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Summary of Contents for Trinity Amps Triton
- Page 1 The Trinity Amps Triton Builder's Guide USAGE STRICTLY RESERVED FOR TRINITY AMPS CUSTOMERS ONLY - PLEASE DO NOT DISTRIBUTE Version 1.21 Parts © Trinity Amps 2005 - 2018 www.trinityamps.com...
- Page 2 Version 1.21 Page: 2...
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
Install Hardware ..................................30 Wiring ....................................... 30 Wire Heater Wires ................................31 Install Power Transformer ..............................32 Trinity Triton Grounding Scheme ........................... 33 Mains Power Connection ..............................34 Wire the Rectifier Socket ..............................36 Install the Output Transformer - Output Jacks ....................... 37 Impedance Switch .................................. - Page 4 More Tips for fine tuning your amp ..........................60 How to read Resistor Color Codes ............................. 62 How to read Capacitor Codes ............................. 63 FAQ ......................................66 Triton Bill Of Materials (BOM) ............................69 Trinity Amps Schematics and Layouts ..........................70 Version 1.21 Page: 4...
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Page 5: Introduction
Introduction This guide has been prepared for builders of Trinity Amps Kits. It is always being improved and we would appreciate your feedback and comments to: stephen@trinityamps.com Accordingly, content and specifications are subject to change without notice. We do try to make it as accurate as possible, but it is sometimes hard to keep up with the changes. - Page 6 GM Arts website http://users.chariot.net.au/~gmarts/index.html - Guitar Amp Basics Aron from diystompboxes.com Parts © Trinity Amps 2005. No part of this document may be copied or reprinted without written permission of Trinity Amps or contributing authors listed above. Version 1.21 Page: 6...
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Page 7: Warning
USE AT YOUR OWN RISK: TRINITY AMPS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL LIABILITY FOR INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE RESULTING FROM THIS INFORMATION! ALL INFORMATION IS PROVIDED 'AS- IS' AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. -
Page 8: Version Control
Version Control Version Date Change 4 Apr 17 Initial Draft issue 25Sep17 Initial Release 1.11 21Nov17 Corrected text on OT wiring section; Clarified impedance and bias switch installation ; corrected BOM, 220K 2W was 22K (ref. Moody Jandhyala); 8Sep18 Updated Power Ground and Eyelet Board mounting and BOM 1.21 23Sep Eyelet board layout corrected (D. -
Page 9: Guitar Amplifier Basics
Guitar Amplifier Basics Electric guitarists can be fairly criticized for their reluctance to change to new ideas and technologies; however, there is no doubt that a classic 1950’s guitar and tube amplifier in good condition still sounds great in modern recordings. This is a testament to good design from the start. -
Page 10: Fender And Marshall Tone Controls
‘middley’ sound. The treble and bass controls do the opposite - they boost higher and lower frequency levels, leaving a notch in-between for middle cut (see the Fender/Marshall comparison below). So with typical settings of a bit of bass, middle and treble, the overall tone equalization complements the natural pickup sound for a balanced response of lows, mids and highs. - Page 11 The Fender and Marshall circuits are each tailored to suit their own styles, which are quite different. Although a generalization, Fender's market and consequently the power output stage are geared towards provided clean and chunky tones at clean and early-overdrive levels. Marshall amps are best at low- middley and crunchy rock tones, played at medium to high overdrive levels.
- Page 12 smooth this out without changing the range of available tones. Version 1.21 Page: 12...
- Page 13 The Fender circuit also has the unusual side effect that if all controls are set to 0, then no sound is produced at all. The Marshall design avoids this, but the tone with all controls set to 0 is not something you'd be likely to use anyway. Here are the same charts for Marshall tone controls.
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Page 14: Distortion
Tube power amplifiers often provide an additional presence control (which reduces negative feedback in the power amplifier section) to provide a small amount of boost at frequencies above the treble control. Distortion The overdriven sound of a tube power amplifier is highly desirable, with many different output stage designs to produce the variety of trademark sounds heard on modern recordings. - Page 15 tubes exhibit a softer overdrive transition, and maintain clarity even at high overdrive levels. They also have a limited middle response, giving rise to the famous Marshall crunch sound. The lower powered EL84 tubes have similar characteristics. Vox AC30 (and the more popular top boost model) uses a Class AB power amplifier design, with the tubes biased ‘hot’, so while this operates in class A at lower levels, it is a class AB design.
- Page 16 extended periods of time, and the amplifier must be designed to provide this without duress on any components. Common non-guitar design principles assume that circuitry will be designed to avoid overdrive, and technicians working in this field have to ‘un-learn’ many basic assumptions. Popular circuits have evolved through trial and error, due to a general lack of documented knowledge in the field of non-linear amplification.
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Page 17: Introduction To Vacuum Tubes And Common Terms
Introduction to Vacuum Tubes and Common Terms Reprinted with permission from Aaron from diystompboxes.com Here are a few terms that you may see online when referencing tube schematics. Like distortion pedals, tube circuits seemingly have their own language! I present this knowledge in the hopes that it may help you decipher the interesting life of tubes! :-) Below, is a picture and a very simplistic view of a tube stage. - Page 18 You will also see a coupling cap in between triode stages. The coupling cap controls the bass and rolls off bass between stages and blocks DC from entering the next stage - which could throw off the bias on the next tube stage. As usual, smaller values roll off more bass, larger values retain more bass between stages.
- Page 19 The grid ("leak") resistor, typically sets the impedance of the stage and biasing. It is interesting because it and the previous stage's plate resistor form a voltage divider on the signal. What this means to you is that the grid leak resistor can be used to control the level into the stage.
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Page 20: Input Jack Theory
Input Jack Theory ~ from 18watt.com Version 1.21 Page: 20... -
Page 21: Circuit Description
How Grid Leak Bias Works Notice how the Triton’s preamp circuit uses a 6.8M resistor on the grid of the 6SJ7. This is called ‘grid leak bias’. The 6SJ7 cathode is connected directly to ground with no cathode resistor and the 6SJ7 bias voltage is the voltage difference between the grid and cathode. -
Page 22: Power / Output Stage
The tiny size of the circuit is very basic and not a lot of fancy stuff to affect the way the circuit responds to your guitar. This makes the Triton a musical and touch-responsive amp since the circuit is so friendly to your guitar. -
Page 23: Triton Specifications
Triton Specifications Channels: 1 Controls Ch.1: Volume Power output: 5 Watts 6V6; 10 Watts 6L6 Preamp Tubes: 1-6SJ7 Power Tubes: 1 – 6V6 Class A (6L6 Optional) Rectifier: 5Y3 Bias: Cathode Choke: no Speaker: 8 inch Tone Tubby Humboldt Alnico... -
Page 24: Building An Amp
Building an Amp Warning: Do not attempt to build a guitar amp unless you know how to work safely with the dangerous voltages present in a tube amp. These voltages can exceed 700 volts. Introduction If you have purchased your Trinity Amp as a kit, this guide will help you build a tube guitar amplifier. -
Page 25: Insulated Jacks
(1) Connect the power transformer center tap directly to the negative terminal of the first power supply filter capacitor (cap) then run a separate wire from the negative terminal to the star ground point. (2) Collect the ground points of each tube and its associated resistors and capacitors to a local ground point that is not connected to the chassis. -
Page 26: Assembling The Amp
Assembling the amp Before You Begin When you first receive your kit, remove all of the parts from the shipping box and place them on a well-lit, clean surface. Check all of the parts against the parts list and verify that you have everything before you begin. Contact us at once if you are missing anything, or if something appears to be damaged. -
Page 27: Tube Pin Numbering
- Remove the soldering iron and allow the solder joint to cool. - Note: Do not apply the tip of the soldering iron to the eyelet board any longer than it takes for the solder to flow. The solder joint should be clean and shiny. If it is dull looking it may be a ‘cold solder joint’... - Page 28 The pins on the potentiometers are numbered 1 to 3 from left to right when the shaft is facing towards you and the pins are at the top. Version 1.21 Page: 28...
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Page 29: Assembly Steps Summary
Assembly Steps Summary 1. Install hardware on the Chassis. 2. Wire up the heater wires; connect to the pilot light. 3. Install Power Transformer and wire the Power Supply. 4. Install the Output Transformer; Wire to B+, output tube sockets and jacks 5. -
Page 30: Install Hardware
Install Hardware Install all the hardware on the chassis to make sure it all fits properly. Don’t install the transformers yet. Install all the tube sockets. The 8 pin sockets and clip retainers are for the 6V6 or 5Y3 tubes. The 6SJ7 does not use a retainer The orientation of the sockets is as follows. -
Page 31: Wire Heater Wires
- Use 22 gauge 600V pre-twisted wire for tube heater wiring - use 18 Gauge, stranded 600v for mains transformer primaries hook up. - Re-use stranded cut offs from the transformers. Run Heater Wires Install the pilot lamp socket if you haven’t already. It is important to wire the tube filaments carefully. -
Page 32: Install Power Transformer
Once soldered, in place at each tube socket, press it flat, tight against the chassis. Install Power Transformer Orient the transformer with the chassis. Put the transformer in place and bolt it in place with the #8 nuts with washers as supplied. Put 2 #8 chassis lugs under the nut closest to the indicator lamp. -
Page 33: Trinity Triton Grounding Scheme
Power Ground. Trinity Triton Grounding Scheme The Triton uses a two point grounding scheme where the High Current supply side of the amp is connected to a single common ground point, and the pre amp part is connected to another point on the chassis that is located immediately beside the input jacks. -
Page 34: Mains Power Connection
Twist the Black/White & Brown/White wires together and solder to the Neutral lug. Tie off any unused taps that are not required for the Triton build. Tie it off by cutting off the exposed wire and then put heat-shrink over the end and then tuck it away as it is not used. - Page 35 Triton HI CAPACITY Power Transformer Connection Schematic 120V - use the primary in parallel 240V - use the primary in series hooking Black to Brown and Black- hooking Black /White to Brown. White to Brown-White. Connect 120 Connect 240 mains to Black and mains to Black and Brown/White Brown/White.
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Page 36: Wire The Rectifier Socket
These are not used in the Triton build.. Once you have wired up the transformer, IEC socket, rectifier socket, pilot light socket ad heater wires, it is a good time to check that the Power transformer is working properly. -
Page 37: Install The Output Transformer - Output Jacks
The Primary leads from the transformer should be twisted together and the Secondary leads braided and both fed through the two chassis grommets. Note: The Orange 16 ohm tap is not used in a standard Triton build so tie it off and tuck it away outside the chassis. - Page 38 Neatly route and solder in place the 4 ohm, YELLOW lead, to one side of the DPDT Switch, both terminals. Neatly route and solder in place the 8 ohm, GREEN lead, to the other pole of the switch. Connect the black Output Transformer lead to the other speaker jack. Connect the other output jack with another piece of wire making sure they’re connected to the same jack terminals.
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Page 39: Assemble The Eyelet Board
Assemble the Eyelet Board If you do not have a pre-built Trinity amps eyelet board, now is the time to build Install the Jumpers Install the jumper wires on the topside of the board. These are the dotted lines on the supplied layout diagram. Follow the pictures below and the layout. Do not solder in place yet. -
Page 40: Mount The Board
Crimp all wires tightly at the connection point before soldering. Remember, your solder joints should be bright and shiny. Double check all of your connections for shorts against adjoining components or terminal posts. Flying leads are also installed at this time. Cut connecting wires in various colors and about 6”... - Page 41 Tip: On a photocopy of the layout, highlight the connections as you complete them to make sure they are done correctly. 1. Connect and solder the power wire from the rectifier pin 8 to the 510R / first 16uF connection on the board. 2.
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Page 42: Connect Board To Volume Control
On V1, that the ground wire connects to pins 1, 3, 5 and then goes to ground. These wires must be insulated from all other pins on V1. Connect Board to Volume Control The easiest way to wire these correctly is to carefully follow the layout, and do one terminal connection at a time. -
Page 43: Co-Axial Cable To Volume Control
Connect a green ground wire from the centre-left terminal of the Tone switch to the volume Control left terminal. Solder at Tone Switch. Connect another 6” green flying lead ground wire to the volume Control left terminal. Solder at the Volume control end only. - Page 44 Wire the input jacks with the 1M Carbon Film resistor and jumpers and then reinstall them. Leave enough flying lead wire for the ground wires on the input jacks go to the pre-amp ground and about 6” to reach the board from each jack. Use solid some core wire from the input jacks to the eyelet board.
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Page 45: Final Checkout
Then connect and solder the leads to GROUND tag and input leads to the 2- 68K input grid resistors on the board. Final checkout When you finish assembling the amp, double-check the wiring and the components. Trace or highlight the connections on a copy of the layout provided with the amp to ensure the amp is wired correctly. -
Page 46: Power Up
Power Up ***SAFETY WARNING READ THIS FIRST!!!!!*** Working Inside A Tube Amplifier Safely Working inside a tube amplifier can be dangerous if you don't know the basic safety practices. If you aren't prepared to take the time to learn and apply the right precautions to keep yourself safe, don't work on your own amp. -
Page 47: Making A Voltage Measurement
current mode harder, but it still can be set to resistance. For vacuum tube electronics we can usually ignore the high current mode. Put your test leads into the COM and V(ohm)mA jacks and leave them there. Making a Voltage Measurement Before attempting to make a voltage measurement, think about the anticipated result. -
Page 48: Start Up
6. If all is OK, then shut off, install the rectifier and apply power without the preamp or power tube installed. Turn on the Stand-By switch on the Triton. Check the plate voltages on the tube sockets. The plate voltages will be higher than the voltages listed on the schematic because there is no load provided by the tubes. - Page 49 9. If the voltages seem close to the chart, then with volume setting at minimum and NO instrument plugged in, power up again. Listen for sounds that may indicate a problem. Loud transformer vibrations or humming or other crackling sounds. Observe if any of the components besides the tubes are getting hot –...
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Page 50: General Amplifier Operation
Note that in the long term, unless you have an impedance switch, the impedances should be matched to the OT , as in this case of the Triton , 8 ohms, or 2 16s in parallel. • Overdrive the stuFfing out of it. Tubes are very forgiving of massive overdrives, unlike solid state stuFf. -
Page 51: Trinity Triton Voltage Chart
Trinity Triton Voltage Chart (Used to record your measured voltages) AC Mains Voltage 120 VAC B+ No tubes installed B+ All tubes installed 385 VDC WITH JJ 5Y3 TUBE Pin 1 Pin 2 Pin 3 Pin 4 Pin 5 Pin 6... -
Page 52: Warning
While efforts are made to ensure accuracy of these circuits, no guarantee is provided, of any kind! USE AT YOUR OWN RISK: TRINITY AMPS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL LIABILITY FOR INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE RESULTING FROM THIS INFORMATION! ALL INFORMATION IS PROVIDED 'AS-IS' AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. -
Page 53: Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting When debugging a newly built amp the first things to do are check the wiring, make sure the correct components are installed, and look for bad solder joints. Use a voltmeter to check voltages and compare them with the voltages listed on the schematic. -
Page 54: Severely Unmatched Output Tubes In A Push Pull Amplifier
Severely unmatched output tubes in a push pull amplifier Push pull amplifiers get by with less power supply filtering because they're supposed to cancel this ripple in the output transformer. The cancellation can be upset by output tubes that use different amounts of bias current, allowing the hum to be heard. Faulty power supply filter caps There are a limited number of ways for the power supply filter capacitors to be bad. -
Page 55: Faulty Bias Supply In Fixed Bias Amplifiers
Faulty bias supply in fixed bias amplifiers A bias supply with excessive ripple injects hum directly into the grids of the output tubes. Check that the bias supply diode is not shorted or leaky, and then bridge the bias capacitor with another one of equal value to see if the hum goes away. Unbalanced or not-ground-referenced filament winding The filament power must be referenced to the DC in the tubes in some way, otherwise you may get a lot of hum. -
Page 56: Induced Hum
Induced hum Placement of the amplifier near other equipment can sometimes cause it to pick up radiated hum from other equipment. Suspect this if the hum changes loudness or tone when you move or turn the amp. There is usually nothing you can do about this except move the amp to where the hum is less. -
Page 57: Metal Film Resistor Substitutions
Metal Film Resistor Substitutions If you really want to eliminate hiss, use metal film resistors where the signal level is small and the following amplification is high - a classical description of an input stage. The input to an amp should probably have a metal film plate resistor to minimize noise. Substitute them on the grid resistors in all but output stages because the signal level is typically too low. -
Page 58: Amp Buzz Or Rattle When Installed In Cabinet
Amp Buzz or Rattle When Installed in Cabinet If you get a buzz in an amp when it’s installed in a cabinet, it could be due to any one or a combination of the following things. Start with the easy things and work your way through the tests. - Page 59 • Is there a gap between panels/chassis & cabinet? Tighten it up, use rubber gasket where the faceplate meets cabinet. Rubber gasket (neoprene 3/8’ X 1/8’ window/door sealer) between panel and cabinet • Is the Chassis vibrating around backboard? Remove the backboard and listen. Use a Vibration damping strip or rubber gasket between chassis and backboard.
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Page 60: Tone Tweaking
Attenuation only occurs at the higher frequencies, above the frequency breakpoint caused by the series resistance and the tub’s input capacitance. The Triton does not typically require them but if you notice any of the following symptoms, the grid resistor can accomplish the following things: •... -
Page 61: More Tips For Fine Tuning Your Amp
More Tips for fine tuning your amp These are very simplistic modifications you can do to your amp, let your ears be your guide: Change coupling caps; changing to smaller values reduces bass, changing to larger • values adds more bass. Reducing the value of coupling caps can help eliminate "flabby"... -
Page 62: How To Read Resistor Color Codes
How to read Resistor Color Codes First the code Black Brown Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet Gray White How to read the Color Code First find the tolerance band, it will typically be gold (5%) and sometimes silver (10%). Starting from the other end, identify the first band - write down the number associated with that color;... -
Page 63: How To Read Capacitor Codes
How to read Capacitor Codes Large capacitor have the value printed plainly on them, such as 10.uF (Ten Micro Farads) but smaller disk types along with plastic film types often have just 2 or three numbers on them? First, most will have three numbers, but sometimes there are just two numbers. These are read as Pico-Farads. - Page 64 Now for an example: A capacitor marked 104 is 10 with 4 more zeros or 100,000pF which is otherwise referred to as a 0.1 µF capacitor. Most kit builders don't need to go further but there is sometimes a tolerance code given by a single letter.
- Page 65 0.05% P +100% Z +80% Version 1.21 Page: 65...
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Page 66: Faq
NOTE: B+ stands Battery Plus == B+ and came from the old days of tubes. B+ is measured at the intersection of the rectifier DC output and the first filter cap. Q: The pictures show the power and standby switches as "top and bottom" on the back of the switch, the layout shows them as "front and back"... - Page 67 the lower jack while the core line goes to the individual tip lugs on both jacks? I want to make sure I am interpreting the drawing correctly. b). The other end of the shield does NOT get connected to the tag strip at V1, correct? c).
- Page 68 Schematic: trinityamps.com Forum Index -> Resources TIP: Flatten or remove the locating tabs on the pots so that they tighten properly on the chassis. TIP: Sometimes carbon comp resistors are hard to decode the colours. It is a good idea to measure the resistances of these parts before assembly.
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Page 69: Triton Bill Of Materials (Bom)
Some of the parts contained in this kit are subject to availability. Some may be used to ship transformers in place. Trinity Amps Inc. reserves the right to change or substitute any and all of the parts contained in this amplifier kit without notification. Part substitutions made by Trinity Amps are guaranteed not to affect the integrity or operation of your amplifier. -
Page 70: Trinity Amps Schematics And Layouts
Trinity Amps Schematics and Layouts Version 1.21 Page: 70...
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