Crazy idea.. how to make a Matchless-style glowing faceplate

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cbryant
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Crazy idea.. how to make a Matchless-style glowing faceplate

Post by cbryant »

Just wondering if anyone knows how to make a glowing faceplate. Anyone attempted or successfully completed one? I'm thinking plexiglass, LEDs, and power from the transformer (along the same lines as how the indicator light works). Anyone have schematics from Matchless showing how they do it? Is this just a crazy idea?

How cool would it be to fire up your amp and have your own custom logo glowing brightly for all to see? :D
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52ftbuddha
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I did it

Post by 52ftbuddha »

I did it in a champ circuit I built. The biggest challenge was to find an engraver that could do the faceplate. The faceplate is engraved from behind in reverse and then I applied a diffusing film over the faceplate to better distribute the light. The lamp assemblies are the standart bayonet type cant remember the bulb but it runs of the heater voltage. I used shielded wire for the feed just to make life easy. This was pretty much how Matchless did It as I copped the idea from my SC30.

Rob
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Post by cbryant »

Can Matchless actually patent a glowing logo?? Seems to me that as long as you made it differently, you'd be ok. Either way, most people doing 1-off project amps would be alright.

Kind of ironic if this is true, and meanwhile we are all making amps that are pretty close to being exact replicas of old Marshalls. I hope Marshall doesn't start suing people. :)

Even crazier idea... Install a footswitch-controlled smoke machine into the speaker cabinet and at a particularly furious part of a show, kick on the 'smoke' a la Pete Townshend in that famous scene on the Smothers Brothers show... heh heh :lol:
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Post by lastwinj »

1/4" plexiglass or some other similar material. place holes for LED's stategically on the edge, and voila!!


germ
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Post by tubetwang »

Amazing synergie...

I've been thinkering about this idea of pimping up my amps ever since i've seen Bogner pedal board's Trash Lighting.

Not settled yet but...thinking of routing the logo and backing it up with either L.E.D./batteries or going the Home Depot's like store, using them light sticks that come in every colors.

But once i'm settled and registered, folks will have to pay me a fat fee to use it...

I may let 18 watt.com registered members fly under the radar but...
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Post by cbryant »

Someone could make a bit of ca$h if they figured out a good design and custom made them for the amp-building community... I'd buy one...
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Post by trancedental »

HH in England had the glowing faceplates in the 70's & 80's so I doubt if Matchless could copyright this idea :lol:
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Post by lagerdog »

Matchless will sue you - they have a patent on this
Hahahahaha... funny...

It's called a lightpipe... if they DO have a patent, then could try to sue EVERY electronics producing company in the world who uses LEDs...

:lol:

Kind of like the paper clip... I hold the patent on everything that holds paper together... yeah, right...
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Post by cbryant »

Just sat down with a buddy of mine to figure out how to do this. He recommends cutting a small rectangular hole in the front panel, gluing in some plexiglass, then placing an etched-brass plate overtop of the plexiglas. I guess the tricky part would be figuring out how to wire the standard bayonet type light to the power transformer. Sounds like a good project....! I'm going to give it a go.
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Post by rjgtr »

Ampeg did this way back on the B15N and other amps. These a the flip tops. In fact their method was really cool. They mounted a plexi plate between the transformers in from of the tubes. They lit the plexi from the bottom, with just a bayonet light.

This kind of thing goes back to the days when Radio ruled the planet. I doubt anyone could get a patent (maybe RS will try).
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Post by Gauge »

so its a black plexi faceplate with creme reverse text and then lights on the top edge which will be transmitted throughout?
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forgot to mention

Post by 52ftbuddha »

As others have suggested you need ot cut holes in the front of the chassis to allow the light to make it to the faceplate. I will try and post some pics of mine when I get home.
Rob
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Post by cbryant »

Thanks Rob! I'm looking forward to seeing those pics!
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Post by rjgtr »

Yeah, the Matchless way is simplicity it self. Paint the plexi, leaving the letters transparent or semi-transparent and hang a light not quite directly behind it. So it is in effect the pilot light.
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Post by jas »

I've been planning on doing this on my amp once I get that far with it, hopefully in the next couple of weeks. The "original" idea I have is similar - painted plexi with transparent letters, but I'm going to try drilling holes in the sides an cementing an LED or two in. Ok, I pulled the idea from a set of lights at Ikea where they do exactly the same thing. Wonder if they're in danger of being sued by Matchless??? :twisted:

Joe
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Post by jersey_aaron »

Actually, Ampeg did have a glowing faceplate (Not the B-15), it used EL to light up the panel:

http://www.slyrose.com/bt15.htm

Ampeg just doesn't get the respect it deserves. They had better clean, and better reverbs than Fenders, yet they are still largely ignored.
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Post by Gauge »

just putting this out there, but instead of a plastic faceplate in black and engraved from the rear in creme or some other semi-transparent color, why couldn;'t i print out a transparency and mount it to a piece of clear plexi glass (printing in black with the letters in creme or white or whatever
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Post by RWood »

Here's how Ampeg did it. I've posted this before:
Image

Pretty simple but very effective. As was pointed out earlier, the engraving is probably the hardest part. The two bayonette - mount lamps under the bottom edge are connected to the 6.3VAC, same as the heaters. No other pilot lights, although their use of a tube cage allows you to see the glass inside.
Yeah, Linden NJ was putting out good product in '66!

RWood
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Post by SonnyReVerb »

Bad Cat has light up faceplates. I saw Bonnie Raitt using one in concert. It looked pretty cool on a darkened stage. Their lineage does trace back to Matchless, I believe.

Here's a copy of a post I made over at Hoffman's forum on the same topic:

Paul Ruby did a nice lighted faceplate for a JTM45. Here's a link to the thread over at AX84:

http://ax84.com/bbs/dm2.php?id=190723

Check out the first post by Paul Ruby to see the links to pix of his amp.

Sonny
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