A Wondrous Adventure: SLO Clone Build (Now with Clips)

[FourT6and2]

Transformers arrived today. The mailman complained about the weight of the box. So I guess that means they're beefy enough.

I think I might degrease the outside and paint the covers with some high-temp automotive paint (flat black), just to clean 'em up a bit.

Are these the O'netics transformers and choke?

Yep, O'Netics from C3.

 

[MississippiMetal]

Cool thread!

 

[crwnedblasphemy]

I agree...cool thread. Let's see where this goes.

 

[FourT6and2]

Paint came out a little on the glossy side. Not sure why. The can said flat black. But whatevs, looks a little better than before I should have used VHT Engine Paint. But that shit takes 7 days to cure...

 

[LP Freak]

Very cool!

 

[Racerxrated]

That's awesome man. I am able to bias and that's about it lol..very cool to learn how to do a build. On another note, I've been trying to hear any channel bleed with my SLO and I just can't hear anything, with either channel engaged. Unlike my 2210's that I've had where it is obvious.

 

[FourT6and2]

That's awesome man. I am able to bias and that's about it lol..very cool to learn how to do a build. On another note, I've been trying to hear any channel bleed with my SLO and I just can't hear anything, with either channel engaged. Unlike my 2210's that I've had where it is obvious.

Then something is wrong with your amp. Because the channel bleed is a fundamental and inherent part of the SLO's design and sound. Engage the high gain channel with the footswitch. Turn the gain all the way down. And bring up the normal channel's gain as you play. If you don't hear the normal channel bleeding over then your amp is unlike every other.

 

[Racerxrated]

Ok I did it and I did hear a difference with the gain channel engaged, gain turned down, crunch mode on, and when I turned the normal channel gain up the gain didn't increase but it changed in tone only. The gain didn't increase but at a low volume it seemed almost scooped when I maxed it. But when I gave it some volume the normal tone that I expect to hear returned. So the gain of the normal channel in crunch mode only affects the overdrive channel at a very low volume.

 

[FourT6and2]

Most of the parts arrived today.

WOW! The PCB boards from C3 are very nice. I wasn't expecting them to be this good. The only thing that would make them better is if the preamp board's holes were thru-plated. But they are supposed to be true to the real SLO, which doesn't have thru-plating either. The power board is thru-plated with solder pads on both sides of the board. And Rob @ C3 installed some mini turrets in key locations.

Power tubes didn't survice shipping though. And two of the pots are super-crazy-uber long shaft by mistake. Will have to get two correct ones.

I just got off a plane from the east coast so I'm beat. Pics to come tomorrow!

 

[BSRIAudio]

Most of the parts arrived today.

WOW! The PCB boards from C3 are very nice. I wasn't expecting them to be this good. The only thing that would make them better is if the preamp board's holes were thru-plated. But they are supposed to be true to the real SLO, which doesn't have thru-plating either. The power board is thru-plated with solder pads on both sides of the board. And Rob @ C3 installed some mini turrets in key locations.

Power tubes didn't survice shipping though. And two of the pots are super-crazy-uber long shaft by mistake. Will have to get two correct ones.

I just got off a plane from the east coast so I'm beat. Pics to come tomorrow!

You can just cut down the pot shafts with a hack saw no problem. I had to do that for all the pots on my build.

 

[FourT6and2]

Most of the parts arrived today.

WOW! The PCB boards from C3 are very nice. I wasn't expecting them to be this good. The only thing that would make them better is if the preamp board's holes were thru-plated. But they are supposed to be true to the real SLO, which doesn't have thru-plating either. The power board is thru-plated with solder pads on both sides of the board. And Rob @ C3 installed some mini turrets in key locations.

Power tubes didn't survice shipping though. And two of the pots are super-crazy-uber long shaft by mistake. Will have to get two correct ones.

I just got off a plane from the east coast so I'm beat. Pics to come tomorrow!

You can just cut down the pot shafts with a hack saw no problem. I had to do that for all the pots on my build.

I would if I had a hack saw. And a vice.

But I do have a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel attachment. That might work. I can tape up the amp's chassis and mount the two pots and cut them like that. Could work. Seems like a lot of effort though. Maybe that specific type of pot doesn't come in a short shaft version or something?

 

[BSRIAudio]

Most of the parts arrived today.

WOW! The PCB boards from C3 are very nice. I wasn't expecting them to be this good. The only thing that would make them better is if the preamp board's holes were thru-plated. But they are supposed to be true to the real SLO, which doesn't have thru-plating either. The power board is thru-plated with solder pads on both sides of the board. And Rob @ C3 installed some mini turrets in key locations.

Power tubes didn't survice shipping though. And two of the pots are super-crazy-uber long shaft by mistake. Will have to get two correct ones.

I just got off a plane from the east coast so I'm beat. Pics to come tomorrow!

You can just cut down the pot shafts with a hack saw no problem. I had to do that for all the pots on my build.

I would if I had a hack saw. And a vice.

But I do have a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel attachment. That might work. I can tape up the amp's chassis and mount the two pots and cut them like that. Could work. Seems like a lot of effort though. Maybe that specific type of pot doesn't come in a short shaft version or something?

Yeah you would want a vice and a hack saw. The shafts on RV4 pots are usually soft brass plated with nickel and they come in shortish lengths but not usually short enough to have knobs sitting close to the chassis like we like.

 

[FourT6and2]

Most of the parts arrived today.

WOW! The PCB boards from C3 are very nice. I wasn't expecting them to be this good. The only thing that would make them better is if the preamp board's holes were thru-plated. But they are supposed to be true to the real SLO, which doesn't have thru-plating either. The power board is thru-plated with solder pads on both sides of the board. And Rob @ C3 installed some mini turrets in key locations.

Power tubes didn't survice shipping though. And two of the pots are super-crazy-uber long shaft by mistake. Will have to get two correct ones.

I just got off a plane from the east coast so I'm beat. Pics to come tomorrow!

You can just cut down the pot shafts with a hack saw no problem. I had to do that for all the pots on my build.

I would if I had a hack saw. And a vice.

But I do have a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel attachment. That might work. I can tape up the amp's chassis and mount the two pots and cut them like that. Could work. Seems like a lot of effort though. Maybe that specific type of pot doesn't come in a short shaft version or something?

Yeah you would want a vice and a hack saw. The shafts on RV4 pots are usually soft brass plated with nickel and they come in shortish lengths but not usually short enough to have knobs sitting close to the chassis like we like.

I might just order two replacements with the correct size shafts. Seems like a hassle to cut 'em.

Anyway, here are some parts shots. I didn't take photos of everything. Just a few key items.

Preamp Board:

Power Board:

Panasonic Filter Caps:

Resistors. I have both Dale/Vishay (I think that's what they are) and PRP. I haven't decided which ones to use yet. But I have some options.

Coupling Caps and such (Sprague 716P and Illinois

The same blue dipped/molded ceramic disk as used in the real SLO:

Chassis from C3 (very nice!

Pics of finished power board to come tomorrow morning.

 

[baron55]

Keep in mind the Sprague 716P are polypropylene capacitors and the original slo used Philips polyester caps, these too resembled orange drops but they are entirely different. The original SLO Philips caps are much closer to a Mallory 150 that those Sprague orange drops. The spragues will have more highs and be more harsh than the polyester caps the SLO uses.

 

[FourT6and2]

Keep in mind the Sprague 716P are polypropylene capacitors and the original slo used Philips polyester caps, these too resembled orange drops but they are entirely different. The original SLO Philips caps are much closer to a Mallory 150 that those Sprague orange drops. The spragues will have more highs and be more harsh than the polyester caps the SLO uses.

Yeah I think the original used Philips MKT. They don't make them anymore. Not sure what new SLOs use. But I'm pretty sure the difference is negligible unless you're A/B'ing them side by side.

 

[FourT6and2]

Power Board is populated. This is fun! If I could just populate PCB boards for a living I would. I could do it all day

 

[jlbaxe]

Wow didn't realize all the parts come pre packed and labeled like that. Very nice. I had been holding off on an amp build because I didn't want to have to figure out all the values of each individual part

 

[FourT6and2]

Wow didn't realize all the parts come pre packed and labeled like that. Very nice. I had been holding off on an amp build because I didn't want to have to figure out all the values of each individual part

Yeah, I didn't know they came like that either. Nice surprise It helps save some time. But I still double-triple check each part against the schematic and then meter the component to make sure it measures correctly before installing.

 

[jlbaxe]

Wow didn't realize all the parts come pre packed and labeled like that. Very nice. I had been holding off on an amp build because I didn't want to have to figure out all the values of each individual part

Yeah, I didn't know they came like that either. Nice surprise It helps save some time. But I still double-triple check each part against the schematic and then meter the component to make sure it measures correctly before installing.

Yeah I would also but that makes it much nicer

 

[FourT6and2]

So looks like I will have to cut ALL of the pots. Clarostat doesn't even make pots with the right size shafts. So they all gotta get zee knife! This won't be fun. I will have to tape them all up and figure out how to hold them when cutting.