Billy Blades Update

[joepete77]

I don't think the buyer was that gullible to be honest.. Blades did post quite a few clips of his amps and the tone was there. Not many boutique builders tend to show off the guts of their amps. Anyone have any luck seeing pics of the BE or a Cameron?? Most of the time you won't see that displayed because people protect Friedman's secret sauce like it were their own. I think what probably happened is that he paid for full for the amp and then said "Oh shit!" when he saw how the cabs were turning out.... From then on, he just hoped for the best. I guess one positive thing that emerged from all of this is that he didn't have to wait 8+ months for his amp and that even though it is built to self destruct, it sounds good.

^^ This was a big part of it. ...and no I didn't do my research, I went by what a couple of guys said that met him in person and played his 50 watt and didn't look any further. Right or wrong I tried to help the guy out and give him the chance to prove himself and it back fired on me...my bad, lesson learned! The important thing is now everyone knows beyond any doubt that he's all talk and a hack unless he can prove otherwise.

So now I get to learn about amps by fixing it myself even if it means rebuilding it. Which it probably will, but first I'll concentrate on making it safe and I'm already getting plenty of help with that. It will sit until it's safe no matter what that takes. Had I known the whole world was watching I'd have never done it. Now all I want to do is try to make the best out of a bad situation.

...flame away, I deserve it.

Steve

It won't take much to redo some of those solder joints and heat shrink or re position some Stuff. If it sounds great and now works properly, you are probably alright. The new cabs look nice. I am curious to hear what it actually sounds like though

 

[Anonymous]

I don't think the buyer was that gullible to be honest.. Blades did post quite a few clips of his amps and the tone was there. Not many boutique builders tend to show off the guts of their amps. Anyone have any luck seeing pics of the BE or a Cameron?? Most of the time you won't see that displayed because people protect Friedman's secret sauce like it were their own. I think what probably happened is that he paid for full for the amp and then said "Oh shit!" when he saw how the cabs were turning out.... From then on, he just hoped for the best. I guess one positive thing that emerged from all of this is that he didn't have to wait 8+ months for his amp and that even though it is built to self destruct, it sounds good.

^^ This was a big part of it. ...and no I didn't do my research, I went by what a couple of guys said that met him in person and played his 50 watt and didn't look any further. Right or wrong I tried to help the guy out and give him the chance to prove himself and it back fired on me...my bad, lesson learned! The important thing is now everyone knows beyond any doubt that he's all talk and a hack unless he can prove otherwise.

So now I get to learn about amps by fixing it myself even if it means rebuilding it. Which it probably will, but first I'll concentrate on making it safe and I'm already getting plenty of help with that. It will sit until it's safe no matter what that takes. Had I known the whole world was watching I'd have never done it. Now all I want to do is try to make the best out of a bad situation.

...flame away, I deserve it.

Steve

It won't take much to redo some of those solder joints and heat shrink or re position some Stuff. If it sounds great and now works properly, you are probably alright. The new cabs look nice. I am curious to hear what it actually sounds like though

There is a good amount of work to make that thing safe.

Steve

 

[stratotone]

I have the first Fab Amp (built for ripfence from Harmony Central) and should probably get it out of storage and profile it with my Kemper.

Holy shit Pete! Fab amps the original!

YUP! Throwback Thursday! LOL

 

[marshallmadness]

I am curious to hear what it actually sounds like though

https://soundcloud.com/billy-blades/firebolt20

 

[londaxe]

http://www.marshallforum.com/workbench/ ... post966402

Wow

Eh.. upon a search i saw this post come up in google. I found it amusing that you guys are enjoying something i made happen.

Anyway.. in the interest of KNOWLEDGE... I WAS GIFTED PICS OF FRIEDMANS MODS.

Dan has a couple. Now i know what his answer will be (oh.. i promissed not to show it) bs but here goes.

Dan.. please post gutshots of your Friedman mods. Show how the stuff is floating over the pcb and how the resistors are attatched to the Wima caps. I think this would be very "interesting " to show off the work of a "ahem... GENIOUS ".

PLEASE understandvthat as we sit and wonder and "sone of us know " how it looks.. i think that this would be a great opportunity for you to show off the exquisite work done by your Genious dude.

Please comply as we all would love to see as i am not at my computer to find the pics.
I actually think.i deleted them because it was too difficult to see thru the spaghetti wiring and the floating resistors and lifted caps.

Just get a pair and post.


This will show the awesome quality and construction a trained pro does. (When George aint buildin a fresh one) .

Im sure people would love to see it. ///them?

You guys have a great night. Maybe someone else will post. I think roza has pics??? Cant remember because it wasnt important at the time.

Its up to.u Dan???


I thought the lifted capsand stuff soldered to the "top " of a Marshall pcb was just..
Well..

Ill let you show it so people here can discus.

In the interest of amps.

surely the work.of a Genious should be shown. You dont even have to do closeups...
just a decent arial shot. I would like to see a side shot of the beginning preamp stage where all his magic happens. Those triangle structures of caps and resistors and blobs of solder are breathtaking.

Like Mona Lisa.. or rather Picasso

Have a great night guys.

All my best!

He's the last person that should be criticizing another person's work.

 

[charveldan]

He never has nor will he ever see the insides of [my] amp .... and there is no "O" in Genius ....genious. lol

 

[peterc52]

Well, everybody has seen the insides of your amps like a thousand times, though the pictures are before the mod.

You post them in almost every single thread.

 

[Jofipe]

Well, everybody has seen the insides of your amps like a thousand times, though the pictures are before the mod.

You post them in almost every single thread.

 

[londaxe]

The pictures in the original post were deleted Still had this saved if anyone missed it...



And no he didn't see your amp charveldan, but he's claiming he did see one of Dave's mods

I doubt it though. He says he deleted his pictures because they were hard to understand, and he's nagging you to post pictures of yours.

 

[charveldan]

Well, everybody has seen the insides of your amps like a thousand times, though the pictures are before the mod.

You post them in almost every single thread.

My Friedman was modded in 2011 and have never [repeat] never posted pics of it, i respect Dave and keep my word with him but that doesn't mean i havent wanted to.

There are google pic's of my stock 2203's floating for the last 4 years. Have no control of that.

Not sure what your point is.

 

[jerrydyer]

doing things point to point sometimes appears messy at first look but if shrink tubing and sheilded cable is used you will see its done right.. this think is a fricken nightmare. look at the cut around the laydown trans.

 

[charveldan]

The pictures in the original post were deleted Still had this saved if anyone missed it...



And no he didn't see your amp charveldan, but he's claiming he did see one of Dave's mods

I doubt it though. He says he deleted his pictures because they were hard to understand, and he's nagging you to post pictures of yours.

 

[jerrydyer]

he even blacks out the 1 meg resistor ground ref on the input jack... sssssssshhhhhhhhhh top secret. P.I. is all blacked out. one or two of those are barely relevant. you can get a little less headroom and earlier breakup by changing but on the low watter amps i doubt he even modded the P.I. at all. " Ha Ha Ha, thats for you guys to figure out" he might say.

ha ha ha ha

I will give him one prop. I like alnico 8. ha ha

 

[charveldan]

 

[311splawndude]

I'm so impressed I decided to quote the man in my sig.

 

[jerrydyer]

I just remembered . one of my close friends here in westminster has a proto I built 9 year ago on a chassis I would not want anyone to see. This thing was a frankenstein for sure but after all the mod experiments, it actually ended up sounding killer so I practically gave it to him for free. I gotta get an oath outta that guy never to post pics.

 

[londaxe]

doing things point to point sometimes appears messy at first look but if shrink tubing and sheilded cable is used you will see its done right.. this think is a fricken nightmare. look at the cut around the laydown trans.

The detailed pictures are gone, but those resistors coming off the power tube sockets were about half an inch away from touching the bare chassis

And the "hanging resistors" and "structures of caps and resistors" ... pretty sure that's called point to point wiring

I just remembered . one of my close friends here in westminster has a proto I built 9 year ago on a chassis I would not want anyone to see. This thing was a frankenstein for sure but after all the mod experiments, it actually ended up sounding killer so I practically gave it to him for free. I gotta get an oath outta that guy never to post pics.

What circuit/amp did that become? the classic modern?

 

[jerrydyer]

the one he has is a 50 watt el34 and it is a 1987 and then using like a stackable gain method you can switch in another tube now its 2204 then another, going into typical 80's mod sound. It has a lot of solens which i like. it just for some reason sounds so good with a les paul i just decided to just leave it. I cleaned it up best I could but its not something I would want anyone to see. I also dont like having the vactrols hanging around like on your 100 watter but I havent come up with a better way yet. working on a larger turret strip board and incorporating the vactrols to the board. sometimes, most times for me, and amp is basically done and then someone makes a request to add or subtract a gain stage or gain boost, cap change, tone mod etc and those towards the end of the build tend to make things appear cluttered but as long as they are secured and covered, everything is good. I saw what your talking about on the power tube grids. he should at least shrink tube those..

 

[DirtySteve]

I deleted the pics, sorry guys. I'm going to rewire the whole thing and probably redo the circuit board as well. I'm getting lots of help, but it might take a while. I'm learning as I go. Fortunately I do know how to solder. I'll post up pics when I'm done if anyone's interested.

 

[charveldan]

I deleted the pics, sorry guys. I'm going to rewire the whole thing and probably redo the circuit board as well. I'm getting lots of help, but it might take a while. I'm learning as I go. Fortunately I do know how to solder. I'll post up pics when I'm done if anyone's interested.

Buy another amp ...