395 volts.

 

[Vrad]

These kits are great. You guys DO know that the Marsha is based off the Metroamp kit and uses about 90% of the kit parts don't you? ...

Yup...

I think a key ingredient to Dave's amp is the transformer - makes the 50 watts as big sounding/feeling as a 100 watt.

I'm assuming he's having custom-wound transformers made. I want to build a Metro just for the power transformer with the low-voltage option... LOL!

I have that tranny in mine, I would not get one without it very cool

Yes, the one I have here has the 400V/500V taps as well. It's a very noticeable difference in feel, at least it is in stock form.

Metro sells a transformer that goes from ~495 volts to ~395 volts.

that's the one I have, the standby switch is 500V up and 400V down.

Yup! I want to build a fucking Metro just to throw that in there... FUCK!

 

[LP Freak]

I tried that in the 12000 Series Metroamp head I built and always felt the 495V both sounded and felt better. I don't like the spongy feel of the 395V.

 

[stephen sawall]

I think I rather do my own modifications and voicing. Once you build one .... where do you people get the modification schematics from ?

 

[johnnyjellybean]

I think I rather do my own modifications and voicing. Once you build one .... where do you people get the modification schematics from ?

There's all kinds of stuff on the MetroAmp forum.

 

[Vrad]

I think I rather do my own modifications and voicing. Once you build one .... where do you people get the modification schematics from ?

There's all kinds of stuff on the MetroAmp forum.

Alot of pictures, schematics, random shit. Lots of good ideas on there. But there's a learning curve.

 

[mixohoytian]

learning curve
ha
more like nerding curve
I spent a few months talking to a guy at work who modded an amp for me and I still have no clue what he was talking about
reducing the pico ferrets via resistors and capacitors to simulate the feedback resistance sag

 

[John4021]

Lance has some older youtube vids where he is in a mechanics garage with a Metro amp up on a transmission stand,he's got the the amp ROARING.

On a side note,I had a met a guy from the Metro forum that built a 68 spec Metro kit. He came over to compair his amp to my Marshall SLP reissue. They were very similar tone wise,his was alittle brighter in the Treble input,and a bit bassy'er in the normal input. Tie the 2 volumes together and they damn near sounded identical.

Take into consideration his is point to point board.Heybore Power and output iron and a Mercury Choke,I was suprized that the tone and wide open gain structure was close. He also has the lower voltage option going on so you get more sag. Plus he did bias points ontop of the chassis on the far side of the preamp tubes...very cool.

 

[Vrad]

learning curve
ha
more like nerding curve
I spent a few months talking to a guy at work who modded an amp for me and I still have no clue what he was talking about
reducing the pico ferrets via resistors and capacitors to simulate the feedback resistance sag

It's not for everyone... but you certainly don't need an engineering degree from MIT..

 

[johnnyjellybean]

learning curve
ha
more like nerding curve
I spent a few months talking to a guy at work who modded an amp for me and I still have no clue what he was talking about
reducing the pico ferrets via resistors and capacitors to simulate the feedback resistance sag

Yah! Those peeko ferrets!!

 

[Vrad]

learning curve
ha
more like nerding curve
I spent a few months talking to a guy at work who modded an amp for me and I still have no clue what he was talking about
reducing the pico ferrets via resistors and capacitors to simulate the feedback resistance sag

Yah! Those peeko ferrets!!

 

[JTyson]

learning curve
ha
more like nerding curve
I spent a few months talking to a guy at work who modded an amp for me and I still have no clue what he was talking about
reducing the pico ferrets via resistors and capacitors to simulate the feedback resistance sag

It's not for everyone... but you certainly don't need an engineering degree from MIT..

It took me awhile, but things they are discussing are starting to make a little sense to me...... a little....... well some of it I'm not an amp tech, but I'm very curious about the process. Those guys are willing to answer questions from a noob like me. That site is a valuable resource for information on Marshall circuits

 

[LP Freak]

learning curve
ha
more like nerding curve
I spent a few months talking to a guy at work who modded an amp for me and I still have no clue what he was talking about
reducing the pico ferrets via resistors and capacitors to simulate the feedback resistance sag

It's not for everyone... but you certainly don't need an engineering degree from MIT..

Well the build is the easy part, the tweeking is what can get a little challenging.

 

[JTyson]

learning curve
ha
more like nerding curve
I spent a few months talking to a guy at work who modded an amp for me and I still have no clue what he was talking about
reducing the pico ferrets via resistors and capacitors to simulate the feedback resistance sag

If you dont mind me asking, who over there did your mod?

 

[killertone]

I have a 50 watt Metro plexi that a friend of mine built. I bought it off of him a couple years ago sounds great cranked with a TS type pedal in front. It is THE tone.

I also have used the Metro forum when I am working on an amp and those guys are really helpful. TONS of mods are available there.

 

[Vrad]

learning curve
ha
more like nerding curve
I spent a few months talking to a guy at work who modded an amp for me and I still have no clue what he was talking about
reducing the pico ferrets via resistors and capacitors to simulate the feedback resistance sag

It's not for everyone... but you certainly don't need an engineering degree from MIT..

Well the build is the easy part, the tweeking is what can get a little challenging.

BINGO! Knowing what, where and how to tweak is the hardest part.

 

[jonny toetags]

Great amps
I owned 1 kit that I built and own a Marshall Plexi that was gutted by George Metropoulos.

There was a cool article about JTM45's in Premier Guitar a few months back and the 2 Metro amps held their own against other boutique builders and even an original
EDIT:
Found the article

 

[Vrad]

learning curve
ha
more like nerding curve
I spent a few months talking to a guy at work who modded an amp for me and I still have no clue what he was talking about
reducing the pico ferrets via resistors and capacitors to simulate the feedback resistance sag

It's not for everyone... but you certainly don't need an engineering degree from MIT..

Well the build is the easy part, the tweeking is what can get a little challenging.

BINGO! Knowing what, where and how to tweak is the hardest part.

I seem to remember you saying in another thread that it wasn't hard or wasn't rocket science....

It's not rocket science... its not brain surgery... there's no magic to it. Spend a couple weeks or a month tweaking different things and you'll understand how it works. Its all very well documented if you care to do the research.

You know what? Fuck it... it's too hard only a select group of people can do it. The rest of us can't because we're dumb...

 

[Vrad]

learning curve
ha
more like nerding curve
I spent a few months talking to a guy at work who modded an amp for me and I still have no clue what he was talking about
reducing the pico ferrets via resistors and capacitors to simulate the feedback resistance sag

It's not for everyone... but you certainly don't need an engineering degree from MIT..

Well the build is the easy part, the tweeking is what can get a little challenging.

BINGO! Knowing what, where and how to tweak is the hardest part.

I seem to remember you saying in another thread that it wasn't hard or wasn't rocket science....

It's not rocket science... its not brain surgery... there's no magic to it. Spend a couple weeks or a month tweaking different things and you'll understand how it works. Its all very well documented if you care to do the research.

You know what? Fuck it... it's too hard only a select group of people can do it. The rest of us can't because we're dumb...

I am only using your own words... Also notice the wink I added...
I agree though, it is not the hardest to do, but getting a good sound seems to be hard to a lot of people.
If getting a good sound was easy, everybody would be building and modding amps and the boutique amp builders would never exist
We have not even gotten into discussing how different components sounds... a cap may be the right value, but may sound like crap in the circuit
I find this part to be very challenging.

I also tried to call you Sat night...but I only had your work number....

Here's how I look at it.
If you can't tweak your amp or your rig to make it sound right you got no shot at tweaking your amp's innards.
Also, if you don't know what you're after, how can you know where to begin? Right?

When I say its easy, I'm assuming that:
1) The individual is curious enough about the subject matter to do the research and understand what's going on in there. That doesn't entail an EE degree.
2) The individual has the desire to spend time on this. It's time-consuming and can be frustrating... most things worth doing are time-consuming and at times frustrating. You're a parent, you know what I mean...
3) The individual has a pretty clear understanding of what they want out of the amp. What can and can't be done. What's worth doing and what's a receipe for disaster.

These are kind of 'soft-skills' if we refer to corporate-speak. The 'hard-skills' are actually very easy.

So that's basically where I'm coming from.

If you haven't noticed, tweaking my SL has been so much fun that I'm all giddy about it. LOL!
I'm not trying to become the next boutique builder because I simply don't have the time for that crap. I couldn't imagine dealing with guitar players on a daily basis. Let's face it, we're fucking NUTS!
But being able to understand how this crap works is an invaluable skill and being able to implement it is truly rewarding. It's endless entertainment!

Oh and about component material? Heck, I just had an experience with that myself. Resistors, CC vs CF vs Metal Oxide vs Metal Film. Let's just say the differences are NOT subtle. Same goes for caps!

So is it for everyone? No! But playing guitar isn't for everyone either! LOL!

 

[mixohoytian]

the guy who did my mods has nothing to do w/ metro amp, just a tech guy at work who does this for fun

my only point is that you have to embrace some level of nerdiness to get good at this

don't have to be smart, you just have to give up some considerable amount of time and patience

I have no patience for this stuff and do not want to read tech books and understand what a pico ferret is...
likewise the tech guy has no patience when I try to tell him how to memorize a scale shape and explain what the intervals are in that scale