Bored with my 5f11. Any mod ideas?

[cstenger5]

I built a Vibrolux as my first build, and it was really a great experience. I added a switch to remove the nfb loop, and a pre pi master volume. It's a bit more versatile now, as I can get a little more deluxe like grit with the nfb switch, and also tame the pi with the MV which seems to help it accept pedals a little better. It's currently running into a Celestion 12" Gold, but I've also run it into a 2x10 WGS loaded cab. Sounds great, but even with additional options, it still feels like a one-trick pony.

Any thoughts on project ideas for new mods to add? I do have space in the chassis to add another noval socket, and enough PT amps to heat a 12ax7 or presumably an EF86. I'm not sure I actually want to do that, but like I said I'm bored with it. A cascadable EF86 might be insanely fun.

[Bieworm]

If the amp is fine I would leave it as is. Then explore new territory on a new amp build. Blank canvas...
Modding an amp will probably make it messy.
I'm doing a 6G3 kind of amp build at the moment. It's pretty inspiring...

20210913_212103.jpg

[zaphod_phil]

As it's a F*nd*r amp, I would shove a stick of dynamite inside and light the fuse. Your biggest power chord ever!

[cstenger5]

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn

[JMPGuitars]

As it's a F*nd*r amp, I would shove a stick of dynamite inside and light the fuse. Your biggest power chord ever!

Hahahahahaha agreed!

[cstenger5]

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of Marshall stuff outside of the el84 stuff, and JCM800s. I'm a big fan of many of the derivatives. The Bogner Shiva is one of my all time favorites. But of course, they're all derivatives of the Tweed Bassman, - but you know what I mean.

In my twenties I worked for Veneman music/ Music Emporium. I had my pick of early to late 90s new gear, and tons of used stuff to play on a daily basis. I always gravitated toward the Shiva, the Ecstasy, the original Buddas, and the Tweed and blonde/brown CS Fenders. And if I was demoing boutique pedals, I'd always run into a run of the mill Blues DeVille. The matchless stuff was fantastic, of course, but too loud for anything but the stage without attenuation, and we would only occasionally have THD hot plates in stock. They were typically special order items, and attenuation wasn't much of a thing outside of that.
So much of what I want to do in terms of amp building is based on recapturing that Shiva, making lower watt versions of the matchless, and having nice vintage fenderey stuff.

On stage, I'd play a vht 45, a Budda twinmaster, and a blues DeVille more than anything else I ever owned. I loved the vht, but I'm not sure how much I'd love it today. The Buddha is was and always will be spectacular, and I always wish I hadn't sold that one. And I really really wish I had never sold my handwired Egnater ie4.

[JMPGuitars]

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of Marshall stuff outside of the el84 stuff, and JCM800s. I'm a big fan of many of the derivatives. The Bogner Shiva is one of my all time favorites. But of course, they're all derivatives of the Tweed Bassman, - but you know what I mean.

Me neither! I actually used to hate all the Marshalls and F**nd@#s I'd heard. I went through a bunch of Mesa Boogie amps that I enjoyed over the years...and then I built my first 18 watter, and the Mesa went from sounding awesome to sounding like sterile trash. I haven't found a circuit ON THIS SITE that I don't like. But I would never go buy a commercial M or F amp.

Thanks,
Josh

[cstenger5]

I still want to do something different with this amp. The only time I gravitate toward it is when I want to play around with tremolo, and that's almost never. The amp sounds good, but its lack of versatility is going to cause it to gather a lot of dust.
I was thinking about maybe doing the preamp and PI sections of Rob Robinette's Blackvibe as a drop-in board replacement, but then I realized that I'm unsure of how my power supply would need to change. I'm assuming the goal is to make sure I'm matching plate voltages in the preamp and pi with Rob's design, since I'm using the existing power amp. He's also got a choke on the blackvibe, so I'll have to figure out that whole situation as well - or not. If I understand it all well enough (and it might be a stretch to say I do), I should be able to use a resistor in place of the choke until such time that I decide to add that piece.
Any advice for resources? Am I way off base? Don't hesitate to let me know where I'm completely and utterly wrong. My goal is to screw around and have fun with the circuit, in a way that forces me to learn while I'm doing it. I have no attachment to that Vibrolux at this point. It got me to build my first amp, and now I want it to get me to learn more.

Thanks in advance folks. You guys have been amazing with the advice so far.

[Bieworm]

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of Marshall stuff outside of the el84 stuff, and JCM800s. I'm a big fan of many of the derivatives. The Bogner Shiva is one of my all time favorites. But of course, they're all derivatives of the Tweed Bassman, - but you know what I mean.

In my twenties I worked for Veneman music/ Music Emporium. I had my pick of early to late 90s new gear, and tons of used stuff to play on a daily basis. I always gravitated toward the Shiva, the Ecstasy, the original Buddas, and the Tweed and blonde/brown CS Fenders. And if I was demoing boutique pedals, I'd always run into a run of the mill Blues DeVille. The matchless stuff was fantastic, of course, but too loud for anything but the stage without attenuation, and we would only occasionally have THD hot plates in stock. They were typically special order items, and attenuation wasn't much of a thing outside of that.
So much of what I want to do in terms of amp building is based on recapturing that Shiva, making lower watt versions of the matchless, and having nice vintage fenderey stuff.

On stage, I'd play a vht 45, a Budda twinmaster, and a blues DeVille more than anything else I ever owned. I loved the vht, but I'm not sure how much I'd love it today. The Buddha is was and always will be spectacular, and I always wish I hadn't sold that one. And I really really wish I had never sold my handwired Egnater ie4.

I had an EL34 Shiva for years, serving as my main amp. I loved it to death!! But it had to be very loud to sound awesome. Always got complains about that .. I didn't mind@

[cstenger5]

I had an EL34 Shiva for years, serving as my main amp. I loved it to death!! But it had to be very loud to sound awesome. Always got complains about that .. I didn't mind@

Loved that amp so much. I want to build one, but in truth, I expect these 18s suit me just as well.

[cstenger5]

I finished it. EF86 -> LTP PI -> the rest 5F11. Really pleasantly surprised with how it sounds. I posted a clip on the Hear it board.

viewtopic.php?t=25994

[Bieworm]

I finished it. EF86 -> LTP PI -> the rest 5F11. Really pleasantly surprised with how it sounds. I posted a clip on the Hear it board.

viewtopic.php?t=25994

It definitely has its own throat