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Summary of Contents for Trinity Amps Tramp
- Page 1 The Trinity Tramp Amp Builder's Guide For the sole personal use of Trinity Amps Tramp Customers. October 2017, Version 2.9 Parts © Trinity Amps 2005 – 2016 www.trinityamps.com...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
Sources of help..................................4 Acknowledgements .................................. 4 WARNING ....................................5 Thank You ....................................6 Version Control ..................................7 About the Tramp ..................................8 Tramp Specifications ................................10 Guitar Amplifier Basics ................................. 11 Fender and Marshall tone controls ................12 Distortion ..................... 16 General Amplifier Operation ............................... - Page 3 VRM Bypass Procedure ..................58 Tone Tweaking ..................................60 Tube Substitutions ................................. 64 How to read Resistor Color Codes ............................. 65 How to read Capacitor Codes ............................. 66 FAQ ......................................68 Tramp Bill of Materials (BOM) ............................70 Version 2.9 Page: 3...
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Page 4: Introduction
- 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. This Manual is intended for the sole personal use of Trinity Amps Tramp Customers. -
Page 5: 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 6: Thank You
If you find any inconsistencies, or have any concerns, please let us know. Do not hesitate to contact us! We want this build to be successful for you and for Trinity Amps! We’re confident that you will like our product and our support and when you’re completed, we’d appreciate your comments posted on any of the internet forums such as... -
Page 7: Version Control
Version Control Version Date Change 1.99 28Sep12 Changed 0.47uf cap from 600V to 100V in BOM 17Jan13 Updated BOM with 0.47uF/0.5uf, 22/20 GA & 530 VCT 1.99 20Aug13 Updated board picture;changed wording around “Connect the first volume control to V2, pin 2…”... -
Page 8: About The Tramp
The Tramp also features a Master Volume control that doesn't make the tone suck as you turn it down, as well as a variable power level control, allowing you to have almost any tone right down to bedroom volume levels you can comfortably talk over. - Page 9 10 to 5 on the power level doesn't really make it much quieter, just darker and warmer, but still with all the beef. As you increase the Tramp's Power Level, the tone comes forward with highs and high mids becoming more prominent. At full power and bass down, you can get a real edgy, ringy, "transitory"...
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Page 10: Tramp Specifications
*VRM– components mounted on eyelet board. MOSFET mounted immediately beside board & leads soldered in directly. Volume control – to adjust amount of volume and overdrive. The Tramp able to go from Clean to Dirty. The Tramp plays like a vintage Tweed Champ/Princeton when in Tweed mode. -
Page 11: 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 12: Fender And Marshall Tone Controls
Input Impedance Typically 1M, 500K minimum (humbucking pickup guitars have volume pots up to 500K, single coil pickup guitars typically of 250K) . Tone Controls Magnetic guitar pickups are inductive, and require compensation, although this opportunity is also used for tone enhancement, not just correction. Without compensation, they have a strong low middle emphasis and little high frequency response - overall a very muddy and muffled sound. - Page 13 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.
- Page 14 Fender, leaving the low mids and bass intact for that full Marshall sound. On the other hand, Fender's tone controls allow high-mids to pass with the treble response, and add little bass boost for the sparkling and tight sounds they're famous for. Here are charts each of the Fender controls.
- Page 15 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 16: 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 17 different sound, often described as a sweeter overdrive. Listen to Brian May's sounds for plenty of good examples. The Fender and Marshall designs use class AB for their output designs, biased with the tubes almost off with no signal. This is more efficient (more watts per tube), and better for tube life.
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Page 18: General Amplifier Operation
General Amplifier Operation Some DO NOTS • Never, Never, Never run the amp without a speaker plugged in. This can cause major damage. • Do not flip the power switch off, and then back on rapidly. This can cause power supply damage. -
Page 19: 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 20 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 21 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. Low grid leak values will attenuate the signal into the tube stage.
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Page 22: Building An Amp - General Guidelines
Building an Amp – General Guidelines 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 23: Insulated Jacks
The safety ground wire from the mains is separate from the signal ground. Run a wire from the AC ground to the chassis near where the AC power enters the chassis. Insulated jacks To insulate the input and output jacks either use plastic insulated jacks or metal jacks with insulating washers. -
Page 24: 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. -
Page 25: 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’ which is not a good electrical connection. -
Page 26: Assembly Steps Summary
Assembly Steps Summary 1. Install tubes sockets and all terminal strips on the Chassis. 2. Wire up the heater wires tight to chassis corner bend; Wire up the LED pilot light. 3. Install remaining hardware onto chassis except the two pull switches. 4. -
Page 27: Install Tube Sockets And Terminal Strips
Install Tube Sockets and Terminal Strips Install the sockets onto the chassis using the #4 screws into the threaded holes in the chassis. Align the sockets so that the Octal (8) pin #1 points toward you and Noval (9) pin #1 points away from you. - Page 28 chassis and the heaters have a tight twist on them. For the 12AX7 and power tube, we have had success running the connection wires as shown in the layout. Note: Don’t substitute smaller gauge heater wires. The wires need to be big enough to carry the current back to ground and keep hum low.
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Page 29: Install Chassis Hardware
Install Chassis Hardware Install all remaining hardware, grommets, ground lugs and control potentiometers except the Volume - Tweed / Tude pull switch and the Bass - Fat / Thin pull switch. The solder lugs of the hardware should face you to make it convenient to connect to them. Ensure the potentiometers are located in the correct positions according their values and the layout. -
Page 30: Install The Transformers
Connect a Black/Hot line from the IEC Line (L) lug to the fuse holder. Run a wire from the lug on the side of the fuse holder and from the end of the holder to the power switch lug. From the other side of the switch, connect to the transformer 120V input wires i.e. - Page 31 Mains NEUTRAL from Power Cord Terminal strip 120V Mains - LINE Connect Black/Red to Black 120V Mains-Connect Black/White to White NEUTRAL 2 - Power Switch 120V Mains – LINE Black from Fuse terminals Located POWER on Control LEVEL 1M-L For 220-240 V Operation: Connect the mains WHITE wire (NEUTRAL) to the mains terminal strip.
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Page 32: Wire Up The Transformers
Align the output transformer so that the Black, Orange, Green, Yellow leads come out closest to the impedance switch. Feed the 5K primary through and bolt the OT in place with #8 X 3/8” bolts & nuts. Unless you intend to use the 2.5K primary tap (for EL34), put heat shrink over the unused lead and tie off outside of the chassis. - Page 33 115-120V - use the primary in parallel hooking 220-240V - use the primary in series hooking Black/Red to Black and Black/White to Black /White to Black. Connect mains to White. Connect mains to Black/Red and Black/Red and White White. Install the two 1K 2W resistors on the tag strip and to pin 4, that feeds the Output transformer and power tube.
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Page 34: Connecting The Impedance Selector
Connecting the Impedance Selector Ensure that the impedance switch is installed correctly. Important Note: Set the switch to 3 positions only. If not pre-set to three positions, then adjust the number of positions by turning the switch fully anti-clockwise and then rotating the tang washer provided to adjust number of positions (3). -
Page 35: Output Jacks
Output Jacks The output jacks are ‘connected’ or ‘grounded’ to the chassis. Refer to the Output Transformer schematic for details. Twist the output leads from the transformer to the output tube and to the board. Connect a lead that goes from the center lug “A”, of the impedance switch to one positive / tip of the two output jacks and then jump to the other jack. - Page 36 Connect the OT primary brown-yellow (5K) lead to pin 3 (plate) if the octal socket. Connect the brown lead to the first 1K 2W resistor on the terminal strip and also run a 6” lead from that connection point on the terminal strip lug toward the middle of the chassis. Tie off the Brown/White (2.5K lead) outside the chassis and put insulating heat shrink over the end.
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Page 37: Eyelet Board Construction
Eyelet Board Construction If you do not have a pre-built Trinity amps eyelet board, now is the time to build it. Install the Jumpers – Install the jumper wires on the underside of the board [Note: some people prefer to locate the jumpers on the top of the board). These leads go under the board (these are the dashed lines on the layout diagram). - Page 38 >| 220K 1W insulate 220K resistor leads Trinity Tramp Completed Board Once the parts are on the board, the ‘flying’ leads are installed. Cut these connecting wires in various colors and about 6” minimum long each. Following the layout, install the connecting wires to the top [or bottom] of the board leaving plenty of extra length, wire is cheap, and it'll save aggravation later Tip: Some people prefer to wire the board after it is installed into the chassis.
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Page 39: Assemble Volume And Bass Pull Switches
Assemble Volume and Bass Pull Switches It is best to install parts to the pull switches before they are in the chassis. Volume Control It is easiest to install the two resistors and connectors to this switch outside of the chassis. The 22K feedback resistor is held neatly in place by the tab at the end of the switch. -
Page 40: Input Jack
Input Jack Wire up the input jack. It is easiest to remove the jack, wire them with the jumper and then reinstall them. Install the Cliff switched input jack and tighten securely. The ground wire on the input jack goes to the pre-amp ground along with the board ground at that pre-amp ground lug and to the ground of the Volume pot. -
Page 41: Install Eyelet Board
Install Eyelet Board The Fender style 'point to point' eyelet board used in this project is mounted on stand-offs to the chassis. Installing the board and stand-offs The chassis is tapped to receive 6-32 machine screws. To mount the board, align the board mounting hole, 3/8”... -
Page 42: Connecting The Board
Connecting the Board General Wiring Power and preamp star grounding is used in the Tramp and the mains ground is bolted to the chassis. We run the pre-amp grounds directly to a separate star to reduce noise. Here is a guideline for wiring the kits with the supplied wire:... - Page 43 Shielded cable goes from the gain pot to V1 and from the master volume to V2 Do not connect the shields at both ends or you will induce hum. Tramp Grounding Scheme Our amps use a two point grounding scheme where the power 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.
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Page 44: Final Checkout
Power Side Ground Pre-Amp Side Ground Connect the power ground from the board to the power ground lug. Connect the 2 high voltage power red leads from power transformers to the diodes on the board. For mains connections, refer to the Power Transformer schematic. Connect the Octal ground to the same lug. - Page 45 Version 2.9 Page: 45...
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Page 46: Working Inside A Tube Amplifier Safely
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 • If things are not working correctly what is the highest voltage that I might find? A voltage is ALWAYS measured between TWO points. Is one of those points CHASSIS GROUND? This is the most common case. If not, can you make a different measurement such that one of the measurement points IS GROUND? If your measurements are all referenced to CHASSIS GROUND, you can then connect the black lead (Negative or Common) to the CHASSIS with a clip and probe the other test point with the RED (Positive)
- Page 48 the tubes are getting hot – check the power resistors. With the VRM, set the B+ to about 400VDC as measured at the 50uf filter capacitor R8/C6 connection. Carefully check and make note of the voltages on all the tubes. The plates of V1, pin 1 & 6 should have a voltage of about 203 &...
- Page 49 Trinity Tramp Voltage Chart (Used to record your measured voltages) AC Mains Voltage 120 VAC B+ No tubes installed B+ All tubes installed SET TO 400 VDC WITH VRM 400 V B+2 397 V B+3 327 V 6V6 / 6L6...
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Page 50: 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 51: Trinity Tramp Voltages
Trinity Tramp Design Voltages AC Mains Voltage 120 VAC B+ No tubes installed B+ All tubes installed 400 VDC Power Amp Screen Cathode Plate 6V6 pin 3 current voltage Current V anode Dissipation NOTES Watts 398.7 1.14 0.0378 369.7 14.0... -
Page 52: 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. Remember that you can calculate current by measuring the voltage drop across a resistor and dividing by the resistance. - Page 53 Then: Visually inspect the capacitor(s) for any signs of bulging, leaking, dents and other mechanical damage. If you have any of these, replace the capacitor. Also note the condition of any series dropping resistors connected to the capacitors to see if they have been damaged by heat. Replace them if they have. Use an ohmmeter to measure the resistance from the (+) terminal of each capacitor to the (-).
- Page 54 Some noise or hiss is normal. Amps supplied with Carbon Composition resistors similar to the originals has inherent noise. In the tramp, there is only one carbon composition resistor on the plate of V1. If this amount of hiss is bothersome, you may need to replace that resistor with Metal Film or carbon film resistors.
- Page 55 signal voltage in the amp, but phase inverters are often enclosed in a feedback loop. The feedback minimizes the distortion the resistor generates. Squealing/Feedback Squealing usually occurs when there is coupling between the input and output stages. The positive feedback causes the amp to become an oscillator. Vary the volume and tone controls to see if it affects the oscillation.
- Page 56 Try using an external speaker, isolated from the amp to see if it goes away. This should tell you it's related to the cabinet mechanics or not. Testing Cabinet Mechanics • Are the Speaker mountings tight? • Are the cabinet construction screws tight? •...
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Page 57: Troubleshooting The Vrm
• Are there components touching the eyelet board? Use a chopstick to prod some of the larger ones first, then space them off the board; You can even silicone the rattling parts to board if necessary (especially larger caps). • Are there Components touching each other? Use a chopstick to prod some of the larger ones first, then separate them;... -
Page 58: Vrm Bypass Procedure
If you just want to know if a Zener diode has opened-up or shorted-out, then test it as described below as for standard diodes. Remove it from the circuit or lift one end off the board. • To test a silicon diode all you need is an ohm-meter. If you are using an analog VOM type meter, set the meter to one of the lower ohms scales, say 0-2K, and measure the resistance of the diode both ways. - Page 59 2. Connect a jumper from 50uF 450V positive end, to lifted end of 100R 5W resistor. 1. Desolder 100R 5W resistor at control end and lift it off eyelet board. Version 2.9 Page: 59...
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Page 60: Tone Tweaking
Below are some modifications you might choose to implement in order to change the tone and response of your Trinity Tramp. We will add them as people discover them. Use KT66 - Replace the stock 560 ohm resistor with a 1K resistor and it is in parallel with the •... - Page 61 These are some simple 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" bass syndrome. Change cathode bypass caps.
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Page 64: Tube Substitutions
Tube Substitutions The 12AX7 family of dual-triode preamp tubes consists of the 12AX7, 5751, 12AT7, 12AY7, 12AV7 & 12AU7. These are all pin compatible with one another, the only differences being the gain factor of each tube. A common substitution is to replace a 12AX7 with a 5751 or a 12AT7 to tame a preamp that tends to overdrive too easily, allowing you to get a better 'clean' sound out of your amp. -
Page 65: 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 66: 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 67 Most kit builders don't need to go further but there is sometimes a tolerance code given by a single letter. So a 103J is a 10,000 pF with +/-5% tolerance Typical Capacitor Markings Code 0.051 0.0000510 0.18 0.00018 0.0005 4700 0.0047 10000 0.01...
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Page 68: 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 69 Trinity Forum & 18 Watt forum. Right click on them to download if you want print in large, colour format. Schematic: trinityamps.com Forum Index -> Resources -> Tramp Docs Photos : trinityamps.com Forum Index -> Resources -> Tramp Photos TIP: Flatten or remove the locating tabs on the pots so that they tighten properly on the chassis.
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Page 70: Tramp Bill Of Materials (Bom)
*Note - Some hardware may be used to ship transformers in place. Some of the parts contained in this kit are subject to availability. Trinity Amps reserves the right to substitute any part without notification. Substitutions are guaranteed not to affect the integrity or operation of your amplifier kit. - Page 71 Trinity Amps Schematics and Layouts Version 2.9 Page: 71...
- Page 72 TRAMP IEC CONNECTION ADDENDUM - Mains Power Connection Install the Mains IEC Socket with two #4 machine screws. Attach the ground lug to the chassis immediately beside the socket and ensure it is grounded well. Use 18 Ga wire and tighten as much as possible with the #8 KEPS lock nut.
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