Baja B K Butler Tube Driver

schemripper · Post by **schemripper** » 05 Jan 2009, 13:10

lolbou wrote:I guess you're right concerning information on the web... I knew about your Deacy Amp stuff (a Queen fan too!!), but he may had to rebuild it nicely for noise or design issues? Who knows any better than Bri itself, you're right again...

So then, schemripper, what am I supposed to tweak in the pedal if I'd like to test 12AT7 or 12AX7, or do nothing but swap the tubes from the socket? 'Cause in my Fender Hot Rod, when it comes to trying 12AT7, a volume drop is noticeable...

Thank you for your piece of advices (and enjoy your days off!)

I'm getting far to old for this gigging business. I leave again on Wed, which is none too soon as it is forecast to be 40 degrees (C, not F) here tomorrow. Enough crapping on.

For non-resistor change tube swaps (you got that???), try a 5751.

((Amp bit- skip if you're not interested) In addition, if you've got a 12AX7 as the first tube in your preamp (sorry, I can't be bothered looking up the schem for your amp to see if it is) swap one there too. It's AX7 family with about 70% of the gain, but much better tone-wise. A lot of people who know these things do/did this, including a guy with the initials SRV. While I use them in all the amps where it applies, the most significant improvement for me is in a Deluxe that I use with a fretless Tele where it really finishes the tone off nicely.)

If you can, get GE 5751 NAS. Be prepared for a rude shock, however...

You may end up with a pedal that had better sound real good cos it costs a fortune.

To go down to AT7 or below, the 47ks need to go down to 22ks as mentioned earlier.

lolbou · Post by **lolbou** » 05 Jan 2009, 18:08

schemripper wrote:I'm getting far to old for this gigging business. I leave again on Wed, which is none too soon as it is forecast to be 40 degrees (C, not F) here tomorrow.

Lucky you!! Here's what is expected in Le Havre: 0°C and snow/icy roads... FREEEEZING!

Thank you for your answer which is even more appreciated since you're that busy... I'll try some of the suggestions you made, and will go for some PCB work... I'll let it know on the forum...

Cheers again, and have a happy new year!

abalci72 · Post by **abalci72** » 05 Jan 2009, 19:55

Hi,

Finaly I finish the ,,modificated'' chandler enlose.
I use a opa2134 opamp and polyester capacitors (wima-siemens-phillips), it effects the sound of the pedal very much, by the way, i put no transformator inside the pedal, i use a 12v ac wall warrend adaptor to power up the pedal, maybe its better i think, a transformator inside the pedal will make magnetic fields and surely this will effect the sound quality. (The enclose is completely handmade without using a machine).

Thanks to Bajaman

Here are some pictures:
https://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq1 ... river3.jpg
https://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq1 ... river2.jpg

lolbou · Post by **lolbou** » 05 Jan 2009, 20:19

abalci72 wrote:by the way, i put no transformator inside the pedal, i use a 12v ac wall warrend adaptor to power up the pedal, maybe its better i think, a transformator inside the pedal will make magnetic fields and surely this will effect the sound quality

Not that much influence with a toroidal tranformer (but I will go with a separate power supply as you did)

abalci72 wrote:(The enclose is completely handmade without using a machine)

Lovelyyyy! You did an amazing handcrafting job here!! It's really brilliant, I wish I was as gifted as you are with "jewelery"...

Firefighter1428 · Post by **Firefighter1428** » 12 Jan 2009, 19:55

Hey All new user here!! Can anyone tell me if I can do this mod to the chandler RACK tube driver. I am currently running a no name 12au7 and I Just order a JJ gold pin one to try. Thanks

Great Site!!

lolbou · Post by **lolbou** » 12 Jan 2009, 20:27

Firefighter1428 wrote:Hey All new user here!! Can anyone tell me if I can do this mod to the chandler RACK tube driver. I am currently running a no name 12au7 and I Just order a JJ gold pin one to try. Thanks

Great Site!!

Welcome!

Wow, I've never heard of the Chandler being built in a rack... I guess that if it's the same schematic, then you can perform the mod (talking about the biasing one, don't you?) quite easily... If the schematics are different, get it (think I've seen it somewhere, AMZ or so...?) and give pics from the inside of your rack to help...

Anyway, I'm just giving clues and indication here, as some other guys here are FAR MORE clever and sharp of eye than me as regards to PCB guessing... But you'll see that this is a very nice and comfy place to learn from friends from all over the world

.

So you run a 12AU7 in it... Is it the stock one or did you change it?

Firefighter1428 · Post by **Firefighter1428** » 12 Jan 2009, 20:42

Yeah I picked it up pretty cheap. It actuall has Bias and contour knobs on it(plus a boost switch). So I guess I am not going to need to mod it. Is there anything else I can mod in it?? I about to call it an evening and I work tomorrow 24 hours, but Wensday I will pull it out of the rack and take some pics for you guys. (INside and out)

No I never found the schematics for it so If someone has them that would be great.

Yeah it came with a 12ax7 (used unit) dont know if it was the stock tube or not. I didnt really like the sound so I tryed one of my JJs out of a peavey classic 50 that I had just retubed. Liked it more but not much. Tryed a hole in the wall guitar store here that had a no name 12au7 and I like that much more. I just ordered a gold pin JJ verson.... we will see

lolbou · Post by **lolbou** » 12 Jan 2009, 21:05

Here's the file I have. Don't know if it suits your rack version... Maybe you should compare it to both Bajaman's schem and to the others availaible on the internet...

BK Butler seems to have a bitter point of view regarding the Chandler era (sorry, I wrote "area", excuse my french

), so it might not be exactly as the units he's building now...

Your pics will be very welcomed here, and maybe you could forward information or clues (serial #...) to date your unit...

Cheers!

abalci72 · Post by **abalci72** » 13 Jan 2009, 00:02

Here a pic of the 3 pot version tube driver I build.....

https://i442.photobucket.com/albums/qq1 ... r3pot1.jpg

Firefighter1428 · Post by **Firefighter1428** » 15 Jan 2009, 08:03

Hey sorry about no pictures yesterday... but my laptop hardrive took a dump....again..... IBM Crap. I am using a old dell desktop now and cannot afford a laptop now I spend 1300$ for christmas... anyway I got this one working and should get some pics up today. Inside and out.

Firefighter1428 · Post by **Firefighter1428** » 15 Jan 2009, 18:23

Well my camera sucks but owell. Here is some pics. The board says Chandler 1988 REV2. Would love some mods if anyone had any?? or the schematic??

https://s547.photobucket.com/albums/hh4 ... ghter1428/

I tried them here but they would not lod. Probley to large. Still waiting on my gold pin jj verson of the 12au7

lolbou · Post by **lolbou** » 17 Jan 2009, 09:23

Firefighter1428 wrote:Well my camera sucks but owell. Here is some pics. The board says Chandler 1988 REV2. Would love some mods if anyone had any?? or the schematic??

https://s547.photobucket.com/albums/hh4 ... ghter1428/

I tried them here but they would not lod. Probley to large. Still waiting on my gold pin jj verson of the 12au7

Cheers for your pm and nice pics

The PCB you show reads TDR 101-2008 which might differ in some ways from the schematics I provided... But I don't know how, and expect the bias mod to be based on the same principle as the BK Butler mod.

This unit might be too difficult to trace for me... But I feel like the minor changes could be easily identified (starting from the bias pot and tracing the "extra" component 'til one "standard" one is reached : this way the schematic would only have to be updated...

stratogavster · Post by **stratogavster** » 24 Jan 2009, 17:41

Awesome posting guys!! finally I can have a proper Tube Driver on my pedal-board!!

Could anybody post a sketch and / or details of the casing / enclosure dimensions for the original BK Butler Tube Driver? I'm after all dimensions if possible but basics like width, height, depth and steel gauge would be appreciated!!!

Many thanks guys!!!

Straotgavster

Orkspalter · Post by **Orkspalter** » 07 Apr 2009, 18:16

I know this would be a post for the part sourcing section of the forum, but does anyone know a place (Europe/Germany)to get such tiny toroidals which are used in the original? The smallest i found (looking in shops and ebay)were still 76mm side to side and 3cm high, so if keeping the dimensions of the enclosures original it would almost touch the tube if mounted in front. I would not like to keep the power external...

lolbou · Post by **lolbou** » 07 Apr 2009, 18:34

Orkspalter wrote:I know this would be a post for the part sourcing section of the forum, but does anyone know a place (Europe/Germany)to get such tiny toroidals which are used in the original? The smallest i found (looking in shops and ebay)were still 76mm side to side and 3cm high, so if keeping the dimensions of the enclosures original it would almost touch the tube if mounted in front. I would not like to keep the power external...

Bk is having them done especially for him... I guess it's not "findable" anywhere...

stratogavster · Post by **stratogavster** » 07 Apr 2009, 18:44

Don't bother! just use a 'wall-wart' type PSU,

12v AC 250ma

works perfect for my 2 cloned pedals....it's safer too!! no mains voltage near my guitar cables!!!

Orkspalter · Post by **Orkspalter** » 13 Apr 2009, 16:30

Hmm....too late. I just bought a used toroidal off ebay for real cheap (1,- Euro + 4,-Euro shipping), but still the dimensions are too big on everything for putting it in just one pedal housing as its height is almost 4cm and 8cm side from side....a pretty heavy one too, about 1kg:-/ As i already built a second pcb with different parts (first pcb carbon resitors, cheap mylar, cheap electrolytics...second pcb metal film resistors + wima caps, high quality panasonic electros. and Ti OPA chip, different tube on each pcb) and the torodial does have seconds of 2 x 12V and 1 x 13V:

Does it make sense to put two or even three units in a pedal (or better rackmounted) and have them set up to different channels? You could stack them as done in the Tubeworks Realtube ?! ...

natbroad · Post by **natbroad** » 25 Jun 2009, 07:31

What should I look for in the transformer department if I decide to take a swing at building this?

Is toroidal preferred?
VA?
Current?
Any other applicable advice?

bajaman · Post by **bajaman** » 25 Jun 2009, 08:01

16vAC at at least 500mA
Buy a burglar alarm power supply wall wart.
bajaman

natbroad · Post by **natbroad** » 25 Jun 2009, 09:24

Thanks!
I had a 12v ac 1.5A wall wart kicking around for some reason. Before I go buying a different one... would that work for the BK Tube Driver?

Baja B K Butler Tube Driver [documentation]