# The Worst Job



## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

What's your pet peeve when building an amplifier? Me, it's wiring heaters. Now this isn't a great example but it's what I have going on right now. 4 EL84's with 5 preamp tubes is the worst!


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

WCGill said:


> What's your pet peeve when building an amplifier? Me, it's wiring heaters. Now this isn't a great example but it's what I have going on right now. 4 EL84's with 5 preamp tubes is the worst!
> 
> View attachment 443276


Not to be a dick or anything but if you're gonna tell me how it is "the worst" you probably shouldn't make it look so good


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

I was using 18awg for heaters on a Princeton. Done it many times on many amps, but the last time. I had experienced so much success and been so careful with everything else that once I got to the heaters, I said fuck it and used 20AWG for the preamp tube heaters. I hate wiring heaters.










BTW. I’ve removed the signal and coupling caps since this photo and cut the leads to every other lead and resistor and filter cap and completely thrown out this turret board since this photo was taken.

Ordered a completely new board at 30€ and $80 of new wire spools and a 2-4 week wait rather than having to unsolder all of these turrets.

F$$$ the Princeton. Hate it.


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## Alan Small (Dec 30, 2019)

Looks good and neat😊


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I agree. My least favorite part of any amp build is by far the heater wiring. 

Solid wire makes it easier, but I've had a few solid wire connections break on me so I've gone back to multi-strand.


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

Mark Brown said:


> Not to be a dick or anything but if you're gonna tell me how it is "the worst" you probably shouldn't make it look so good


You are too kind Mr. Brown. I don't build internet show pieces, not in my wheelhouse, but heater wires should be exactly braided for maximum noise cancellation. It's very easy with an electric drill.



Always12AM said:


> I was using 18awg for heaters on a Princeton. Done it many times on many amps, but the last time. I had experienced so much success and been so careful with everything else that once I got to the heaters, I said fuck it and used 20AWG for the preamp tube heaters. I hate wiring heaters.


Common 12A_7's draw .3A, 22 AWG will be sufficient for any preamp at 2.4A current capacity. It's what I use now. 20AWG will easily handle your Princeton, 2.1A draw vs. 3.7A capacity. In fact it looks like 22AWG would do it as well. I'd error on the side of caution and use 20 for the 6V6's, 22 after that.


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

WCGill said:


> You are too kind Mr. Brown. I don't build internet show pieces, not in my wheelhouse, but heater wires should be exactly braided for maximum noise cancellation. It's very easy with an electric drill.
> 
> 
> 
> Common 12A_7's draw .3A, 22 AWG will be sufficient for any preamp at 2.4A current capacity. It's what I use now. 20AWG will easily handle your Princeton, 2.1A draw vs. 3.7A capacity. In fact it looks like 22AWG would do it as well. I'd error on the side of caution and use 20 for the 6V6's, 22 after that.


This is good news. I’ve been fighting with 18awg for a long time. Not the twisting, but getting 4-5’s specifically to sit nicely. It’s a labour of love. Even with the 20AWG it was like playing an electric guitar after a bass. Felt like super man lol.


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## 2N1305 (Nov 2, 2009)

Is it me or are there a couple of loose connections going to the pots on that Princeton? (I should were there, sonce you said you had dumped that turret board since. Don't understand why)

Anyway, I thought it looked good.


Never thgouth of the totalt current draw. I just used whatever. AWG24 solid, mostly, which is good for about 3 A. I thinks...?🤔

Last time I wired a build was too long ago, when I didn't have the discipline to do it properly, but since it's getting close to Hallowe'en, I can give a litltle horror show if you want...


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## Robhotdad (Oct 27, 2016)

I make circuit boards. Routing is quite the challenge.


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

2N1305 said:


> Is it me or are there a couple of loose connections going to the pots on that Princeton? (I should were there, sonce you said you had dumped that turret board since. Don't understand why)
> 
> Anyway, I thought it looked good.
> 
> ...


I believe the photo was taken as I started preparing to unsolder leads and remove the board. 72 minutes into that I said “nope..” went onto modulus amplification and ordered a new board.

I made the mistake of making it bomb proof. Every lead was fed through the post and hooked. Every cap was hooked in the same way and snipped. Every resistor was wound tight. I then started reading about NASA spec and realized that everything I did made this almost unserviceable. I still may go back on my anger and spend a couple hours hearing and removing leads from posts. Moving forward there will be relief for resistors and 90 degree angles for caps going into posts so that I can remove them without brutalizing it.

I normally wouldn’t have such a defeatist attitude towards this type of thing, but I have already dumped so much into this particular amp that I’m going to make it as perfect as I possibly can with the resources and ability I have currently lol.


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

It's just the lack of space to work with like this narrow box. Everything else is easy.

Don't forget that in order to have a quieter amp you have to connect the wires of the heaters to the same tubes'pins.Experiences already lived and still recently.
Let say ; V1 12AX7 pin 9 must go to V2 12AX7 pin 9 ........


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

It's a nik-picky task and does require a certain degree of patience...keep it up and eventually it will bother you less. Trying to start a 2-56 nut in a hole, upside-down that only tweezers will fit in can be challenging to a guy with advanced arthritis of the fingers.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

Latole said:


> It's just the lack of space to work with like this narrow box. Everything else is easy.
> 
> Don't forget that in order to have a quieter amp you have to connect the wires of the heaters to the same tubes'pins.Experiences already lived and still recently.
> Let say ; V1 12AX7 pin 9 must go to V2 12AX7 pin 9 ........
> ...


Silvertone 1484 comes to mind.


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

I find the most frustrating thing about the whole thing is choosing what to build next 

I do find it ridiculous the space limitations put into chassis though. I understand the whole process of cost reductions and all, but why make a reproduction and then limit yourself to such a silly space?

I know for what it is worth, anything I ever build for myself will be housed in the larges chassis I can feasibly construct/buy/beg/steal. My fat little hands are not a huge fan of cramped spaces.


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## 2N1305 (Nov 2, 2009)

2N1305 said:


> Last time I wired a build was too long ago, when I didn't have the discipline to do it properly, but since it's getting close to Hallowe'en, I can give a litltle horror show if you want...


OK, so I made this when I was a teenager. It was an experiment. Laugh if you will, it is horrendous, but my most recent work was for a military contractor. I've learned a thing or two about neatness.


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

Point to point is easy to follow...wiring harnesses may look neat but not always easy when fault finding. If you're doing prototype work, why spend all that time with neat wiring, if you have to changeout components and re-route wires...no laughing on my part.
I still do my proto-type wiring P-T-P. Here's an output module that I use to evaluate output tubes:


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## Delores Streisand (Nov 4, 2018)

I always thought the worst job was “Assistant Crack Whore”.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

I've made a Bernie amp out of a Filmosound. The chassis is an impossibly small and difficult space to work in.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Paul Running said:


> Point to point is easy to follow...wiring harnesses may look neat but not always easy when fault finding. If you're doing prototype work, why spend all that time with neat wiring, if you have to changeout components and re-route wires...no laughing on my part.
> I still do my proto-type wiring P-T-P. Here's an output module that I use to evaluate output tubes:
> 
> View attachment 443520
> ...


What on God's green earth are those tubes?


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## Paul Running (Apr 12, 2020)

nonreverb said:


> What on God's green earth are those tubes?


Those are the Russian version of the Telefunken LS50...that they branded GU50 (minus the top-cap).


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

@nonreverb, like this?


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