6V6 Plexi with Crossover Distortion [Problem Solved]

[JMPGuitars]

Is this the typical way turret boards are wired in DIY guitar amps? The component leads are soldered into the turrets from the top, rather than being wrapped around?

That is not ideal at all. Wrapping on the outside is much preferred. the soldering thread in my signature and watch the videos to see what the proper standards are if you're interested.

[dbharris]

Yeah, I totally agree. But, I didn't know better at the time and was following the instructions in the kit. Any mods that I did with new parts later were wrapped around the turret. For what it's worth, even the connections made through the top of the turrets have a mechanical connection. I would bend the leads such that inside the turret the lead is making physical contact with the inner wall i.e. the leads bent at a slightly acute angle, not 90.

My main issue with this more than the mechanical connection is I knew I had a good solder joint but people online would comment there was not enough solder in the turret. So, I would try to fill it up and some would just never work right. I was afraid if I kept adding solder it would start leaking out the bottom of the board. Which would be very bad. I understand now that a lot of people make their solder joint and allow it to cool, then place a little ball of solder on the very top that is purely aesthetic. But I don't think that is a great approach either.

You live and you learn. My next build is with an eyelet board.

-Dan

[JMPGuitars]

My main issue with this more than the mechanical connection is I knew I had a good solder joint but people online would comment there was not enough solder in the turret. So, I would try to fill it up and some would just never work right. I was afraid if I kept adding solder it would start leaking out the bottom of the board. Which would be very bad. I understand now that a lot of people make their solder joint and allow it to cool, then place a little ball of solder on the very top that is purely aesthetic. But I don't think that is a great approach either.

You live and you learn. My next build is with an eyelet board.

-Dan

Yikes, ignore comments unless it's somebody you know has a clue. Too many people think there's supposed to be a huge convex dome on the tops of turrets, which is not correct. A LOT of people think that.

Good luck with the eyelets, let us know how you think it works compared to turrets, especially if there's a lot of components coming to the same spot. ...and don't forget you still want concave solder joints showing the outline of the leads.

Thanks,
Josh

[TriodeLuvr]

That is not ideal at all. Wrapping on the outside is much preferred.

I'm using a turret board that came with two rows of 30 turrets pre-installed. The rows are two inches apart, so most of my resistors don't have enough lead length to wrap around. Guess I need to decide whether it's worth the time and trouble to install a bunch of new turrets and maybe also slice the board to a narrower width. Always something...

the soldering thread in my signature and watch the videos to see what the proper standards are if you're interested.

Thanks, I'll take a look!

[TriodeLuvr]

My next build is with an eyelet board.

Help me out here. I don't see a difference between soldering a lead down into the hole at the top of a turret or into the hole in an eyelet.

Jack

[geoff 1965]

Marshall put components into the top of the turret in their point to point amplifiers,I do the same and have no problems.you get a better mechanical connection wrapping around the turret but if you’re like me and constantly tweaking/experimenting it’s a lot easier to swap in and out fed into the top. “different horses for different courses”

[TriodeLuvr]

Just to be clear, I wasn't criticizing Dan's work. These components are lightweight and the turrets don't move (unlike tube pins). I'm not sure robust mechanical bonding is required. On the other hand, I appreciate it when someone like Josh promotes a professional standard of workmanship, even if (sometimes) only for its own sake. That's the sort of thinking that keeps us out of trouble. I'll decide over the next few days how to proceed with this.

Jack

[JMPGuitars]

My next build is with an eyelet board.

Help me out here. I don't see a difference between soldering a lead down into the hole at the top of a turret or into the hole in an eyelet.

Jack

Some people think eyelets are easier to work with because there's less mass to heat. You can make a mechanical connection with a better bending angle in an eyelet than you can at the top of a turret, but you're right, it's not much different.

There's nothing wrong with using the top of the turret, it's simply not the preferred way, and either way, it needs to be done with good technique.

[dbharris]

My next build is with an eyelet board.

Help me out here. I don't see a difference between soldering a lead down into the hole at the top of a turret or into the hole in an eyelet.

Jack

Some people think eyelets are easier to work with because there's less mass to heat. You can make a mechanical connection with a better bending angle in an eyelet than you can at the top of a turret, but you're right, it's not much different.

There's nothing wrong with using the top of the turret, it's simply not the preferred way, and either way, it needs to be done with good technique.

Jack, I was not offended by your comment/question in any way. Always good to hear other point of view.

Josh, that's my understanding too for using eyelets. I am using that type of board because it is a two-rock/dumble style build and that is tradition for that lineage of amps. It's going to be a 100W clean machine with 3 tube reverb (clone of John Mayer's old signature amp with only 25 made)...maybe I'll post here in the appropriate forum but not sure if there is much interest in that type of amp on this board.

-Dan