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Post by Rhino on Apr 6, 2021 7:32:36 GMT -7
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Post by bubs42 on Apr 6, 2021 8:50:13 GMT -7
It is the one that has been modded and posted here a while back. It was at another GC, sold, now its back at a different location. Hey used the spare hole in the chassis for the ?Button?, but I wonder if they drilled the hole out larger for that ?Button?
I was thinking of nabbing it a couple of days ago, because its not that far away and I could have it by the weekend. But my local tech just moved on to greener $$ pastures so the easy bring them in, tune them up days came to a scretch.
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Post by Rhino on Apr 6, 2021 8:58:57 GMT -7
Yup...upon closer inspection I do see an "add-on" to the left of the power cord. Apologies for the false alarm!
<edit> My "Interstate" is at the Doc's getting a check-up. Anxious to get it back!
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Post by bubs42 on Apr 6, 2021 11:21:57 GMT -7
That’s ok, you gave me my “**** or get off the pot moment”. If something has been seriously modded, I know were it came from. I also like to get these basket cases and see what someone was thinking. I’ve heard that they can be dark and maybe someone was trying to compensate for that. IMHO an amp just needs to be pairs with the right speaker. Z’s just seem to love Celestions and I’m interested in what it will sound like with the V Type. It is definitely my new favorite speaker, it works great at any volume and perfect with the Brake Lite.
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Post by bubs42 on Apr 8, 2021 9:07:48 GMT -7
It arrived today, the mod is a basically a bright switch. So nothing overly weird or funky. It wasn’t as loud as I thought it would be, nor as dark as I expected it to be. I’ll get some pictures when I get home.
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Post by bubs42 on Apr 8, 2021 13:30:26 GMT -7
So I wanted to find out what a RT66 sounded it like and solve a mystery of "What in the hell is that switch?". LOL Mystery solve, and my ears are ringing. I have to say I thought it would be louder, my Z28 is pretty much 9 o'clock all the time then attenuated down, I have this thing at almost 3 o'clock attenuated down. So maybe it's lacking juice or bias, or tubes, i'm not sure. But I do know with no pedals it will nail that Beano tone when its flat out Dimed and it is never harsh, nor is it super dark. I ran it through a Greenback gently and if it was paired with 3 Greenbacks, it would be the most vintage sounded amp that I have had come through here. Beano, Zepplin, anything like that its a really cool amp. So the Switch, its just a bright switch, that has a cap attached to it that goes to the input jack. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy, my normal tech called it quits and I may take to it to my other local here just to see what's up or if it needs anything. This may end up being a catch and release, i'm so stuck on my Ghia that i've been lusting for a Maserati for a while now. I'll keep you posted.
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Post by KeithA on Apr 8, 2021 13:42:41 GMT -7
Let’s see if Doc remembers the note on the tape 😀
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Post by DRZ on Apr 8, 2021 17:55:19 GMT -7
Let’s see if Doc remembers the note on the tape 😀 Boy lots of thoughts into decifing that note from first year production RT 66. What did I have for dinner last night That was built in 1999 for Venemen"s Music. A parallel cap was added to the EF 86 Cathode By-pass cap to increase low end response to thicken up a thin Strat . To the best of my knowledge.
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Post by "Z" Steve on Apr 8, 2021 19:05:10 GMT -7
I wonder if those are the original tubes? Mike Fullers comments re the Route 66 are what helped me go in the Z direction. Fuller may not be the friendliest guy at times, but he isn't easily persuaded re "any amp built past '65" if I remember correctly. He was very impressed with this amp.
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Post by bubs42 on Apr 8, 2021 20:10:37 GMT -7
Let’s see if Doc remembers the note on the tape 😀 Boy lots of thoughts into decifing that note from first year production RT 66. What did I have for dinner last night That was built in 1999 for Venemen"s Music. A parallel cap was added to the EF 86 Cathode By-pass cap to increase low end response to thicken up a thin Strat . To the best of my knowledge. . I played my Tele through it, definitely likes single coils and has big lows. I wonder if someone added the switch to counterbalance what you did. I’ll run my humbucker guitar through it tomorrow.
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Post by bubs42 on Apr 10, 2021 7:37:16 GMT -7
I was down and out yesterday so I didn't get to play any guitar. But I was just reviewing my pictures and I was certain that the grey wire came off that switch and went to the input jack. My pictures show otherwise, so I 'll have to take a another look and more pictures. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the amp. Unlike the Z28 which does great with the volume around 9 0'clock and takes pedals like a champ, the 66 has to be pushed way up there to start clipping and some alive. It just becomes a different amp up in that area.
Might just be another keeper and maybe I send it off to Doc to have it inspected. My friend Doug has already text me this morning, he wants to know when i'm bringing it over and to know when i'm getting at KT45. LOL
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Post by bubs42 on Apr 10, 2021 13:30:02 GMT -7
It isn't too dark with hum buckers, but the "Clean" setting on the mod just make the amp way to glassy. Even with a Semi Hollow, P90's, with a Spruce Top, the amp is oddly thin with that setting on.
I took the Mullard EF86 Out and put in a Hammond Labeled EF86 in there. I do like that sound of that EF86 better, I also took the GT out of V2 and put in a RCA Pull that I had laying around. After the swap it takes pedals now very well. It was almost like that mallard was too hot, I had to throttle ever pedal bad so far that they were not usable. I just like to goose the front end, I don't play with a ton of gain. Man with this amp lock into a guitar and feedback so musically.
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Post by bubs42 on Apr 11, 2021 9:08:25 GMT -7
Ok, here is a couple of better pictures of the switch and where to leads. So the switch goes to the board and not he input jack. The wire disappear at the board and reappeared again, but then I realized it was two different wires. The Red/Black Wires come out of the grey jacketed wire and attaches at the poles.
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Post by jhen86 (jordan) on Apr 12, 2021 21:21:12 GMT -7
Yes those pics confirm Docs reply above. The red and black wires put the cap that is on the switch into parallel with the .68uf yellow cap on the board. The .68 value is like a Marshall super lead “voicing”. It’s boosts only the upper mids and highs. Adding a second large cap in parallel gives it a full frequency boost, bringing up the lows and low mids (comparetively). The grey jacket on the red and black wires is just a shielding to keep noise down.
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Post by bubs42 on Apr 12, 2021 23:53:22 GMT -7
The darker of the two settings for me sounds the best. I wouldn't mind a touch of the bass rolled off, but the amps sounds great. I may send it back to headquarters to have a once over done on it. So far i'm digging it.
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Post by bubs42 on Apr 14, 2021 9:28:44 GMT -7
Thanks for the info Jordan it is appreciated.
So here are my final notes on the 66. I can see how this amp gets referred to as "Dark", and one could assume that the adjustments made by Doc to "Thicken" it up for a Stratocaster could only push it more in that direction. But I find that the amps as a clean platform doesn't work for me at all, it is dark and just kind of not exciting. When turn that extra component out of the EF86 the amp gets brighter and cleaner, but even adjusting the knobs really doesn't yield a pleasing tone at lower volumes. But when you set it in the darker mode as it "should have" came from Z, and start to crank the amp up, it comes alive. The amp becomes the elephant in the room, with its big bottom end that is neither tight, nor is it boomy, the top end fills out with a touch of chime that allows it not get lost. It is big, bad, and its amazing, If I didn't have a Brake Lite, It would be unusable, and I have taken time to work with and get to know the amp. This way when I walk into the room, turn it one and play with nothing in front of it, it sounds and feels great. I did swap the EF86 to what I feel is a little cooler EF86, and an old USA 12ax7 pull, and now for my taste it works very well with my pedals.
So I don't know that if I would have played a standard RT66 if the result would have been the same, maybe it was just fate that this one dropped into my lap the way it is. So I have decided that this one is going to stay, i'm enjoying it at this point as much as my Ghia. It is a different sound, but such a pleasing, hunderous tone that I would miss if it wasn't here.
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Post by ME on Apr 14, 2021 11:04:07 GMT -7
Yes the 66 is a beast. I found using a BrakeLite made it sit in the band mix in a most useful way. Untamed it’s like riding down a steep slope with poor brakes. Not sure how it will end up, but it’s an adrenaline rush as you go! ME
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Post by bubs42 on Jun 6, 2021 11:01:06 GMT -7
So I took this one out yesterday for a Jam/Hang with my buddy in tone Doug. It didn't let me down, this head into a Z 1x12 with a V Type was pure heaven.
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