1 Topic by Detman101 (edited by Detman101 2010-10-08 16:09:43)

  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2006-12-28
  • Posts: 851

Topic: Building a Master Volume Box

My Fender Princeton 650 Amplifier has long been the amp that I've sought after (For it's sound and clarity and effects)
http://i.s8.com.br/images/musical/cover/img3/1127813_4.jpg
but it has always had one major flaw...

ITS TOO LOUD!!!
(No master volume and 2 channels with independent volumes)
I always have issues with volume at home and church playing with it because it has no master volume. I can only put it halfway between 0&1 at home and 1&2 at church....maybe 3 if we play out at a larger church...and thats the clean and dirty channels.
The problem is that  the dirty channel has the "DYNA-TOUCH" system from Fender that I absolutely LOOOOVE! The gain is touch sensitive but you can't get the most usage out of it unless the volume is turned up to at least 4. At 4, you can't really play anywhere besides an outdoor venue or a large warehouse...so...you see my problem.

Lately I stick to only using the clean channel and I have to fiddle with the mixing board to lower the sound in the PA and lay the amp down on the floor (to muffle it) and still mic it to get the sounds I need. And in addition to that, the clean channel only has volume, bass and treble controls. No mids like on the dirty channel. (*SIGH*)

So in perusing the Squier '51 board I found out that someone built a master volume box for less than 8.00 USD.
Easy plans: http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/newland/2081/id3.htm


The project had to be completed sooner rather than later since we have another double-header gig this upcoming Sunday.

Soooo....I built the guts into what used to be an A-B box I had from earlier. Stupid me, I already had the 1/4" mono jacks all I really needed was the 100k POT. *DUH*

So after wiring everything as outlined I wound up with this little guy.
http://img6.uploadhouse.com/fileuploads/6561/6561479c709947f4ebf6f69a703c0391c3c6c1c.jpg

I put velcro on the bottom to attach it to the top of my amp and stabilize it.

Here's the guts...
http://img6.uploadhouse.com/fileuploads/6561/6561482716103789e1ec18bc2228cf569b10842.jpg

The box works EXACTLY as indicated regardless of which way you have it plugged in. That's great because I forgot to label which way is the INPUT and OUTPUT. [:p] I tested it on my little first-act battery amp with it going in-between my guitar and the amp. I turned my guitar volume up to the max on the bridge SD-JB so it distorted...then I used the volume box as the volume control substitute and it worked as designed.

EDIT: Oh yeah, this is built to work primarily in the FX loop to bring down the loudness of the signal going from the Preamp into the PowerAmp. It effectively gives you all of the rich tones you get from boosting your preamp side...with control over the loudness of the poweramp side. IE: You can get that great bluesy amp breakup without blowing out your ears.

Video demo to come probably on monday (Holiday).


EDIT: Does anyone have any idea what to do with that blasted shaft?
I know I'm going to cut it down but what do you do to get a knob on that solid shaft?
I'm thinking krazy glue?...to metal?

=]
Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

- Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Detman101's Website

  • From: Tooele Ut
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 4,049

Re: Building a Master Volume Box

You should have got a potentiometer with a shorter shaft.  Knobs should have a set screw in them to tighten down on the shaft.

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.
  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2006-12-28
  • Posts: 851

Re: Building a Master Volume Box

They didn't have any at Radio Shack.
I guess I should have sourced someplace else.


=\
Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Detman101's Website

4 Reply by tubatooter1940 (edited by tubatooter1940 2010-10-08 17:26:56)

  • From: Alabama Gulf Coast
  • Registered: 2008-06-24
  • Posts: 1,819

Re: Building a Master Volume Box

Detman101,                                                An electronic supply house for pros or a computer repair store can probably hook you up.
Back in my night club band days, I ran my Gibson ES330 through a 100 watt Fender Twin Reverb amp. Like yours, my guitar didn't sound it's best until the amp volume was 4 or higher. I played rhythm with my guitar volume at 8 1/2 and would use my pinky to crank it all the way to 10 to play a lead ride. No effects pedal needed. At this volume, the Gibson has a natural distortion that will howl like a banshee all night long. At this volume I got complaints even in a club that sat 550.
One night club we played had a rheostat on the stage power outlets that adjusted the voltage only. The club manager had the rotary control behind the bar where he could turn everybody in the band up or down except the darn drummer.
I was not smart enough to rig up a volume control box like you did and today I have a problem hearing A and E.
Congratulations on a practical solution to a serious problem for all electric guitarists.
Thanks for the pictures and please let us know how you work the bugs out of your rig.
toots

We pronounce it "Guf Coast".
Ya'll wanna go down to the Guf?

tubatooter1940's Website

  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2006-12-28
  • Posts: 851

Re: Building a Master Volume Box

Wow, that's quite a story Tooter!
I'm sorry to hear that you have trouble hearing now...But I'm thankful that I won't be going through that thanks to this box.
Once I have more time I want to repackage it into something more interesting. My first idea was to put it into a hollow crucifix with the knob in the middle and the jacks on the ends of the short arm. I wanted to mount it to my amp with velcro and stealth-mount the jacks running through the side of the amp. But that would be a more permanent creation...not usable on other amps without much work.

The Princeton 650 is the best amp I've ever owned and now I can actually use it the way it should be used.
I know that they sell power attenuators like the club manager used on you guys...but they cost more than my entire rig and add another 2-4 pounds to my amp's weight. I've never understood why ALL amps don't come with a Master Volume in addition to the separate volumes for each channel??

Once I get an "ISP Decimator" pedal I can build a Pedal Board and leave all my effects on it. Right now I have a bunch of noise from my DeltaLabs Chorus pedal that I'm trying to sort out also.

=]
Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Detman101's Website

  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2006-12-28
  • Posts: 851

Re: Building a Master Volume Box

Well, I re-tested my rig and came to find out that the source of my "Noise" (electrical noise) was the outlet I had my 1-spot plugged into at church. I ran an extension cable to another outlet and plugged my 1-spot into that and VOILA...no more hissing and scratchiness in my sound. I also replaced the go-between short cables between my pedals and that got rid of the frequency interference I was picking up.

Now that I have the volume box in my effects loop I cannot use the "FX out" but I mic'ed the amp and it sounds juuuust fine in the PA. Now I see why so many people choose to mic their amps. You REALLY DO get the full effect of the dynamics of the entire amp and your sound is MUCH warmer and not as sterile when using a digital amp (Like mine). When I had my signal running to the mixing board via the "FX OUT" channel my sound through the PA was cold and sterile...like cold water in your ears...and I could never get my sound to "Feel" right even though I could hear it allright.

Now everything sounds, feels and looks the way I've always imagined it should be.

All that's left now is to build my Suitcase Pedalboard and buy all of the pedals I've been writing down on my "You've been a great husband/christmas/fathers day/valentines day" list. *wink-wink*

=]
Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Detman101's Website

  • Registered: 2008-10-02
  • Posts: 192

Re: Building a Master Volume Box

Is this the same as a volume pedal? Also it sounds like that outlet doesn't have a good ground. Check out this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCfa-I4S … re=related
I keep the tester and adapter in the bottom of my amp so its always with me.

  • From: Frederick, MD
  • Registered: 2006-12-28
  • Posts: 851

Re: Building a Master Volume Box

Craig23,

    It's the same as a volume pedal that is connected into your Effects Loop.
You could do the same thing with a volume pedal that this box does.
My reasoning behind building these little volume boxes was that my volume pedal sucked rotten eggs. (Sketchy plastic hunkajunk with a bad pot as well) I could have kept using it and just ran cables to the FX loop in the back of the amp but I wanted a more elegant solution that I could mount to my amp as well.

You're right on that outlet being wacky. I have resolved to stay away from it and not plug anything into it at all. If it will do that to my equipment, I reckon it'll be nasty to anything plugged into it.

=]
Dm

"Talent instantly recognizes genius,
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."

-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle

Detman101's Website